Evening star., 1942-11-29
Fire axes $50 Lives,
Scores More Injured
In Boston Night Club

Hospitals Swomped
After Swift Blaze
In Back Boy
picture on Page Az
BULLETIN.
BOSTON (P).-POlice Chief
Edward w. Fallon said early
today that deaths in the CO.
cOanut Grove Night Club fire
might approach the 200 mark.
All bodies were believed re-
moved from the building by
lis am, three hours after the
first of five alarms. A call was
made for all medical exam
liners in the State to report.
Ey the Associated Press.
BOSTON, Nov. 20 Sunday
A sWift-moving fire of undeter-
mined origin, which flashed
through the Cocoanut Grove
Night Club in the Back Bay dis
trict last night killed about $50
merrymakerS, Police Supt. Ed
ward w. Fallon estimated early
today. as bodies still were being
removed.
Scores of others were burned
and suffered other injuries. DR..
James Manary of City Hospital,
which reported $50 admitted.
said earlier that deaths were oc-
curing so rapidly they could not
be counted Immediately.
Flames started in the Melody
Room, basement lounge. just as
the orchestra was preparing to play
the Star Spangled Banner for the
opening of the floor show.
Mickey Alpert, orchestra leader.
said he was sitting at table on
the main floor, and was holding
up my baton for the national an
them when the flames roared up
llOlil Illc lOuIlSe DelOW.
Servicemen Help Remove Bodies.
Witnesses told of patrons in the
flaming one-and- -half-story club
making their way to the roof and
jumping to the street, many land
ing on top of parked automobiles.
All branches of servicemen pitched
in with police and firemen in re-
moving the bodies from the twisted
wreckage. One by one, the victims
were carried to the street as voices
shouted: "Gangway. Here's another
| body"
They were carried in almost
steady stream across the mesh Of
fire hoses that Uttered the streets
and placed under grey blankets in
| garage across the street which was
employed as makeshift morgue.
Shoeless feet could be seen pro-
truding from the blankets as the
lifeless forms were placed row upon
row.
One mortuary reported it had re-
ceived Is bodies from the fire scene.
Massachusetts, General Hospital re-
ported that 48 cases, some fatal,
were taken there.
BY 11:30 pm. five alarms had been
sounded, as firemen, police, soldiers.
sailors and volunteers struggled to
dispatch the injured to hospitals.
| Police Supt. Fallon ordered ambu-
lances called from surrounding COM
munities.
Witnesses said they believed sew
eral hundred persons were in the
night club at IT Piedmont street.
when there was burst of flame and
the fire spread rapidly.
Smoke Fatal to Many.
Harry Glasheen, Associated Press
reporter, said, Il carried about 20
men and women from the building.
Ihey all seemed to have died OF
smoke inhalation"
Billy Payne, singer in the club for
many years, told this story of the
disaster:
Il was in the center of the floor
getting ready to sing the Star
Spangled Banner when all of a sud-
den I heard people screaming and
jumping and running. 1 thought
there was fight. Then 1 saw a
thin flame running along the wall.
A lot of people got out the side exit
but most of them tried to jam
around the back.
Il knew the layout of the place 7
worked here so long and 1 tried to
get others to follow me when went
downstairs. There was big ice box
there and I thought it would be a
good place to escape the smoke. I
helped about 10 into it and others
lay down on the floor. Pretty soon
We heard firemen saying, Come this
way
Finally we got out the service
entrance in the back. I think there
were 10 or Is women in the crowd"
First Alarm at 1918 PM.
The first alarm was sounded az
1918 pm. and an hour and a half
later flremen still had not quelled
the flames sufficiently to permit
entry for recovery of additional
bodies.
City Hospital reported its capaci-
(Coo EIDE DoCn