1 00:00:01,650 --> 00:00:03,710 Speaker 1: Hey everyone this is Chuck and welcome to Stuff You 2 00:00:03,750 --> 00:00:06,820 Speaker 1: Should Know Saturday Selects I'm picking this one this week 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: from July 19th 2012 Did a cow start the Great 4 00:00:10,100 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: Chicago Fire? You all know I love my history episodes 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,580 Speaker 1: especially those where we can set some things straight that 6 00:00:17,620 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: history you might have gotten wrong in class at least 7 00:00:21,540 --> 00:00:25,259 Speaker 1: as a kid and we talk at great length today 8 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:28,140 Speaker 1: about the Great Chicago Fire one of the great tragedies 9 00:00:28,180 --> 00:00:32,480 Speaker 1: in American history give it a listen And I hope 10 00:00:32,490 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 1: you enjoy it, and I hope you have a great weekend. 11 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:48,780 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Should Know from HowStuffWorks.com. 12 00:00:50,979 --> 00:00:53,770 Speaker 2: Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark. There's 13 00:00:53,810 --> 00:00:58,910 Speaker 2: Charles W. Chuck O'Brien. I guess that makes me the cow. 14 00:01:01,180 --> 00:01:02,380 Speaker 2: This is stuff you should know. 15 00:01:02,500 --> 00:01:03,980 Speaker 1: Daisy the cow? Mm-hmm. 16 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 2: Is that the aborted cow? No, that's Lizzie. 17 00:01:07,340 --> 00:01:07,540 Speaker 1: No. 18 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 2: They wouldn't have named the aborted cow Lizzie. 19 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: That'd be bad. 20 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 2: Yeah. 21 00:01:11,340 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: Bad marketing move. 22 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 2: Elsa. Elsie. 23 00:01:14,260 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: Elsie? 24 00:01:14,660 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. 25 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: Apparently this cow was either Daisy, Madeline, or Gwendolyn. There's 26 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:18,690 Speaker 1: been different accounts. 27 00:01:18,980 --> 00:01:20,910 Speaker 2: Well, one of the cows there wasn't even hers. 28 00:01:21,930 --> 00:01:22,930 Speaker 1: Who are we talking about? 29 00:01:22,970 --> 00:01:24,710 Speaker 2: Maybe we should clear everybody in. 30 00:01:25,069 --> 00:01:25,790 Speaker 1: Chuck. Yes. 31 00:01:26,990 --> 00:01:28,419 Speaker 2: Have you ever seen fire? Yes. 32 00:01:29,850 --> 00:01:30,089 Speaker 1: Yes. 33 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,860 Speaker 2: Well, there happened to be one akin to what you saw, 34 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 2: except it was massive. As a matter of fact, Chuck, 35 00:01:38,819 --> 00:01:41,060 Speaker 2: let's go back in the Wayback Machine. 36 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:42,820 Speaker 1: Oh, yes. It's been a while. 37 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:44,980 Speaker 2: All right. Here, blow the dust off. 38 00:01:46,620 --> 00:01:47,540 Speaker 1: Flux capacitor up. 39 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 2: Fluxing. 40 00:01:49,260 --> 00:01:50,860 Speaker 1: Man. Jerry hated that. 41 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:54,820 Speaker 2: I think it's still working. Let me press a couple 42 00:01:54,860 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 2: buttons here. All right. 43 00:01:57,970 --> 00:01:59,060 Speaker 1: Yep, yep. Okay. 44 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 2: All right, let's go. Here we go. Chicago. 45 00:02:03,020 --> 00:02:03,900 Speaker 1: Wait, enter the year. 46 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. 47 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: 1871. 48 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,540 Speaker 2: Let's go. Enter the date. Oh, October 8th. 49 00:02:10,750 --> 00:02:10,990 Speaker 1: Okay. 50 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:11,630 Speaker 2: It's a Sunday. 51 00:02:11,950 --> 00:02:13,930 Speaker 1: Maybe we should go back on a Saturday and stop it. 52 00:02:14,790 --> 00:02:17,169 Speaker 2: Nah, we're not supposed to do that. Oh, that's right. 53 00:02:17,310 --> 00:02:18,489 Speaker 1: Space time continuum and all that. 54 00:02:18,710 --> 00:02:20,270 Speaker 2: Okay, so here we are, Chuck. 55 00:02:21,330 --> 00:02:21,850 Speaker 1: What a dump. 56 00:02:22,530 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, it smells like the death of cows and the 57 00:02:25,900 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 2: manure that they excrete. Because Chicago is a huge stockyard town, 58 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 2: if you can't tell. The World's Fair is 22 years off. 59 00:02:35,580 --> 00:02:40,220 Speaker 2: Ghostbusters is 113 years away. 60 00:02:40,940 --> 00:02:41,820 Speaker 1: Did you just do that in your head? 61 00:02:41,980 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. This is just like basically the middle of nowhere, 62 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 2: temporally speaking. Is that right? Yeah. Okay. 1871, 1984 minus 63 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 2: 1871 is 113. Okay. Am I wrong? No, I think 64 00:02:51,100 --> 00:02:51,380 Speaker 2: it's right. 65 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: Okay. 66 00:02:51,600 --> 00:03:00,460 Speaker 2: Okay. Man, we just had a math argument in Chicago 67 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 2: in the 19th century. 68 00:03:02,100 --> 00:03:03,500 Speaker 1: You'd think we were throwing darts or something. 69 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,150 Speaker 2: So anyway, there's some things I want to point out 70 00:03:07,169 --> 00:03:09,770 Speaker 2: to you, Chuck. Do you see the streets are paved 71 00:03:09,830 --> 00:03:10,410 Speaker 2: with wood? 72 00:03:11,010 --> 00:03:13,230 Speaker 1: Yeah, and this sidewalk we're on is wooden. 73 00:03:13,490 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 2: Yeah, and like 90% of the structure. I want you 74 00:03:18,660 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 2: to make note of that. Okay. Also, make note of 75 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:26,010 Speaker 2: the temperature. It's October, and yet it's like in the 76 00:03:26,030 --> 00:03:26,610 Speaker 2: 80s right now. 77 00:03:26,650 --> 00:03:29,310 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's pretty hot, and it was really dry this summer. 