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Author: Mel Waskin
Publisher: Academy Chicago Pub
Published: 1985-01-01
Total Pages: 168
ISBN-13: 9780897331814
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Uses eyewitness accounts and astronomical records to argue that the great Chicago fire was caused by the earth's collision with a dying comet and compares the event with the unexplained 1908 explosion in Siberia
Author: Richard F. Bales
Publisher: McFarland
Published: 2015-09-01
Total Pages: 350
ISBN-13: 1476604762
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 swallowed up more than three square miles in two days, leaving thousands homeless and 300 dead. Throughout history, the fire has been attributed to Mrs. O’Leary, an immigrant Irish milkmaid, and her cow. On one level, the tale of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow is merely the quintessential urban legend. But the story also represents a means by which the upper classes of Chicago could blame the fire’s chaos on a member of the working poor. Although that fire destroyed the official county documents, some land tract records were saved. Using this and other primary source information, Richard F. Bales created a scale drawing that reconstructed the O’Leary neighborhood. Next he turned to the transcripts—more than 1,100 handwritten pages—from an investigation conducted by the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners, which interviewed 50 people over the course of 12 days. The board’s final report, published in the Chicago newspapers on December 12, 1871, indicates that commissioners were unable to determine the cause of the fire. And yet, by analyzing the 50 witnesses’ testimonies, the author concludes that the commissioners could have determined the cause of the fire had they desired to do so. Being more concerned with saving their own reputation from post-fire reports of incompetence, drunkenness and bribery, the commissioners failed to press forward for an answer. The author has uncovered solid evidence as to what really caused the Great Chicago Fire.
Author: Jerome Pohlen
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Published: 2012-05-01
Total Pages: 338
ISBN-13: 1613740352
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →In this updated edition, it's plain to see that the state of Illinois has only gotten weirder. Where there was once just a single Popeye statue in downstate Chester, today the town has monuments to Olive Oyl, Swee' Pea, Bluto, the Sea Hag, and more. The creepy Piasa Bird petroglyph on the bluff in Alton now has a roadside pullout with picnic tables, and the two-story outhouse in Gays has a new contemplative garden. With almost twice as many destinations as its predecessor, this edition boasts detailed information on each site—address, phone number, website, hours, entry fees, and driving directions—as well as maps, photos, and a wealth of regional history in the descriptions. Some new sites include Henry's Rabbit Ranch, the World's First Jungle Gym, Ahlgrim Acres (a miniature golf course at a funeral home), the Leather Archives and Museum, General Santa Ana's two wooden legs, the World's Largest Sock Monkey, the Friendship Shoe Fence, a truck stop with a marionette show, and a coin-operated fire-breathing dragon. There is more between Chicago and St. Louis than cornfields and plenty of fascinating places in the Windy City that aren't on Michigan Avenue, and here is a chance to see these underappreciated sites throughout the state.
Author: Anthony N. Penna
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Published: 2013-05-07
Total Pages: 358
ISBN-13: 1118327543
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Natural Disasters in a Global Environment is a transnational, global and environmental history of natural and man-made disasters. Detailed case studies of past and present events are presented in a historical narrative, making use of the most recent scholarship. Examines a range of disasters including volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, landslides, hurricanes, famines, and more Highlights the role of science in studying natural disasters and describes the mechanisms responsible for them Features a range of case studies which can be used in conjunction with one another or as standalone examples Covers scientific material in a lucid and accessible style suited to undergraduate students or those outside of scientific disciplines Traces the transition of our understanding of disasters, from religious and superstitious explanations to contemporary scientific accounts
Author: Graeme Donald
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books
Published: 2021-05-13
Total Pages: 208
ISBN-13: 1789293944
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →As Napoleon himself once said, 'History is a version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.' Noted down in historical documents, copied and widely repeated, it doesn't take long for a version of the truth to become accepted as fact. But who invents these false accounts in the first place, and why do they gain traction so quickly? Far from concerning the obscure and insignificant parts of our history, these fundamental inaccuracies and downright lies colour the depiction of many of those pivotal characters and events we learnt about at school. Cleopatra, Marco Polo, Captain Cook, Joan of Arc; most of us could reel off a fact or two about each. But as this intriguing book reveals, a closer examination of these core parts of our social and political history shows that often all was not as it seemed, and that the agendas of those responsible for recording these events had a huge impact on what was reported and what was covered up.
Author: Graeme Donald
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books
Published: 2018-04-19
Total Pages: 223
ISBN-13: 1782439692
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →As Napoleon himself once said, 'History is a version of past events that people have decided to agree upon'. Noted down in historical documents, copied and widely repeated, it doesn't take long for a version of the truth to become accepted as fact. But who invents these false accounts in the first place, and why do they gain traction so quickly? Far from concerning the obscure and insignificant parts of our history, these fundamental inaccuracies and downright lies colour the depiction of many of those pivotal characters and events we learnt about at school. Cleopatra, Marco Polo, Captain Cook, Joan of Arc; most of us could probably reel off a fact or two about each. But as this intriguing book reveals, a closer examination of these core parts of our social and political history shows that often all was not as it seemed, and that the agendas of those responsible for recording these events had a huge impact on what was reported and what was covered up. The Mysteries of History is an entertaining romp through the centuries, uncovering the great mysteries surrounding some of the most inaccurate and misleading parts of our past.
