shame we never met

I was sad to read that Melvin Waskin died

   To be brutally honest, until I read his obituary I had never heard of the man.
   Back in 1985 he published a book called "Mrs. O'Leary's Comet."
   No, not like Comet of Cupid and Dancer fame, but comet as in here comes a giant ball of hell fire that could wipe out humanity and all living creatures too stupid to adapt if it hits the earth type comet.
     When I was teaching, I would always give an extra credit question the weeks before Fire Prevention Week.  I would ask, what fire destroyed a city and claimed thousands of lives?
     Usually the kids would tell me it was the Chicago Fire.
     Then on Oct. 8 I would tell them about the Great Peshtigo Fire.
     The Peshtigo fire killed somewhere between 1,500 and 2,500 people.  Chicago also burned the same day, but the death toll in Chicago was about 300.
     (True story.  I was in the Peshtigo Fire Museum when a man came in and looked around.  After a few minutes he went up to the volunteer and asked, "Don't you have any more artifacts from the fire?"  The clerk paused for a minute and answered, "No we don't, everything burned."  I thought it was funny.)
     The Chicago fire was blamed on Mrs. O'Leary and her cow, either the cow kicking over a lantern or a drunken relative/friend/neighbor knocking over the lantern in the O'Leary barn.  The Peshtigo fire was blamed on railroad crews, who were clearing land for a line.  But it was never presented in a conclusive way.
     Mr. Waskin spent years reading reports, books, newspapers, eyewitness accounts of both fires and the one in Manistee Michigan the same day!
     He discovered a common thread.  People reported a roaring noise and a flash of light prior to the fire.
    Mr. Waskin said that was the same time the Biela II comet came crashing to Earth.
     He felt that was the cause of all three fires.
     I can see that.  Three fires in one day, all catastrophic in nature.  Unless the Russians had conspired...no wait, that is today.
     Of course Chicago was a big city and Peshtigo was a small town in the northern part of Wisconsin.  Communications being what they were, no one heard about the Peshtigo or Manistee fires for several days.  By then all attention was focused on Chicago.
     I may have to look for the book.  I think it would be an interesting read and maybe someday someone will corroborate his tale.
     In any case, reading about the fires is a harrowing experience.