78 00:03:29,350 --> 00:03:32,330 Speaker 2: Dry. Do you see all this dust? A lot of it, again, 79 00:03:32,590 --> 00:03:36,690 Speaker 2: is dry cow manure just kind of floating around. But 80 00:03:36,730 --> 00:03:39,809 Speaker 2: it's also because there hasn't been any rain at all. 81 00:03:40,590 --> 00:03:40,830 Speaker 1: Okay? 82 00:03:41,410 --> 00:03:42,310 Speaker 2: Yeah. Are you ready to go? 83 00:03:42,710 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, let's get out of here. 84 00:03:43,750 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 2: Let's have a steak first. 85 00:03:45,540 --> 00:03:51,190 Speaker 1: A milk steak. All right. Are we back? 86 00:03:52,490 --> 00:03:52,950 Speaker 2: And we're back. 87 00:03:53,110 --> 00:03:53,370 Speaker 1: Okay. 88 00:03:53,530 --> 00:03:56,270 Speaker 2: Okay. So, uh, Chuck, um, that was pretty good steak. 89 00:03:56,290 --> 00:03:58,350 Speaker 1: Huh? Yeah. Nothing like a good milk steak. 90 00:03:58,700 --> 00:04:01,620 Speaker 2: So what was about to happen, and I'm, I really 91 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:03,980 Speaker 2: do feel for these people for not being able to 92 00:04:04,020 --> 00:04:06,700 Speaker 2: stop it, especially the 300 who are about to die. 93 00:04:06,700 --> 00:04:10,100 Speaker 2: 300 people will die because we were too busy filling 94 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,380 Speaker 2: our faces with steak rather than warning anybody. 95 00:04:12,930 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. 96 00:04:13,550 --> 00:04:16,370 Speaker 2: But that's the, that's the way of history. 97 00:04:16,650 --> 00:04:17,650 Speaker 1: That's right. You can't change it. 98 00:04:18,110 --> 00:04:20,890 Speaker 2: Um, What's about to happen is what's known as the 99 00:04:20,930 --> 00:04:26,930 Speaker 2: Great Chicago Fire of October 8th, 1871. 300 people will die. 100 00:04:26,930 --> 00:04:31,180 Speaker 2: 3.5 square miles of the city will be utterly destroyed. 101 00:04:31,180 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 2: 18,000 structures. 102 00:04:33,380 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, I've got some stats here, if I may. 103 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 2: Please. 104 00:04:36,460 --> 00:04:38,710 Speaker 1: Because you hear about the Great Chicago Fire in the 1800s. 105 00:04:38,700 --> 00:04:40,900 Speaker 1: It's easy now to say, like, oh, yeah, that was 106 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:41,779 Speaker 1: a heck of a fire. 107 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:42,100 Speaker 2: Yeah. 108 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: But, dude, it was insane how big this fire was. 109 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:51,050 Speaker 1: I know. The West Division... They were divided into divisions 110 00:04:51,089 --> 00:04:51,610 Speaker 1: back in the day. 111 00:04:51,770 --> 00:04:52,630 Speaker 2: Okay. 112 00:04:52,630 --> 00:05:02,050 Speaker 1: 194 acres burned. 500 buildings. 2,250 people homeless. South division. 113 00:05:02,050 --> 00:05:06,650 Speaker 1: 460 acres burned. This is like where all the expensive 114 00:05:06,690 --> 00:05:11,310 Speaker 1: stuff was. This is where county seat, the courthouse, the newspapers, 115 00:05:11,390 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: the law offices, the banks, all the good stuff. 116 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 2: 3,650 buildings. 117 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:20,789 Speaker 1: 28 hotels burned. 21,000 people homeless. 118 00:05:21,050 --> 00:05:24,460 Speaker 2: When you say buildings, you're saying utterly destroyed, burned to 119 00:05:24,500 --> 00:05:24,780 Speaker 2: the ground. 120 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:29,500 Speaker 1: Yes, burned to the ground. North Division, most devastating, 1,470 121 00:05:29,500 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: acres burned out of the 2,500 acres in that division. 122 00:05:34,220 --> 00:05:41,490 Speaker 1: So almost the whole division burned. 13,000 buildings burned. I'm sorry. Yeah, 123 00:05:41,490 --> 00:05:45,670 Speaker 1: 13,000 buildings burned, 74,000 homeless in total. Because Molly, she 124 00:05:45,690 --> 00:05:47,710 Speaker 1: did a good job, but she really didn't hammer home 125 00:05:47,750 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: how severe this was. In total, 2,124 acres burned, 17,450 126 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,979 Speaker 1: buildings burned to the ground, and almost 100,000 people, which 127 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,740 Speaker 1: is a third of the city, were homeless. Yeah. And 128 00:06:02,779 --> 00:06:07,010 Speaker 1: if you go and type in Google Earth, Great Chicago Fire, 129 00:06:07,150 --> 00:06:10,650 Speaker 1: and hit images, it has a picture of modern-day Chicago, 130 00:06:10,670 --> 00:06:13,150 Speaker 1: and it has in red what was the fire, and 131 00:06:13,190 --> 00:06:16,870 Speaker 1: it's like, It looks like 75% of the city. 132 00:06:17,050 --> 00:06:17,870 Speaker 2: Wow, that's really neat. 133 00:06:17,950 --> 00:06:19,630 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's really, really scary. 134 00:06:20,510 --> 00:06:20,930 Speaker 2: And neat. 135 00:06:21,470 --> 00:06:22,450 Speaker 1: And neat. 136 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 2: The whole thing came to damages, surprisingly, for that much 137 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 2: of Chicago. I guess there wasn't a lot of valuable 138 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,790 Speaker 2: stuff there. Just $ 192 million worth of damage. 139 00:06:34,140 --> 00:06:36,110 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's about $ 3. 5 billion now. 140 00:06:37,070 --> 00:06:41,710 Speaker 2: Oh, so that's in that era? Yeah. Okay, that makes 141 00:06:41,750 --> 00:06:42,370 Speaker 2: a lot more sense. 142 00:06:42,430 --> 00:06:42,590 Speaker 1: Yeah. 143 00:06:43,540 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 2: So it was a huge fire. It was an enormous fire. 144 00:06:45,460 --> 00:06:47,460 Speaker 2: And again, like 300 people lost their lives. 145 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,300 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's number three all time in the U.S. 146 00:06:50,339 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: behind World Trade Center. 147 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 2: And San Francisco. I'll bet. And the crazy thing about 148 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 2: this fire is just about everybody points to the same 149 00:07:02,020 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 2: location as the source. Today, back then, it was in 150 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 2: a barn at 137 DeKoven Street. And that barn did 151 00:07:10,740 --> 00:07:14,020 Speaker 2: happen to belong to a woman named Mrs. O'Leary, Catherine 152 00:07:14,140 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 2: Kate O'Leary. 153 00:07:15,420 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: And Mr. O'Leary. Yeah, Mr. 154 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:21,850 Speaker 2: And Mrs. O'Leary and their children lived at 137 DeKoven Street. 