num_pages: 205
description: On the night of April 23, 1940, the Walter Barnes Orchestra played as the Rhythm Club burned in Natchez, Mississippi. Spanish moss covered in a highly flammable insecticide had become ignited and large flames developed quickly. Entrances and windows had been boarded up to keep away the folks who wanted to hear Barnes’ music without paying for admission. But that left no way out. Barnes reportedly had his nine-piece band continue playing in an effort to calm the crowd. The fire would take the lives of 209 people that night including Barnes and several members of his band.
language: English
title: Unquenchable black fires
titlecomplete: Unquenchable black fires
publisher: Leney Educational and Pub