Author: John Boda and Ray Johnson
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Published: 2017
Total Pages: 128
ISBN-13: 1467125660
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →After an extremely hot and dry summer, Chicago got a spark that grew into something unimiginable and unforgettable on Oct. 8, 1871. On Oct. 8, 1871, what became known as "the Great Chicago Fire" was a massive firestorm that moved faster than most men could run, fueled by southwest winds of at least 30 miles per hour. The heat was so intense it melted stone and brick buildings in minutes and turned sand on the lakeshore into glass. A total of 18,000 buildings were destroyed. About 100,000 were left homeless, and over 300 lost their lives. The very same day, and nearly the same hour, both the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and Peshtigo, Wisconsin, suffered similar firestorms. Peshtigo's was even worse, creating an event that came to be known as "the Peshtigo Paradigm." Many people believe the three fires forming a huge triangle of destruction were related as one with cosmic causes, and it remains a mystery to this day. Authors and native Chicagoans John Boda and Ray Johnson take you inside this historic happening.
Author: Carl Smith
Publisher: Grove Atlantic
Published: 2020-10-06
Total Pages: 279
ISBN-13: 0802148115
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →A definitive chronicle of the 1871 Chicago Fire as remembered by those who experienced it—from the author of Chicago and the American Literary Imagination. Over three days in October, 1871, much of Chicago, Illinois, was destroyed by one of the most legendary urban fires in history. Incorporated as a city in 1837, Chicago had grown at a breathtaking pace in the intervening decades—and much of the hastily-built city was made of wood. Starting in Catherine and Patrick O’Leary’s barn, the Fire quickly grew out of control, twice jumping branches of the Chicago River on its relentless path through the city’s three divisions. While the death toll was miraculously low, nearly a third of Chicago residents were left homeless and more were instantly unemployed. This popular history of the Great Chicago Fire approaches the subject through the memories of those who experienced it. Chicago historian Carl Smith builds the story around memorable characters, both known to history and unknown, including the likes of General Philip Sheridan and Robert Todd Lincoln. Smith chronicles the city’s rapid growth and its place in America’s post-Civil War expansion. The dramatic story of the fire—revealing human nature in all its guises—became one of equally remarkable renewal, as Chicago quickly rose back up from the ashes thanks to local determination and the world’s generosity. As we approach the fire’s 150th anniversary, Carl Smith’s compelling narrative at last gives this epic event its full and proper place in our national chronicle. “The best book ever written about the fire, a work of deep scholarship by Carl Smith that reads with the forceful narrative of a fine novel. It puts the fire and its aftermath in historical, political and social context. It’s a revelatory pleasure to read.” —Chicago Tribune
Author: David A. Lagnado
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2021-10-21
Total Pages: 327
ISBN-13: 1009063944
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →How do we make sense of complex evidence? What are the cognitive principles that allow detectives to solve crimes, and lay people to puzzle out everyday problems? To address these questions, David Lagnado presents a novel perspective on human reasoning. At heart, we are causal thinkers driven to explain the myriad ways in which people behave and interact. We build mental models of the world, enabling us to infer patterns of cause and effect, linking words to deeds, actions to effects, and crimes to evidence. But building models is not enough; we need to evaluate these models against evidence, and we often struggle with this task. We have a knack for explaining, but less skill at evaluating. Fortunately, we can improve our reasoning by reflecting on inferential practices and using formal tools. This book presents a system of rational inference that helps us evaluate our models and make sounder judgments.
Author: Paul W. Syltie
Publisher: Xulon Press
Published: 2011-05
Total Pages: 858
ISBN-13: 1612155960
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →This is not a book for the fainthearted. It is a thrilling adventure story that carries the reader through the entire pageant of history, from the farthest reaches of antiquity to the utmost limits of prophecy, complemented by supporting secular knowledge, focusing on the awesome plan God has put into motion. Throughout this anthology, the chosen people of promise are brought into sharp relief against the unceasing tactics of Satan to derail the plan, and bring an end to history's climax: the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind, and the resurrection of the saints to bring new government - the renewed Eden on earth. In the process of this thriller there are shown to be not one, not two, but three Edenic periods on earth! Follow the chapters of this book and its thorough documentation into an exciting and new experience that will tantalize and inspire you to the higher thoughts of the Almighty. Paul W. Syltie was raised on a crop and dairy farm in western Minnesota, and attended universities in the Upper Midwest, obtaining a Ph.D. in Soil Fertility in 1980. He married his high school sweetheart Sandy, and they are the parents of six children and nine grandchildren. Dr. Syltie is a farmer, writer, and instructor in natural agricultural methods who travels worldwide to help farmers improve their health and productivity by returning the soil to its God-intended vitality. Other books by the same author: The Syltie Family in America The New Eden: Millennial Agriculture, a Key to Understanding the Kingdom of God Understanding God's Government How Soils Work: A Study Into the God-Plane Mutualism of Soils and Crops