155 00:07:22,130 --> 00:07:24,970 Speaker 2: They had a house. They rented another house to another 156 00:07:25,010 --> 00:07:26,550 Speaker 2: family that was right in front of them, and then 157 00:07:26,590 --> 00:07:29,110 Speaker 2: behind them was the barn. And in the barn they 158 00:07:29,150 --> 00:07:30,610 Speaker 2: had three cows? 159 00:07:31,590 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: Three cows, yeah. No, five cows total, I think. 160 00:07:34,620 --> 00:07:37,190 Speaker 2: Okay. Five cows, I believe a. 161 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:38,660 Speaker 1: A calf and a horse. 162 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 2: Okay. And then also in this barn, wooden barn, two 163 00:07:42,900 --> 00:07:44,980 Speaker 2: tons of hay and two tons of coal. 164 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:49,220 Speaker 1: And apparently like hundreds of pounds of wood shavings, which 165 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:51,239 Speaker 1: they kept to use as kindling. 166 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:57,020 Speaker 2: And their pyromaniac nephew in a straitjacket. It was just 167 00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,380 Speaker 2: pretty much a big accident waiting to happen. Yeah. 168 00:07:59,430 --> 00:08:01,430 Speaker 1: And you mentioned that they owned another house, but they 169 00:08:01,450 --> 00:08:04,810 Speaker 1: were poor. They weren't like some rich family that owned 170 00:08:04,830 --> 00:08:06,940 Speaker 1: these houses. Like they were a poor family. Right. 171 00:08:07,260 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 2: Mr. O'Leary, he was a laborer. I couldn't find what kind. 172 00:08:10,780 --> 00:08:12,100 Speaker 2: They were definitely working class. 173 00:08:12,180 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 1: Yeah. 174 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,870 Speaker 2: And Mrs. O'Leary sold her milk in the neighborhood. But 175 00:08:15,890 --> 00:08:17,550 Speaker 2: they were on welfare, as I understand it. 176 00:08:17,910 --> 00:08:22,410 Speaker 1: Yeah. And ridiculously, the Chicago Tribune claimed early on that 177 00:08:22,950 --> 00:08:25,550 Speaker 1: one of her motives was that she was booted off 178 00:08:25,610 --> 00:08:27,460 Speaker 1: of welfare when they found out, when the city found 179 00:08:27,500 --> 00:08:29,740 Speaker 1: out that she was selling her milk. And she was like, 180 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:33,949 Speaker 1: I'll get you. I'll burn the city down. Right. Which 181 00:08:33,990 --> 00:08:36,050 Speaker 1: is ridiculous, starting with all my stuff. 182 00:08:36,270 --> 00:08:38,490 Speaker 2: This is the Chicago Tribune, still around today. 183 00:08:38,550 --> 00:08:39,709 Speaker 1: Yeah. 184 00:08:39,910 --> 00:08:44,810 Speaker 2: The Tribune, immediately they pointed to the O'Leary's as the 185 00:08:45,370 --> 00:08:48,730 Speaker 2: source of the fire. It was either Mrs. O'Leary or 186 00:08:49,110 --> 00:08:51,570 Speaker 2: another Tribune reporter made up the idea that it was 187 00:08:51,610 --> 00:08:56,390 Speaker 2: possibly her cow. A guy named Michael Ahern later confessed 188 00:08:56,410 --> 00:08:59,500 Speaker 2: to just making up the cow story. And so Mrs. 189 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,860 Speaker 2: O'Leary's cow kicking over a lantern and setting the barn 190 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:05,900 Speaker 2: on fire that started the Great Chicago Fire gained a 191 00:09:05,940 --> 00:09:10,060 Speaker 2: lot of traction before Ahern ever admitted to making it up, 192 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:11,900 Speaker 2: I think, many years later. 193 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,180 Speaker 1: Yeah, apparently he was quite the drunkard. 194 00:09:16,210 --> 00:09:19,990 Speaker 2: A newspaper reporter in 19th century Chicago is a drunkard? 195 00:09:20,010 --> 00:09:24,550 Speaker 1: Hard to believe. Huh. So you're right. Over the years, 196 00:09:24,630 --> 00:09:28,420 Speaker 1: through song and legend and story, Mrs. O'Leary's cow was 197 00:09:28,460 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: always blamed. And if you ask people on the street, 198 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:35,780 Speaker 1: Jay Leno style, I bet eight out of ten people 199 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,660 Speaker 1: would say, if they have heard of the Great Chicago Fire, 200 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: that it was started by a cow of some sort. 201 00:09:41,340 --> 00:09:44,180 Speaker 2: And then Jay Leno's NBC lawyers would serve you with 202 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 2: cease and desist papers. 203 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: Yeah. And Jay Leno would go, meh, meh, meh, meh. 204 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,500 Speaker 2: One of the other reasons that this cow has persisted 205 00:09:51,820 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 2: for so long, this cow legend, is not just because 206 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:57,309 Speaker 2: it makes a great story, like a cow– Set Chicago 207 00:09:57,390 --> 00:09:57,870 Speaker 2: on fire. 208 00:09:57,970 --> 00:09:58,850 Speaker 1: Yeah. 209 00:10:00,090 --> 00:10:02,670 Speaker 2: Never really figured out who the source was. 210 00:10:03,250 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: Mrs. 211 00:10:03,550 --> 00:10:09,340 Speaker 2: O'Leary just kind of went down in history as the villainess, 212 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 2: whether it was accidental or on purpose, or at the 213 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:16,980 Speaker 2: very least the causer of the Great Chicago Fire. 214 00:10:17,220 --> 00:10:19,200 Speaker 1: It was her barn. Yeah. No matter which way you 215 00:10:19,220 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 1: slice it. Right. Exactly. 216 00:10:20,740 --> 00:10:23,780 Speaker 2: And this is despite like an exhaustive inquiry. I mean, 217 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,900 Speaker 2: you were saying it's an enormous fire. Chicago burned. They 218 00:10:27,940 --> 00:10:31,700 Speaker 2: did a really big investigation into this. There was eleven 219 00:10:31,780 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 2: hundred pages of testimony taken, all taken by shorthand of 220 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:38,980 Speaker 2: some court stenographer took it all by hand. Oh, man. 221 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 2: And they still never figured it out. But history has 222 00:10:43,420 --> 00:10:47,830 Speaker 2: shown us possibly who the culprit was. But let's talk 223 00:10:47,870 --> 00:10:51,949 Speaker 2: about Mrs. O'Leary first and why she may or may 224 00:10:51,990 --> 00:10:53,030 Speaker 2: not have been culpable. 225 00:10:53,350 --> 00:10:58,650 Speaker 1: Okay. She testified that her neighbors, was it in the 226 00:10:58,670 --> 00:10:59,860 Speaker 1: house that they were renting from her? 227 00:10:59,980 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, the McLaughlins in the house in front of hers. Okay. Yes. 228 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:05,900 Speaker 1: She said they threw a big party. They were all partying. 