WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28: DISASTROUS FIRE
Profile America — Monday, November 28th. The worst nightclub fire in America occurred on this date in 1942 — as Boston's premier nightclub, the Coconut Grove, erupted in flames. It's estimated that the club was jammed with at least 1,000 patrons, more than twice the legal limit. Paper palm trees and other decorations caught fire from a cigarette lighter and quickly raced through the many rooms of the club. The main entrance was a single revolving door. Other exit doors opened inward or had been bolted shut to keep patrons from trying leave without paying their bills. The death toll reached 492. The tragedy shocked the nation and resulted in the strengthening of fire codes. Each year in the U.S., there are about a half-million building fires, causing more than 3,000 deaths. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.
Sources: www.bostonfirehistory.org
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 354, 356, 357
Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for “Multimedia Gallery” by the “Newsroom” button).
SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau
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