The Eastern Chronicle, New Glasgow, N.S. Tuesday, 01 Dec 1942: BOSTON FIRE TRAGEDY 470 Lives Taken in a Night Club Fire. 200 Wounded In Hospital The worst tragedy of years hit Boston on Saturday night when fire broke out in a Night Club, the swanky Cocoanut Grove, packed with a thousand persons, turned the place into an inferno and claimed at least 470 lives. Only one other such tragedy had ever taken place on this continent. In 1903 in the Iroquois Theatre fire in Chicago 575 lives were lost. The Boston fire started when a match in the hands of a 16-year old lad inserting an electric light bulb lighted a decorative palm tree and carried to the decorations and threw the crowd into a panic. Hundreds were trampled to death as the patrons raced for the exits that couldn't accommodate them. It was a scene of horror, death and destruction. The details are harrowing to read. The patrons of the place were largely young people celebrating a football victory of the afternoon. Many belonged to the services. It is all too horrible to contemplate and the gloom of the tragedy is naturally wide-spread. Thursday, 03 Dec 1942: CAPE BRETONERS IN COCOANUT GROVE HOLOCAUST At least three former residents of Cape Breton lost their lives in the Cocoanut Grove Night Club fire in Boston Saturday night. Word was received in Sydney of the death in the fire of Helen J. Brough, 32, a native of East Bay, and Mrs. David McKee, 39, formerly of New Waterford and Miss Norma MacDonald,21, a member of a former Sydney family. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Tuesday, 08 Dec 1942: TWO STELLARTON FAMILIES BURNED OUT THIS MORNING Two houses, at the corner of Foord Street and the road to the main highway, just opposite the Miner's Monument, were burned to the ground early this morning. The alarm was sounded around 4 a.m. but when firemen responded quickly to the call, the houses, the fire was beyond control. One house was occupied by Mrs. Hudrey and the other by her son. A terrible thing to be denuded of homes at any time of the year, but particularly in the winter. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Carolyn Wallace

Hi Carolyn, We were visiting with some people over the past 2 days, and the Cocoanut Fire was mentioned. Some older people sometimes find themselves inside a building - where no obvious Exit sign, and it scares them. Actually, we had a "bad smoke" incident in a subway tunnel in Downtown Boston a few days ago. And the heavy smoke prevented some from finding an Exit sign. I think a few "escape plans for subway tunnels" might be changed soon. And, most definitely, the Laws were changed in Boston during 1943 / 44. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoanut_Grove_fire http://www.celebrateboston.com/disasters/cocoanut-grove-fire.htm (Is it OK if I mention this newspaper article on one of the MA Lists?) Betty (near Lowell, MA, USA) (I've always lived within a 15-minute or 45-minute drive of Boston. Actually we drove through Boston and Cambridge yesterday.) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carolyn Wallace" <[email protected]> To: "NOVA- SCOTIA-L" <[email protected]>; "CAN-NS-Guysborough" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 7:05 PM Subject: [NS-L] Fire in Boston Club; Fire in Stellarton > The Eastern Chronicle, New Glasgow, N.S. > > Tuesday, 01 Dec 1942: >