229 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:09,260 Speaker 1: And some of them went into my barn to get 230 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:11,580 Speaker 1: milk for milk steak. 231 00:11:12,140 --> 00:11:16,740 Speaker 2: For oysters. Either oysters or a punch that required milk, 232 00:11:16,900 --> 00:11:18,260 Speaker 2: you know? A milk punch. 233 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:19,900 Speaker 1: I looked it up. Milk punch is a thing. 234 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:20,460 Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. 235 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:22,340 Speaker 1: It's sugar and vanilla and bourbon and milk. 236 00:11:22,460 --> 00:11:25,140 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, there's a lot of different milk punches. 237 00:11:25,740 --> 00:11:26,700 Speaker 1: It sounds disgusting. 238 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:28,679 Speaker 2: It's got the bourbon in it. 239 00:11:29,540 --> 00:11:32,810 Speaker 1: Yeah, just drink the bourbon. Right. And milk with oysters 240 00:11:32,850 --> 00:11:33,940 Speaker 1: sounds really disgusting, too. 241 00:11:33,950 --> 00:11:36,310 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was really curious what that's like. But, I mean, 242 00:11:36,330 --> 00:11:40,310 Speaker 2: think about oysters Rockefeller. It's cheesy. I mean, what's cheese 243 00:11:40,370 --> 00:11:41,730 Speaker 2: if not milk at its heart? 244 00:11:42,010 --> 00:11:43,790 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't like the Rockefeller, though. I'll just go raw. 245 00:11:44,490 --> 00:11:45,290 Speaker 2: I like it both ways. 246 00:11:45,370 --> 00:11:45,590 Speaker 1: Really? 247 00:11:45,790 --> 00:11:45,990 Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. 248 00:11:46,340 --> 00:11:46,890 Speaker 1: Do you like them fried? 249 00:11:47,900 --> 00:11:50,319 Speaker 2: Um, yeah, I'll eat oysters pretty much anyway, as long 250 00:11:50,340 --> 00:11:51,380 Speaker 2: as they're good. Yeah. 251 00:11:51,540 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 1: All right. So anyway, Mrs. O'Leary contends that the partiers, uh, 252 00:11:56,140 --> 00:11:59,380 Speaker 1: the revelers went into her barn seeking milk for some 253 00:11:59,660 --> 00:12:01,970 Speaker 1: odd meal time or drink time. 254 00:12:01,990 --> 00:12:04,130 Speaker 2: We're sitting there milking the cow. We're like, Oh, I'm 255 00:12:04,330 --> 00:12:05,130 Speaker 2: so wasted. 256 00:12:05,190 --> 00:12:06,030 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. 257 00:12:06,170 --> 00:12:07,690 Speaker 2: And then kicked over a lantern, right? 258 00:12:07,770 --> 00:12:12,230 Speaker 1: Either kicked over a lantern or, uh, you know, was 259 00:12:12,309 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: smoking out there. Something happened. They don't know. Um, There 260 00:12:16,540 --> 00:12:21,599 Speaker 1: was another suggestion as recently as 2004 that Bela's comet 261 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:25,439 Speaker 1: split into pieces that night and chunks of it set 262 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:28,730 Speaker 1: fires in various points all over the Midwest on the 263 00:12:28,770 --> 00:12:29,190 Speaker 1: same night. 264 00:12:29,309 --> 00:12:30,290 Speaker 2: Which is not possible. 265 00:12:30,550 --> 00:12:34,929 Speaker 1: Not possible. Scientists say that when a comet enters our atmosphere, 266 00:12:34,990 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: it's not going to be, what, hot enough? A meteorite to... 267 00:12:38,990 --> 00:12:39,810 Speaker 1: Set a fire? Right. 268 00:12:39,910 --> 00:12:42,849 Speaker 2: It's going to cool down too much to be able 269 00:12:42,890 --> 00:12:44,740 Speaker 2: to set a fire by the time it makes contact 270 00:12:44,750 --> 00:12:45,220 Speaker 2: with the ground. 271 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 1: So how does this have traction in 04? Do you know? 272 00:12:47,860 --> 00:12:48,940 Speaker 2: I couldn't find that. 273 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:49,600 Speaker 1: Fringe? 274 00:12:50,140 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 2: I would imagine a Bigfoot expert. 275 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:56,079 Speaker 1: Yeah. So those are a couple of the other theories. 276 00:12:57,559 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 2: What about Mrs. O'Leary herself? 277 00:13:00,660 --> 00:13:04,370 Speaker 1: Oh, well, they said that she was out there. milking 278 00:13:04,390 --> 00:13:06,750 Speaker 1: the cows at night and she said no i was asleep. 279 00:13:06,490 --> 00:13:09,220 Speaker 2: She was asleep with a sore foot and the piece 280 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 2: of evidence that probably exonerates her more than any other 281 00:13:15,140 --> 00:13:17,980 Speaker 2: is that none of her stuff was insured. 282 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:20,870 Speaker 1: Well yeah exactly like i said earlier why would she 283 00:13:20,929 --> 00:13:24,910 Speaker 1: burn down especially in retribution for being put off welfare 284 00:13:24,929 --> 00:13:26,590 Speaker 1: why would she burn her house. 285 00:13:26,350 --> 00:13:30,460 Speaker 2: Down her livelihood her livelihood down possibly killing her her 286 00:13:30,700 --> 00:13:34,060 Speaker 2: her family cows which is like tantamount to killing the 287 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:35,479 Speaker 2: goose that laid the golden egg. 288 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:36,540 Speaker 1: Yeah. 289 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:40,250 Speaker 2: Yeah. The fact that it wasn't insured, it doesn't matter 290 00:13:40,270 --> 00:13:42,010 Speaker 2: what kind of person she is right out the window. 291 00:13:42,410 --> 00:13:45,150 Speaker 2: Nobody is going to do that on purpose. No. So 292 00:13:45,190 --> 00:13:46,790 Speaker 2: at the very least, she didn't do it on purpose. 293 00:13:47,170 --> 00:13:47,449 Speaker 1: Correct. 294 00:13:47,770 --> 00:13:50,310 Speaker 2: But she also probably didn't do it on accident either. 295 00:13:50,450 --> 00:13:52,510 Speaker 2: She probably really was in bed with a sore foot. 296 00:13:52,590 --> 00:13:55,010 Speaker 2: No one saw her. There were no reports of any 297 00:13:55,390 --> 00:13:56,530 Speaker 2: of her being around the barn. 298 00:13:57,270 --> 00:13:59,230 Speaker 1: Right. And how did Mr. O'Leary escape all this? 299 00:14:00,870 --> 00:14:01,350 Speaker 2: I don't know. 300 00:14:01,570 --> 00:14:02,709 Speaker 1: I wonder if he was at work or something. 301 00:14:03,970 --> 00:14:06,660 Speaker 2: I guess she was really strongly associated with the cow. 302 00:14:06,820 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, you always only hear about her. Yeah. Mr. 303 00:14:10,580 --> 00:14:13,700 Speaker 1: O'Leary's just like, I guess he enjoyed his anonymity. 