{"product_id":"the-wreck-of-the-circus-ship-royal-tar-tragedy-in-penobscot-bay-9781467158510","title":"The Wreck of the Circus Ship Royal Tar: Tragedy in Penobscot Bay","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLost in the Flames\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn October 21, 1836, a bustling crowd gathered at the docks in Saint John, New Brunswick, to witness an extraordinary spectacle. The steamship \u003cem\u003eRoyal Tar\u003c\/em\u003e was embarking on yet another voyage from New Brunswick to Portland, Maine, laden with a cargo of peculiar passengers. For this fateful voyage, the \u003cem\u003eRoyal Tar \u003c\/em\u003ehad been transformed into a circus ship. Onlookers watched as cages slowly rolled past--exotic birds in one, two lionesses in another and the regal striped Bengal tiger in a third. Then the star of the show slowly made his way across the gangplank. Mogul, the mighty Asian elephant, took his spot on the upper deck of the ship as it steamed out of the port. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter four days of stormy weather, a devastating fire engulfed the ship. The ensuing chaos left thirty-two people dead, and many of the animals were pushed overboard into the frigid waters of Penobscot Bay in a last-ditch effort to save them. The rest died in their cages. Jane Parks Gardner reveals how this tragic event left an indelible mark on Maine's maritime history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e History Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/03\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781467158510\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 96","brand":"Jane Parks Gardner","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45316460052661,"sku":"9781467158510","price":21.24,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_0699e3ba-d184-4a78-9e98-89ece1eb47b4.jpg?v=1745331328","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-wreck-of-the-circus-ship-royal-tar-tragedy-in-penobscot-bay-9781467158510","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}