On November 28, 1942, fire roared through Boston's famed Cocoanut Grove nightclub during what was supposed to be a high-spirited Saturday night. By midnight, more than five hundred people were dead, dying, or maimed for life.
My guest, Boston historian and author Stephanie Schorow, walks us through the history of the nightclub, the possible causes of the tr ... Show More
Oct 28
461: The Fire Witch & the 1876 Brooklyn Theater Inferno w/ Melanie Gall
On December 5, 1876, a packed house at the Brooklyn Theatre was watching the hit melodrama "The Two Orphans" when star Kate Claxton spotted a small flame above the stage. The actors kept performing, hoping to prevent a panic. Within twenty minutes, the theatre had collapsed, kill ... Show More
1h 6m
Oct 24
MoNo Encore: The Life & Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe w/ Mark Dawidziak
Edgar Allan Poe is, of course, one of America's most iconic writers. Many credit him with inventing or popularizing multiple literary genres, including mystery, horror and detective fiction. But the real Poe has become distorted over the years - transformed by fans into a dark an ... Show More
2h 1m
Oct 20
460: Dr. Joseph Bell: The Real Sherlock Holmes w/ Lindsey Fitzharris
Throughout nineteenth-century Edinburgh, the surgeon Joseph Bell was known for his extraordinary talent for detection and diagnosis. To the amazement of onlookers at the Royal Infirmary, he could read a patient’s ailments, occupation, and personal habits from a single glance. Tho ... Show More
1h 10m
Feb 2025
Station Nightclub Fire | Ninety Seconds to Get Out | 4
On February 20th, 2003, the rock band Great White took the stage at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. But when they began their set by igniting pyrotechnic sparklers, a fire broke out and ripped up the walls before quickly spreading to the rest of the building. ... Show More
37m 14s
Dec 2023
46: The Winecoff Fire: The Deadliest Hotel Disaster in American History
On the night of December 7th, 1946, a woman working the night shift at the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia smells smoke. A few floors up, a man is woken by cries for help. Within two hours, almost half of the guests will be dead. Subscribe on Patreon for bonus content and to b ... Show More
37m 57s
Jan 2025
Station Nightclub Fire | Pyrotechnics | 1
In February 2003, a small nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island called the Station gets set to host a performance by ‘80s rock band Great White. But unbeknownst to the club’s patrons, owners Michael and Jeffrey Derderian and their staff have cut corners on safety. And when Grea ... Show More
32m 47s