304 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:15,580 Speaker 2: Well, she did, too. 305 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:16,500 Speaker 1: You're just like, it's her. 306 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 2: As you find later on. 307 00:14:17,820 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 1: My cow. 308 00:14:18,580 --> 00:14:21,150 Speaker 2: Right, exactly. He just didn't even say anything. She's like, 309 00:14:21,230 --> 00:14:21,790 Speaker 2: say something. 310 00:14:22,370 --> 00:14:22,630 Speaker 1: What? 311 00:14:22,790 --> 00:14:23,910 Speaker 2: I don't want to be in the papers. 312 00:14:32,270 --> 00:14:38,580 Speaker 1: So where are we then? 313 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:55,940 Speaker 2: So Mrs. O'Leary, we're going to go ahead and just 314 00:14:55,980 --> 00:14:57,500 Speaker 2: kind of exonerate her at this point. 315 00:14:57,580 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 1: Agreed. Which officially happened in 1997. Right. 316 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:04,910 Speaker 2: There was a guy named Louis M. Cone who went 317 00:15:04,990 --> 00:15:10,350 Speaker 2: on to great wealth in Chicago. And later on, after 318 00:15:10,410 --> 00:15:13,150 Speaker 2: he died, somebody came forward, I think in the 40s, 319 00:15:13,190 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 2: and said, remember Louis Cone? He told me that when 320 00:15:16,900 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 2: he was 18, he was gambling in the O'Leary's barn 321 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 2: with one of the O'Leary boys. 322 00:15:21,740 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: Right. 323 00:15:22,150 --> 00:15:24,790 Speaker 2: Which kind of holds water because James O'Leary went on 324 00:15:24,810 --> 00:15:27,430 Speaker 2: to become one of the biggest gambling bosses in Chicago. 325 00:15:27,460 --> 00:15:27,820 Speaker 1: Oh, really? 326 00:15:27,860 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 2: One of the sons. And we kicked over a lantern 327 00:15:32,020 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 2: accidentally and set the place on fire, and we accidentally 328 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,660 Speaker 2: started the Chicago fire. Well, this guy was apparently kind 329 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,060 Speaker 2: of a boastful type, so it's possible that he made 330 00:15:40,100 --> 00:15:40,680 Speaker 2: it up. Right. 331 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:43,090 Speaker 1: Because he even said I was winning at the time. 332 00:15:43,290 --> 00:15:43,490 Speaker 2: Right. 333 00:15:43,530 --> 00:15:44,330 Speaker 1: Like he bragged about it. 334 00:15:44,390 --> 00:15:47,770 Speaker 2: Yeah. So you've got all these people, and none of 335 00:15:47,790 --> 00:15:51,290 Speaker 2: them really, though, can hold a candle, even Mrs. O'Leary herself. Right. 336 00:15:51,710 --> 00:15:54,150 Speaker 2: To one Daniel Pegleg Sullivan. 337 00:15:54,170 --> 00:15:55,750 Speaker 1: Why do they call him Pegleg? 338 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,700 Speaker 2: For a very good reason. He had one wooden leg. 339 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:02,250 Speaker 2: It went clop, clop, clop. 340 00:16:02,500 --> 00:16:07,370 Speaker 1: That's right. And he testified. He testified and it sort 341 00:16:07,410 --> 00:16:09,830 Speaker 1: of became a case of thou doth protest too much, sir. 342 00:16:10,230 --> 00:16:10,530 Speaker 2: Yeah. 343 00:16:10,590 --> 00:16:11,610 Speaker 1: Because he made up this story. 344 00:16:11,690 --> 00:16:14,290 Speaker 2: Well, remember in the lying episode, it's like when you 345 00:16:14,470 --> 00:16:16,950 Speaker 2: add stuff that doesn't need to be in there, it's 346 00:16:17,110 --> 00:16:19,270 Speaker 2: usually a pretty good sign. And I'll bet he didn't 347 00:16:19,350 --> 00:16:21,550 Speaker 2: use any contractions when he gave his testimony. 348 00:16:21,790 --> 00:16:22,670 Speaker 1: He did not, sir. 349 00:16:22,690 --> 00:16:24,830 Speaker 2: And he's like, you want to know, I can't believe 350 00:16:24,870 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 2: you want to know why. I was sitting on the 351 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:31,180 Speaker 2: curb in front of someone else's house. 352 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: You want to know? Then I will tell you. 353 00:16:33,460 --> 00:16:34,940 Speaker 2: But I can't believe you want to know. 354 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:37,780 Speaker 1: In the meantime, he's cooking this little story up. Yeah. 355 00:16:38,070 --> 00:16:40,650 Speaker 1: He testified that he had gone to visit the O'Leary's 356 00:16:40,710 --> 00:16:46,130 Speaker 1: about eight o'clock that night, said Miss O'Leary was in bed. Again, 357 00:16:46,210 --> 00:16:49,690 Speaker 1: I mentioned Mr. O'Leary at all. After the visit, he 358 00:16:49,810 --> 00:16:53,940 Speaker 1: apparently went to go home. See, this is what I 359 00:16:53,940 --> 00:16:55,620 Speaker 1: don't get. It says that he started for home, but 360 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: then later it says he passed his home. 361 00:16:57,260 --> 00:16:57,570 Speaker 2: Right. 362 00:16:58,370 --> 00:17:01,130 Speaker 1: And to smoke a pipe in front of William White's home. 363 00:17:01,150 --> 00:17:01,790 Speaker 2: William White's house. 364 00:17:02,290 --> 00:17:03,890 Speaker 1: Said, I'm just going to go have a little pipe smoke. 365 00:17:04,670 --> 00:17:06,350 Speaker 1: For some reason, I'm going to walk by my house 366 00:17:06,390 --> 00:17:06,820 Speaker 1: to do it. 367 00:17:06,830 --> 00:17:07,119 Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. 368 00:17:07,630 --> 00:17:08,640 Speaker 1: In front of Willie White's house. 369 00:17:08,660 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 2: Do you know why? Here's why he said that. Because 370 00:17:12,100 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 2: that places him near enough the fire that he could 371 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:19,830 Speaker 2: reasonably say he saw it. Yeah. But not so close 372 00:17:19,869 --> 00:17:22,790 Speaker 2: to the McLaughlin's house. Like his house was closer to 373 00:17:22,810 --> 00:17:26,290 Speaker 2: the McLaughlin's. A partier could have been like, I didn't 374 00:17:26,350 --> 00:17:28,780 Speaker 2: see you there. And I was standing right outside looking 375 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:29,780 Speaker 2: in front of your house. 376 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:34,359 Speaker 1: Very clever, Mr. Pegleg. He claims that he spotted the 377 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 1: fire and ran for help screaming fire 193 feet with 378 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:46,930 Speaker 1: his pegleg and tried to extinguish the fire and then 379 00:17:47,190 --> 00:17:48,270 Speaker 1: escaped to the burning barn. 380 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:51,459 Speaker 2: Freeing animals, too. He freed the animals. 