Fire in the Grove: The Cocoanut Grove Tragedy and Its Aftermath

278 Pages·2014·3.88 MB·English

by  Esposito

JOHN C.ESPOSITO

To Linda and Nick, the flames in my
heart
To firefighters and fire prevention professionals
Injustice is relatively easy to bear;
what stings is justice.
H.L.Mencken
Acknowledgments
Prologue: Saturday Night, November 28, 1942
1 The Rehearsal
2 The Intimate Place
3 No Exit
4 The Eight-Minute Fire
5 Don't Panic
6 The Unalterable Laws
7 It's Not My Job
8 Present at the Creation
9 The Man Who Wasn't There
10 The Bright Side?
11 Indictments-General and Specific
12 Recklessness
13 Ex Post Facto
14 The Verdict
15 Reckonings
16 Fact or Fiction?
Postscript: The 90-Second Fire
Index
I owe debts of gratitude to a number of people who provided encouragement and
assistance in the writing of this story
First, my agent, Albert Zuckerman at Writers House, provided invariably
shrewd advice about the structure of the book as well as about the publishing
industry.
Among the people in Boston, Fire Commissioner Paul Christian, who opened
his department's records of the Grove fire to me, helped immeasurably.
Firefighter William Noonan, who has made the fire his special province, assisted
me in wading through his vast archive of transcripts, news clippings, and
photographs. Throughout the writing of this book, Bill promptly answered every
email inquiry for clarification of some fine points.
William Arthur Reilly, son of the fire commissioner at the time of the fire, was
generous with his time and provided invaluable insights about his father. I have
made some stern judgments about the senior Mr. Reilly, but I hope that my
essential respect for his performance after the fire is evident.
Dick Dray, Mr. Reilly's friend, was unfailingly generous with his time and
contacts.
Author and Boston Herald reporter Stephanie Schorow, who has written
extensively and well about the Grove and other Boston fires, provided helpful
advice and materials.
I am indebted to several long-time friends for their support during the early
lonely days: Daniel Weiss, Kay Gelfman, Bob Henzler, Larry J.Silverman, Mark
Adams, and Eric Bruce. I thank Anna La Violette for her boundless enthusiasm
and Susan La Violette for her kindness. My special thanks go to Jamie Rosenthal