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The Cocoanut Grove Night Club tragedy...
The Cocoanut Grove Night Club tragedy...
Item # 722575
November 29, 1942
THE DETROIT FREE PRESS, November 29, 1942
* Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire (1st report)
* Worst nightclub disaster in U.S. history
* Early rpt. as 492 would be the total dead
The front page has a very early and somewhat discrete report with one column heading: "Boston Fights 5-Alarm Fire; Many Trapped" (see image) Notice how the report claims only 15 were confirmed dead at the time of this publication with printed.
Complete 1st section only with all 20 pages, light toning at the margins, a little irregular along the spine, generally nice.
AI notes: The 1942 Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire in Boston was a catastrophic disaster that claimed 492 lives, making it the deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. On Thanksgiving Eve, November 28, over 1,000 people crowded into the tropical-themed nightclub, which was decorated with highly flammable materials like Spanish moss, artificial palm fronds, and paper lanterns. The fire likely started when a light fixture or ignited decoration came into contact with these materials, and it spread within minutes, fueled by the dense, combustible decor. Panic erupted as patrons tried to escape, but many exits were locked or poorly marked, trapping people inside. The majority of deaths were caused by smoke inhalation, as the toxic fumes from burning decorations overwhelmed the club before most could escape. The disaster exposed severe shortcomings in fire safety standards and directly led to reforms including occupancy limits, mandatory exit signage, panic bars on doors, and flameproofing of decorations, fundamentally changing building codes and fire safety regulations in public spaces across the United States.
Category: The 20th Century
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