381 00:17:51,580 --> 00:17:52,120 Speaker 1: Oh, really? Mm-hmm. 382 00:17:52,619 --> 00:17:53,620 Speaker 2: And he actually did do that. 383 00:17:53,859 --> 00:17:54,180 Speaker 1: Oh, he did? 384 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, so this guy was there. He was around the fire. 385 00:17:58,900 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 2: But the problem is, is placing him on the curb 386 00:18:03,020 --> 00:18:04,350 Speaker 2: in front of William White's house. 387 00:18:04,619 --> 00:18:04,830 Speaker 1: Yeah. 388 00:18:05,310 --> 00:18:08,250 Speaker 2: Has some real problems. So no one disputes that this 389 00:18:08,290 --> 00:18:11,810 Speaker 2: guy was near the fire, but exactly where that was 390 00:18:12,150 --> 00:18:16,970 Speaker 2: changes everything. Right. So he was a pig-legged man, so 391 00:18:16,990 --> 00:18:19,230 Speaker 2: he couldn't... He couldn't run fast. 392 00:18:19,530 --> 00:18:22,020 Speaker 1: No, and certainly not close to 200 feet. 393 00:18:22,500 --> 00:18:27,100 Speaker 2: No one heard anybody shouting fire alongside the house. Right. 394 00:18:27,780 --> 00:18:33,369 Speaker 2: Definitely not him. So he definitely didn't. Another problem was 395 00:18:33,470 --> 00:18:37,350 Speaker 2: that his mother kept a cow in the O'Leary barn, 396 00:18:37,890 --> 00:18:42,389 Speaker 2: and he admitted to frequently visiting the cow in the evenings. 397 00:18:42,910 --> 00:18:44,170 Speaker 1: Oh, really? Yeah. 398 00:18:44,260 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 2: Okay. 399 00:18:44,660 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 1: Okay. 400 00:18:45,780 --> 00:18:49,239 Speaker 2: And then it's also possible that another man named, um, 401 00:18:49,700 --> 00:18:54,440 Speaker 2: Dan Dennis Regan was present and was something of an 402 00:18:54,500 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 2: accomplice or at least a sympathetic witness to peg leg. 403 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: Right. Because he had another part of the story that 404 00:19:01,859 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: didn't quite add up. He was about a block away, uh, 405 00:19:04,780 --> 00:19:08,820 Speaker 1: in his home. Uh, and he testified that he heard 406 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:11,980 Speaker 1: someone yelling fire, jumped out of bed to help. But 407 00:19:12,300 --> 00:19:16,350 Speaker 1: Richard Bales, this attorney, modern day attorney, For a title 408 00:19:16,369 --> 00:19:18,340 Speaker 1: insurance company in Chicago is one that dug this all up, 409 00:19:18,780 --> 00:19:20,859 Speaker 1: pieced it together and said, how would this guy a 410 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 1: block away have heard this? Right. And none of the 411 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,120 Speaker 1: other people, the O'Leary's especially, not have heard this. 412 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:29,680 Speaker 2: Not only that, he got his hands on the property 413 00:19:30,090 --> 00:19:34,010 Speaker 2: diagrams of the area at the time and mapped it 414 00:19:34,170 --> 00:19:37,270 Speaker 2: out and placed Pegleg where he said he was and 415 00:19:37,470 --> 00:19:40,150 Speaker 2: showed that he would have had to have been able 416 00:19:40,210 --> 00:19:43,360 Speaker 2: to look clear through a two story house to see 417 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:45,440 Speaker 2: the barn. So there's no way he could have seen 418 00:19:45,460 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 2: that it was on fire from where he said he 419 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 2: was sitting. So the fact that... this guy confabulated all 420 00:19:52,220 --> 00:19:56,189 Speaker 2: of this story suggests that he may have done it. 421 00:19:56,420 --> 00:19:58,990 Speaker 2: And probably what he did was he was visiting his 422 00:19:59,330 --> 00:20:00,030 Speaker 2: mother's cow. 423 00:20:00,369 --> 00:20:01,770 Speaker 1: Decided to have a smoke afterward. 424 00:20:02,130 --> 00:20:06,609 Speaker 2: And accidentally set the barn on fire. Yep. The lawyer, 425 00:20:06,670 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 2: Richard Bales, is very He said it was probably an accident, 426 00:20:10,940 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 2: but that once he saw that he pretty much burned 427 00:20:13,180 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 2: a third of the city of Chicago down, he just 428 00:20:18,940 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 2: kind of kept his mouth shut and let Mrs. O'Leary 429 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 2: take the fall. 430 00:20:21,540 --> 00:20:24,770 Speaker 1: Yeah, once that rumor circulated, I'm sure he was like, yeah, 431 00:20:25,290 --> 00:20:26,370 Speaker 1: that's how it went down all right. 432 00:20:26,390 --> 00:20:27,190 Speaker 2: Pretty crazy. 433 00:20:27,350 --> 00:20:30,750 Speaker 1: I was there. So I think I feel bad for 434 00:20:30,790 --> 00:20:34,090 Speaker 1: the guy. He's there, probably starts this fire, probably gets 435 00:20:34,130 --> 00:20:36,750 Speaker 1: out of hand and freaks out. 436 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:39,650 Speaker 2: And he frees the animals first before leaving. 437 00:20:39,670 --> 00:20:43,750 Speaker 1: Frees the animals, kind soul. And in the end, they 438 00:20:43,770 --> 00:20:46,570 Speaker 1: couldn't put out the fire for some of the reasons 439 00:20:46,590 --> 00:20:50,980 Speaker 1: you talked about earlier. All the wood, the dryness, the 440 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:51,840 Speaker 1: lack of rain. 441 00:20:51,859 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 2: There was a strong wind. Did you notice the strong 442 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:55,360 Speaker 2: wind when we visited Chicago? 443 00:20:55,420 --> 00:20:58,940 Speaker 1: I don't know if they did, but it was strong, Josh. 444 00:20:58,940 --> 00:21:02,430 Speaker 1: 56 miles of wooden streets, 560 miles of wooden sidewalks, 445 00:21:03,170 --> 00:21:06,129 Speaker 1: and only about 200 firemen in the whole city. There 446 00:21:06,150 --> 00:21:09,890 Speaker 1: was about a 16-acre fire the night before that they'd 447 00:21:09,910 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: put out. 448 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:15,669 Speaker 2: Right. Well, it had started the... They had fought it 449 00:21:15,790 --> 00:21:18,490 Speaker 2: all through the night before and into Sunday afternoon. 450 00:21:18,510 --> 00:21:19,090 Speaker 1: Oh, okay. 451 00:21:19,170 --> 00:21:21,990 Speaker 2: So most of these guys hadn't, like, eaten or slept 452 00:21:22,210 --> 00:21:23,510 Speaker 2: in the fire brigade. 453 00:21:23,670 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: Damaged their equipment in some cases. 