. ▁and ▁Bar num ▁and ▁Ba iley ▁Circ us ▁performance . ▁The ▁fire ▁killed ▁around ▁ 1 6 8 ▁people . ▁The ▁quick ▁reaction ▁of ▁Mer le ▁Evans ▁and ▁his ▁band ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁saving ▁thousands ▁of ▁lives . ▁When ▁Evans ▁saw ▁the ▁fire , ▁he ▁sign aled ▁that ▁the ▁band ▁should ▁play ▁John ▁Philip ▁S ous a ’ s ▁“ St ars ▁and ▁St ri pes ▁Fore ver ,” ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁circ us ▁as ▁the ▁“ dis aster ▁march ,” ▁indicating ▁an ▁emer gency . ▁The ▁perform ers ▁heard ▁the ▁music ▁and ▁immediately ▁began ▁the ▁ev acu ation . ▁Account s ▁state ▁that ▁Evans ▁and ▁his ▁band ▁played ▁until ▁it ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁safe ▁to ▁do ▁so , ▁and ▁then ▁ev acu ated ▁and ▁reform ed ▁outside , ▁where ▁their ▁playing ▁helped ▁to ▁pace ▁the ▁ev acu ation ▁and ▁steady ▁the ▁crowd . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life , ▁ret irement ▁and ▁death ▁After ▁his ▁ret irement , ▁Evans ▁continued ▁to ▁live ▁an ▁active ▁life . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Columb us ▁State ▁Bank ▁in ▁his ▁h omet own ▁of ▁Columb us , ▁Kansas . ▁He ▁gave ▁work sh ops ▁and ▁guest - led ▁bands ▁around ▁the ▁country . ▁His ▁second ▁wife ▁was ▁N ena , ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁secretary ▁to ▁the ▁own ers ▁and ▁execut ives ▁of ▁the ▁Ring ling ▁B ros . ▁and ▁Bar num ▁& ▁Ba iley ▁circ us . ▁Evans ▁died ▁in ▁Sar as ota , ▁Florida ▁on ▁December ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1