Relative Disasters

The Roosevelt-Ronden Expedition of 1913-1914 (Episode 146) Sep 23, 2024

In 1913, Teddy Roosevelt and Candido Ronden, national heroes of the United States and Brazil, set out to map a previously-uncartographed river. By the time they saw civilization again, two men were dead, one was lost to the jungle (and good riddance), and Roosevelt was nearly dead.

This is what happened.

Queen Jane, Approximately - The Story of Lady Jane Grey (Episode 145) Sep 09, 2024

The Lady Jane Grey was many things in her short life - a polyglot, a religious scholar, a young woman who approached the world with curiosity. She was also a pawn in the schemes of her much-less-intelligent father, and it resulted in her becoming Queen of England... for a moment.

The Mystery of Richard III (Episode 144) Aug 26, 2024

Richard the Third of England has been regarded as a monstrous ruler, a murderer of his nephews, and a raving, hunchbacked lunatic.

As with all disasters - especially those of rulers - the truth is far more interesting.

The Nimiipuu Fighting Retreat of 1877 (Episode 143) Jul 22, 2024

In 1877, a series of cultural misunderstandings and distrust led to a completely avoidable war, the execution of which saw the United States Army consistently out-maneuvered and tactically embarrassed by a tactical genius... or at least that was the story. In actuality, the desperate Nimiipuu people were running for their lives, helped out by the fact that their pursuing enemy just couldn't get out of their own way.

Apologies for my (wretched) pronunciations of the Nimiipuu language during this episode.

The Collapse of the Bronze Age (Episode 142) Jul 01, 2024

It was one of the largest collapses of human civilization, arguably bigger and more important to history than the fall of Rome... so why do we know so little about it? Well, it's only recently that theories about how the major empires of the Bronze Age fell have found corroborating evidence in the archaeological record - so join us as we talk about the empires of the day, how they fell, and what we can learn from the whole mess!

Ancient Sparta Was A Dumpster Fire (Episode 141) Jun 10, 2024

The mythology of ancient Sparta is that of peerless warriors, un-defeatable soldiers who defended democracy and resisted those who would conquer Greece.

The reality is... a lot different.

We're going to take a look at what ancient Sparta was actually like, why it was like that, and whether or not their Spartiates were actually that good at war.

The Altamont Free Concert (Relative Disasters Episode 140) May 13, 2024

It was intended to be "Woodstock West", a celebration of music in a free concert in California. It was intended to have a fun lineup of some of the biggest rock bands on 1969, headlined by The Rolling Stones.

It ended with four people dead, hundreds injured, and is often pointed to as the death of the 1960s peace & love / counter-culture movements.

The 1968-1969 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race (Episode 139) May 06, 2024

In 1968, a race launched from the British Isles, a race to be the first person to circumnavigate the globe by themself. Nine people entered the race.

When it ended, one person had won, seven people had given up, and one person was never found again.

We're going to talk about the open ocean, the dangers of the route, and the toll that isolation and danger takes on the human psyche.

The Radium Girls (Episode 138) Apr 29, 2024

In 1914, a scientist made a new kind of paint, a paint that glowed. A company was founded, and they needed girls with small hands to work there, applying that paint to the hands and numbers of watches and to the dials of gauges in aircraft.

One problem - the paint was deadly. And nobody told the girls.

The Reign of King John, 1199-1216 (Episode 137) Apr 22, 2024

Auntie Lynn joins us to discuss the disastrous reign of King John - and the numerous sidebars with which we become distracted. This episode is a free-wheeling discussion of John and a lot of random - but interesting - nonsense surrounding his reign!

Note: As happens often, the dogs wanted to co-host, so you will hear some puppers in the background.

The London Beer Flood of 1814 (Episode 136) Apr 15, 2024

A flood is a flood, whether it's water or beer - and a 571-ton, 15-foot tall wave is going to be destructive, no matter what it's made of. Join us as we talk about beer, rookeries, prejudices, and settle some myths.

The Australian Cane Toad Invasion (Episode 135) Apr 08, 2024

Back in the 1930s, some folks in Australia's sugar industry imported the Cane Toad from South America to help control a destructive beetle population. It... did not go well. It continues to not go well. It will likely keep not going well.

The Chi'Ing-yang Event of 1490 (Episode 134) Apr 01, 2024

The city of Chi'Ing-yang got flattened in the late fourteen hundreds... and nobody really knows what happened. We'll talk about meteorites, comets, and explosions as we examine some of the more plausible theories.

A nerdy brother and sister talk about disasters - that's what the show's all about. Especially in early April.

The 1887 Nanaimo Mine Explosion (Episode 133) Mar 25, 2024

We're headed underground yet again, to visit beautiful British Colombia and talk about what happens when you mix explosives, methane, and coal dust. It's a tragedy that affected an entire city and is still relevant today.