454 00:21:25,630 --> 00:21:26,580 Speaker 2: Yeah. 455 00:21:26,910 --> 00:21:28,640 Speaker 1: Then some of the fire engines went to the wrong 456 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,120 Speaker 1: address to begin with. Right. 457 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:32,160 Speaker 2: There was a guy whose job it was to look 458 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:34,940 Speaker 2: out for fires. Like, he sat in basically a crow's 459 00:21:34,980 --> 00:21:35,940 Speaker 2: nest in the courthouse. 460 00:21:35,980 --> 00:21:36,460 Speaker 1: Fire watcher. 461 00:21:36,740 --> 00:21:39,859 Speaker 2: You're right. And he didn't see it for a while. 462 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:44,710 Speaker 2: He finally did, but he picked the wrong department to activate. Oh, really? Yeah. Yeah, 463 00:21:44,750 --> 00:21:47,889 Speaker 2: like the wrong little segment that he was supposed to guess, 464 00:21:47,970 --> 00:21:50,070 Speaker 2: and so some people went to the wrong place first, 465 00:21:50,130 --> 00:21:51,629 Speaker 2: and it took a little while to correct it, so 466 00:21:51,650 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 2: there was some confusion. 467 00:21:52,730 --> 00:21:56,490 Speaker 1: So that happened too, and then apparently the fire destroyed 468 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:59,440 Speaker 1: the building that housed the water pumps for the city, 469 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:02,140 Speaker 1: and then they tried to get water from Lake Michigan, 470 00:22:02,780 --> 00:22:06,900 Speaker 1: and that didn't work out so well, and all these 471 00:22:06,980 --> 00:22:10,500 Speaker 1: things added up to the third biggest fire disaster in 472 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 1: the nation's history. 473 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:15,850 Speaker 2: And like you said, the Lonkhead idea of connecting... The 474 00:22:16,109 --> 00:22:20,130 Speaker 2: wooden buildings with the wooden streets and wooden sidewalks. Yeah. That, 475 00:22:20,190 --> 00:22:22,070 Speaker 2: I think, fell out of fashion pretty quick after the 476 00:22:22,130 --> 00:22:23,090 Speaker 2: Chicago fire. 477 00:22:23,330 --> 00:22:26,689 Speaker 1: I bet. And people smoking on the streets. Well, that 478 00:22:26,710 --> 00:22:27,200 Speaker 1: probably didn't fall. 479 00:22:27,130 --> 00:22:28,650 Speaker 2: Out of fashion. Keeping two tons of hay and two 480 00:22:28,690 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 2: tons of coal. 481 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:34,860 Speaker 1: And apparently it burned, what, through the following evening? And then, thankfully, 482 00:22:34,900 --> 00:22:39,060 Speaker 1: it finally rained and that helped put it out. And 483 00:22:39,100 --> 00:22:40,620 Speaker 1: that is a great Chicago fire. 484 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:42,780 Speaker 2: Do you want to hear an irony of it all? 485 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:44,110 Speaker 1: I'd love to. 486 00:22:44,350 --> 00:22:46,250 Speaker 2: The O'Leary house was spared. 487 00:22:46,650 --> 00:22:46,990 Speaker 1: No way. 488 00:22:47,170 --> 00:22:48,889 Speaker 2: Yep. It was not burned. 489 00:22:49,310 --> 00:22:52,710 Speaker 1: So it just took off in one direction from the barn? Yeah. Interesting. 490 00:22:53,470 --> 00:22:57,149 Speaker 2: And now the O'Leary's house, the house they rent to 491 00:22:57,170 --> 00:22:59,810 Speaker 2: the McLaughlins, William White's house, all that stuff is gone. Sure. 492 00:23:00,390 --> 00:23:04,090 Speaker 2: And in its place is the Chicago Fire Department's training academy. 493 00:23:04,590 --> 00:23:07,869 Speaker 2: And they have a Maltese cross on the floor. They 494 00:23:07,910 --> 00:23:10,950 Speaker 2: have a cross on the floor that marks the spot 495 00:23:10,990 --> 00:23:11,790 Speaker 2: where the barn stood. 496 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: I thought you were going to say like a CVS. 497 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:17,580 Speaker 2: No. No, it's very appropriately, it's the fire department. 498 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:19,020 Speaker 1: Did they do that there on purpose? 499 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:19,740 Speaker 2: I believe so. 500 00:23:19,810 --> 00:23:20,050 Speaker 1: Okay. 501 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,390 Speaker 2: That would have just been too much of a coincidence. 502 00:23:22,490 --> 00:23:22,950 Speaker 1: Exactly. 503 00:23:23,330 --> 00:23:26,910 Speaker 2: And then Mrs. O'Leary really did not like the, well, 504 00:23:26,950 --> 00:23:29,210 Speaker 2: she didn't like the limelight, I get the impression anyway, 505 00:23:29,230 --> 00:23:33,650 Speaker 2: but she really didn't like being, you know, treated like 506 00:23:33,690 --> 00:23:34,990 Speaker 2: this horrible person. 507 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: Yeah. 508 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 2: And she was not shy about taking a broom to 509 00:23:38,540 --> 00:23:43,550 Speaker 2: people like reporters who came to her doorstep. And she 510 00:23:43,590 --> 00:23:47,370 Speaker 2: also chased off a representative of P.T. Barnum's. Oh, really? 511 00:23:47,390 --> 00:23:49,590 Speaker 2: And he sent somebody to go offer a job traveling 512 00:23:49,630 --> 00:23:50,350 Speaker 2: with his circus. 513 00:23:50,830 --> 00:23:52,670 Speaker 1: As, like, the scapegoat? 514 00:23:53,050 --> 00:23:53,610 Speaker 2: I guess, yeah. 515 00:23:53,830 --> 00:23:55,359 Speaker 1: They would bring out a cow and her and. 516 00:23:55,710 --> 00:23:57,859 Speaker 2: Oh, no, we forgot to mention, she had a pretty 517 00:23:57,900 --> 00:23:58,580 Speaker 2: healthy beard. 518 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:03,820 Speaker 1: What? It's like, man, she's in the wrong line of work. 519 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,780 Speaker 2: Yeah, it would have gone right up with the fire. 520 00:24:09,020 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 2: Her house was spared, but her beard burned off. 521 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:11,820 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's good. 522 00:24:12,100 --> 00:24:15,330 Speaker 2: So, yeah, that's the Chicago fire. You said she was exonerated, right? 523 00:24:15,420 --> 00:24:16,690 Speaker 1: Yeah, she was exonerated officially. 524 00:24:16,710 --> 00:24:18,410 Speaker 2: Thanks to Richard Bale's work. 525 00:24:18,590 --> 00:24:22,870 Speaker 1: Yeah, 1997. And I had something else. Oh, I think 526 00:24:23,190 --> 00:24:26,230 Speaker 1: it's just remarkable that, did you have the number that 527 00:24:26,230 --> 00:24:29,760 Speaker 1: 300 people died? I've seen varying accounts, but that's the 528 00:24:29,820 --> 00:24:34,500 Speaker 1: max that I've heard. And it's just amazing that that 529 00:24:34,540 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 1: much of the city burned and 18,000 buildings burned down. 530 00:24:40,050 --> 00:24:42,149 Speaker 1: Like you hear about a fire today that hits like 531 00:24:42,190 --> 00:24:43,909 Speaker 1: three buildings on a block in a city. It's a 532 00:24:43,930 --> 00:24:44,410 Speaker 1: huge deal. 533 00:24:44,570 --> 00:24:45,530 Speaker 2: Yeah. 534 00:24:45,710 --> 00:24:47,130 Speaker 1: I'm surprised only 300 people died. 535 00:24:47,430 --> 00:24:47,590 Speaker 2: Yeah. 536 00:24:48,010 --> 00:24:51,449 Speaker 1: It's pretty remarkable. And that's a lot, but I'm surprised 537 00:24:51,510 --> 00:24:53,490 Speaker 1: it wasn't, you know, like 5,000 people. 