From Harry Kingston

Scan11332, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. There was a question that Oral Roberts might have bought a used tent from Ringling Bros. Circus. So I wrote to Oral Roberts Ministries with questions for them on there tents used in the ministries. So after many weeks and them taking the time to research it for me. " In 1950 the third tent Oral used held seven thousand people and more when the side wall was lifted up. There were in Amarillo, Texas and Oral was in the healing process and they heard a mighty roar. He told everyone to be calm and telling the men by the poles to hold them down. The wind lifted Oral up off the platform and laid him down ten feet in front of the crowd un hurt. the wind lifted the tent up and exposed all to the rain and only three with injuries and only one seriously. The Amarillo newspaper called it a miracle that many were not killed. After this they contacted a Chicago tent maker that made tents for Ringling( probably united states tent and awning ) to make a tent for them that seated twelve thousand and with stand one hundred mile an hour winds and hailstorms without and appreciable damage. I was asked to state this is copyrighted material that came from "Expect A Miracle" which is out of print now and autobiography by Oral Roberts 1995 I know when Oral ended his tent revivals D. R. Miller bought all the aluminum poles as I remember seeing them and they were tapered at both ends. So a tent that seated twelve thousand was a very large one on folding chairs. Any more comments would be greatly appreciated which pertains to the tents used. Harry Kingston "The picture above is the last RBBB big top as seen on the closing day in Pittsbirgh, Pa. July 16, 1956." Buckles