A few days before Thanksgiving in 1915, Con T. Kennedy’s traveling circus left from a stint in downtown Atlanta, where it set records for money and attendance, and headed towards Girard, Alabama, across a newly opened bridge in Columbus.
The train was full of performers, animals, and equipment as it made its way down the tracks.
Meanwhile, the conductor of a passenger train bound for Macon from Columbus was stopped at the Muscogee junction when a message came through. Either the train conductor didn’t get the message or didn’t bother to read it, but the Columbus train rolled out on schedule.
The message said, Wait 10 minutes before leaving, so the circus train can pass.
Shortly afterwards, the two trains collided, killing many on the Con T. Kennedy’s circus train, since it was made primarily from wood, except the engine, and the caboose. Flames quickly spread, and people began to scream in terror. The windows were tiny, and the only thing that could be passed through them was a small child named Hazel Kempf.
It is believed that 24 people died on that day and were buried in the Riverdale Cemetery in Columbus. The circus owner built a monument to look like a circus tent as a tribute to those who died in the fiery wreckage.
People who have visited the cemetery have captured ghostly orbs, seen oddly dressed people, and heard carnival music playing.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.