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Last Dance at the Cocoanut Grove

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Last Dance at the Cocoanut Grove Last Dance at the Cocoanut Grove o those unfamiliar with the Cocoanut Grove, the name itself brings to mind palm trees, laughing The Cocoanut Grove was crowds, coconuts, dancing and just a good place to go and enjoy oneself with friends. The Grove had one of the most popular T all of this. But, this is not how it’s remembered. In Boston, the Cocoanut Grove is etched forever in history as a city’s worst nightmare, with piercing nightspots in Boston, screams, wild-eyed panic, and terrible heartbreak. On the chilly New England Saturday evening of Massachusetts before November 28, 1942, the Cocoanut Grove was packed beyond capacity with upwards of 1,000 people. Just after 10 p.m. in the Melody Lounge located in and during World War II. Today, the basement, a small fire broke out in a fake palm tree, and then quickly spread across the ceiling the Grove still exists, though only as a decorations. In the official Boston Fire Department report released after the fire, Fire Commissioner William piece of history—a poignant niche Arthur Reilly estimated that the fire took only two to four minutes to develop momentum and cross approximately 40 feet of the Melody Lounge to the carved into the edifice of time. only public stairway out of the room. In seconds it had flashed passed the first floor foyer and the main by Casey C. Grant, P.E. entrance, and into the main dining room. From the first appearance of flame until it had explosively traversed the main dining room and passed, almost 225 feet away, to the entrance of the Broadway Lounge, the commissioner estimated at total time of an incredible five minutes at most. At this point in time, all exits normally open to the public, of which each had something functionally wrong, were useless for a safe escape. In minutes, the Cocoanut Grove was an inferno from one end to the other. Some escaped untouched 14 DOORS & HARDWARE £ JULY 2008 but most did not. Rescuers pulled In addition, of the five individu- were involved in some other way, out trapped survivors and victims als who were interviewed for this are now gone. But some remain, as quickly as possible, so that article in 1991, I am aware that and nobody knows the Cocoanut by midnight, the once bustling Messrs. Graney, Collins, and Moore Grove’s final moments better. Here Cocoanut Grove was a blackened, have passed away. On this basis I’ve are their stories. soaking, but now empty hulk of a revised the conclusion of each of building. Just like the fire itself, the their personal accounts to be inde- The Patron entire incident was but an instan- pendent of time. taneous flash in its history, but the While interviewing the people “We went to watch Boston College ramifications of this inferno are felt included in this article, they at times beat Holy Cross, and instead it was to this day. referred back to earlier testimony one of the greatest upsets in college This story is an update of my and interviews. Any similarity to football history,” says Hewson Gray original story that appeared in other published material on this of Waltham, Massachusetts. That the NFPA Journal in 1991. I have subject is based on the interviewee’s afternoon’s big football game was included additional information own reflections on such material. the first in a series of events that that relates to our codes and stan- Sixty-five years have passed since would lead Gray, along with his dards that was not available when that fateful evening. Many who wife and their companions, face to the story first ran. were in the Grove and escaped, or face with destiny. JULY 2008 £ DOORS & HARDWARE 15 Hewson Gray and his wife, Hilda, obligated to meet up with the other With their table in the corner, went to the game at Fenway Park two couples. Hilda Gray had her back to one that afternoon with Hilda’s sister Their reservation at the Grove was wall and remarked at one point Josephine Driscoll, and her husband, for late evening, and in the mean- that “the wall felt hot.” To satisfy Francis. Later that evening, they time, they journeyed to several other their own curiosity, they each took would meet two other couples at the clubs in the South End and Back Bay a turn touching the wall and found Cocoanut Grove for dinner. districts of Boston. About 8:30 p.m., it warm to the touch. This novelty The Boston College Eagles were Gray parked his car on Berkeley provided an item of discussion, and better than six to one favorites over Street so that the group could cap the since the outside temperature was Holy Cross. They were undefeated evening off with dinner and a show near freezing, the men joked that if with a very tough schedule, and at the Cocoanut Grove. the women felt cold they should just they looked forward to pounding The other two couples met them lean against the walls. Holy Cross in the traditional end- at the Cocoanut Grove. They were “We can’t imagine why the walls of-the-season football rivalry. In friends of Josephine Driscoll, one were noticeably warm like they contrast to the BC strength, Holy couple being from Dorchester were” adds Gray, “But after the fire Cross had a balance of wins and and the other from Newton. The we had to wonder if this somehow losses in accordance with a rather Grays had never met those other contributed to its violent spread. It mediocre schedule. Sugar Bowl two couples, but they fondly noted was so fast.” representatives were in attendance that the wife from Dorchester was The nightclub’s show was sched- on behalf of Boston College, and the eight months pregnant. Hewson uled to begin about 10 p.m. Gray only question before game time was and Hilda Gray had been married went to the men’s room located at by what margin BC would win. almost ten years, and despite the opposite corner of the dining “I was, and still am, a Boston trying to have children, it would be room, just off the lobby at the top of College fan, but what a sad after- another two years before their first the stairway that led down to the noon it was for the Eagles. We were child was born. Melody Lounge. Because he had to stunned,” says Gray. After leaving their hats and coats push through the crowd, this jour- The final score was an incredible at the coat room, the party of eight ney was more arduous than usual. 55-12 upset, which remarkably were waited momentarily in the lobby Just as Gray had returned to his the same numbers of the two BC while their table was located. table and had sat down, they heard co-captains shown on the cover of “It was so crowded that you had a commotion from over by the the game program. Yet, even more to turn sideways to get through lobby where Gray had just come remarkable is how delicate the the tables in the dining room,” back from. Initially it sounded like balance of fate really is, since BC explains Gray. “They were having people were shouting, “fight,” with planned to hold the team’s victory trouble getting us a table despite some of the people bumping each party that evening at the Cocoanut our reservation. We had to go all the other in an attempt to clear out of Grove. Major Tobin himself would way across to the far corner of the the lobby area. Then they saw a blue have led the revelry. Of course, all dining room, over to the other side and yellow sliver of flame flash up thoughts of a formal party were of the stage. O’Brien was the name to the ceiling. cancelled because of the magnitude reservation on the table that they With the realization that a fire of the defeat, but that loss kept them finally gave us.” was the cause of the activity over from an event in which the odds Even though this excursion to on the far side of the dining hall, were a mere one to one between life the far corner was not a big deal, it the instantaneous reaction of those and death. was somewhat annoying. Yet here on the other side of the room was— But some of the BC contingent fate was kind, since there were four nothing. They weren’t sure the fire would carry on with the evening’s O’Briens killed in the fire. was bad and it was far across the plans despite that afternoon’s “We always wondered where the other side of a very crowded room. debacle. Among these were the O’Brien’s sat; that is, where we should One of the waiters immediately Grays and the Driscolls, who were have been. We were lucky,” he said. rushed across the dance floor 16 DOORS & HARDWARE £ JULY 2008 «Å ÅÅ ÅÅ ÅÅ At Akron Hardware we don’t spend our time trying to re-invent wholesaling. We utilize all of our resources to perfect a simple, time-tested model. No other wholesale distributor can match our speed to market, comprehensive inventory, technical support, and strict non-competitive policies. And no one else offers Free Ground Freight on every order, every day! When you want service that is simply the best, make your fi rst call to the wholesaler that is Closer, Faster and Better equipped to meet your needs.
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