The Rhythm Club Fire was a tragic event that took the lives of 209 people on April 23rd 1940. To this day, this is the 2nd deadliest club fire in US history. In order to keep the non-paying public from getting a free show, the manager of the club boarded up the windows and doors leaving only the front door open. One way in and one way out. The club was decorated with Spanish moss hung from the chicken wire in the rafters. The moss had been sprayed with a petroleum based insecticide called Flit in order to kill the bugs that lived in the moss . A fire broke out, 209 people were killed.