538 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:56,379 Speaker 2: They always say God loves Chicago. 539 00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:58,859 Speaker 1: Yeah. Except when it comes to the Cubs. 540 00:25:00,580 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's true. If you want to learn more about Mrs. O'Leary, 541 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:10,390 Speaker 2: her cow, the Great Chicago Fire, fires in general... Anything. 542 00:25:10,890 --> 00:25:13,409 Speaker 2: You can type whatever you want into the search bar 543 00:25:13,470 --> 00:25:17,570 Speaker 2: at HowStuffWorks.com. I said search bar, and that is time 544 00:25:17,670 --> 00:25:48,230 Speaker 2: for listener mail. But first... Okay, listen to me now. 545 00:25:50,790 --> 00:25:52,910 Speaker 1: Josh, I'm going to call this A Fish Called Ganja. 546 00:25:54,369 --> 00:25:55,990 Speaker 2: You're getting pretty good today with those. 547 00:25:56,170 --> 00:25:58,629 Speaker 1: I appreciate that. Hey, guys, I'm a tender of bar 548 00:25:58,810 --> 00:26:01,010 Speaker 1: in the fair city of New York, and one of 549 00:26:01,050 --> 00:26:03,270 Speaker 1: my regulars turned me on to your podcast a few 550 00:26:03,330 --> 00:26:05,989 Speaker 1: short months ago. He even gave the guy's name, but 551 00:26:06,070 --> 00:26:06,690 Speaker 1: I'm not going to read it. 552 00:26:06,710 --> 00:26:08,810 Speaker 2: It's so funny when they put it like that. Like, hey, man, 553 00:26:08,850 --> 00:26:11,090 Speaker 2: turn me on to that podcast. Yeah, like in a 554 00:26:11,090 --> 00:26:12,070 Speaker 2: back alley. Yeah. 555 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 1: Since then, I've been playing catch-up and listening to as 556 00:26:15,340 --> 00:26:17,139 Speaker 1: many episodes as I can on a daily basis to 557 00:26:17,180 --> 00:26:19,900 Speaker 1: quench my thirst for knowledge. I currently live near Philly 558 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:22,900 Speaker 1: with my wife and new daughter, but I sling drinks 559 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,340 Speaker 1: in New York. Before I'd been turned on to y'all, 560 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:27,899 Speaker 1: I dreaded my two-hour commute. Now I look forward to 561 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:31,119 Speaker 1: it and have managed to listen to 192 episodes. 562 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:34,600 Speaker 2: Nice. That's some dedication. 563 00:26:34,619 --> 00:26:37,940 Speaker 1: That's hardcore. Several years ago, my uncle decided to purchase 564 00:26:37,980 --> 00:26:41,119 Speaker 1: a new saltwater aquarium and ended up purchasing an enormous 565 00:26:41,140 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 1: 150-gallon unit. He bought the tank online from a reputable website, 566 00:26:45,980 --> 00:26:48,180 Speaker 1: but to save money, he purchased most of the accoutrements, 567 00:26:48,859 --> 00:26:51,360 Speaker 1: including lighting, fish, coral, and plant life from a local 568 00:26:51,380 --> 00:26:53,820 Speaker 1: pet store. This is where it gets good, because the 569 00:26:53,859 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 1: lighting he purchased was a special type of lamp, also 570 00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:59,820 Speaker 1: very commonly used in grow houses. He must have been 571 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:02,880 Speaker 1: flagged by the DEA at the moment of sale, because 572 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:04,800 Speaker 1: about a month later, after the tank was finished on 573 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:08,460 Speaker 1: a Tuesday evening, my uncle, my aunt, and three cousins, 574 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: all under the age of seven, were sitting down to dinner, 575 00:27:11,580 --> 00:27:14,640 Speaker 1: In an instant, six fully armed DEA agents burst into 576 00:27:14,660 --> 00:27:18,700 Speaker 1: the house, including the front door, back door, and from 577 00:27:18,740 --> 00:27:22,290 Speaker 1: the garage and proceeded to scream things along the lines 578 00:27:22,310 --> 00:27:25,570 Speaker 1: of on the floor, hands behind your head. They even 579 00:27:25,609 --> 00:27:27,950 Speaker 1: held my aunt and uncle at gunpoint while they looked 580 00:27:27,990 --> 00:27:31,190 Speaker 1: around the house. After searching from top to bottom, realizing 581 00:27:31,210 --> 00:27:34,990 Speaker 1: they'd made a huge mistake, they calmly apologized and left. 582 00:27:35,580 --> 00:27:38,330 Speaker 1: I'm not 100% sure if the lawyers were involved. But 583 00:27:38,369 --> 00:27:41,270 Speaker 1: I believe my family received a handsome compensation for the mistake. 584 00:27:41,290 --> 00:27:41,890 Speaker 2: I'll bet. 585 00:27:42,109 --> 00:27:44,930 Speaker 1: And that is from Ben, the bartender. And he has 586 00:27:44,970 --> 00:27:47,359 Speaker 1: a hookup for us in New York if we want 587 00:27:47,380 --> 00:27:48,660 Speaker 1: to have an event at a bar. 588 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:49,220 Speaker 2: Nice. 589 00:27:49,580 --> 00:27:50,260 Speaker 1: Hang on to that email. 590 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:51,879 Speaker 2: You want me to do that again sometime soon? 591 00:27:51,900 --> 00:27:53,199 Speaker 1: I know. We miss you, New York. All of our 592 00:27:53,420 --> 00:27:56,180 Speaker 1: work travel has been on the West Coast. 593 00:27:56,320 --> 00:28:00,290 Speaker 2: Yeah. And a certain other city. 594 00:28:00,530 --> 00:28:01,930 Speaker 1: Yeah. 595 00:28:02,410 --> 00:28:06,510 Speaker 2: So let's see. What else? I can't top that. I can't. 596 00:28:07,170 --> 00:28:10,580 Speaker 2: Send your other misinformed DEA stories. 597 00:28:10,859 --> 00:28:14,780 Speaker 1: How about anyone that has any Chicago Fire, like I 598 00:28:14,820 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: always wondered about the O'Leary's, if their family line continues. 599 00:28:17,540 --> 00:28:18,119 Speaker 2: Yeah, lore. 600 00:28:18,380 --> 00:28:22,260 Speaker 1: Yeah, so if you have any family members that had 601 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:24,119 Speaker 1: anything to do with the Chicago Fire, we'd love to 602 00:28:24,140 --> 00:28:24,490 Speaker 1: know about it. 603 00:28:24,580 --> 00:28:27,180 Speaker 2: I don't even know why I'm here anymore. You just 604 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:27,820 Speaker 2: take it, Chuck. 605 00:28:34,060 --> 00:28:36,609 Speaker 1: For more on this and thousands of other topics visit 606 00:28:36,650 --> 00:28:37,410 Speaker 1: HowStuffWorks.com