The Malleus Maleficarum (Episode 132) Mar 18, 2024

A guy wrote a book, collecting and codifying religious and social suppression of women. That book became a sensation, propelling the man to fame and fortune. No, we're not talking about some modern "MRA" idiot or so-called "incel"... no, this guy existed over half a millennium ago and we're still seeing his fingerprints on modern misogyny today.

The 1933 Business Plot (Episode 131) Mar 11, 2024

This week we're looking at an attempt to overthrow the American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt by a group of Wall Street financiers and big business leaders. Mocked and dismissed at the time - in newspapers owned by said business leaders - this attempted coup was a uniquely American close-call with facism.

They Read The Fine Print (Episode 130) Mar 04, 2024

Join us for three stories of people exploiting - or trying to - ill-thought-out corporate promotions. We'll talk about Vacuums, Soft Drinks, and Pudding, all tied together by an odd connection to airplanes - The Hoover Free Flights promotion, the Pepsi Points Harrier Jet legal case, and the Healthy Choice airline miles promotion.

The L-8 Ghost Airship Incident of 1942 (Episode 129) Feb 26, 2024

Join us in the skies off the coast of California in this episode. We'll talk about the US Naval airship L-8, the mysterious disappearance of its crew, and its brief time as an airborne ghost ship!

The 1975 Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Episode 85) Feb 21, 2024

Re-upload.

Join us as Ella explains the events of a fateful night that sent a crew of 29 to the bottom of the largest freshwater lake in North America. We'll discuss shipping tonnage, the incredibly dangerous weather systems of the Great Lakes, and talk a little about Gordon Lightfoot's haunting tribute to the disaster.

This episode was taken down due to a copyright concern; we'd quoted some lyrics from Lightfoot's song in the initial version of this episode. Those quotations have been removed and I'm glad to be able to put this one back up for everyone.

-Greg

The Great French Wine Blight (Episode 128) Feb 19, 2024

Join us as we head to the mid-1800's and learn about a very specific blight that nearly crippled the French wine industry!

The Byford Dolphin Explosive Decompression Incident of 1983 (Episode 127) Feb 12, 2024

Another deep-sea oil rig, another disaster; in 1983, five saturation divers were killed when their air pressure was explosively decompressed. This episode covers a truly awful way to die.

The Montparnasse Derailment of 1895 (Episode 126) Feb 05, 2024

How does a train wind up outside of its station, standing on its face? Well, the answer involves a perfect storm of operator negligence, bad brakes, and good ol' financial incentive.

The Toba Supereruption of 74TYA (Episode 125) Jan 29, 2024

Greg and Child Unit A explore one of the biggest volcanic eruptions of all time, and why a simultaneous massive decrease in the human population may be a case of correlation, not causation.

The 1995 Sampoong Department Store Collapse (Episode 124) Jan 22, 2024

On this episode, we're going to the city of Seoul to take a look at another example of how greed kills people. In 1988, a building was constructed to maximize profit and minimize expense; in 1995, its inevitable collapse caused the most non-wartime deaths South Korea has experienced. We'll talk about construction techniques, building codes, why regulations are important, and how to not move gigantic air conditioners.

The 1976 Ladybird Plague (Episode 123) Jan 15, 2024

We're going to the dry and drought-blasted British Isles of 1976 for this (short) episode; we'll talk about ladybirds, the population boom-and-bust cycles of insect life, and how weird weather can throw an entire ecosystem into red-shelled chaos.

Conspiratorial Thinking (Episode 122) Jan 08, 2024

To kick off our 2024 season, I thought we'd cover the insidious disaster that is Conspiratorial Thinking! We'll discuss how our brain can get short-circuited in the strangest ways, why it takes fear and lack of self-reflection skills to be a true believer... and why this stuff cannot be dismissed and how we can all do a better job of guarding ourselves against it.

Fun.

Sources:

Due to being available on a whole bunch of different platforms now, it's come to my attention that our Sources don't always make it to each listener at their preferred listening-platform; therefore, I'm going to be doing a better job of listing the complete sources in the episode itself.

The Star Wars Holiday Special (Episode 121) Dec 24, 2023

Back in 1977, Star Wars was a phenomenon that changed the film industry. In 1978, some CBS executives tried to replicate the magic for TV and the results were... legendary? Just probably not in the way they intended.

Fuschia - The Man, The Color, the Mystery (Extended Sidebar 06) Dec 11, 2023

Ella takes a dive into color theory and the bizarre history of Fuschia - the color and the man it was named for. And why it may not be a real color at all.

The Ourang Medan Ghost Ship (Extended Sidebar 05) Nov 27, 2023

On this extended sidebar, Ella brings us the story of the Ourang Medan, a ghost ship found floating in the middle of the pacific with the entire crew dead. Or was it never found, its only survivor finding his way to a barely-inhabited atoll and living just long enough to relay how his whole crew had perished due to some unknown force? Or was it found in the straits of Indonesia, with the deceased crew all staring upward in abject horror? It's a creepy story with a fairly mundane truth living in its center.

Dock Ellis' 1970 No-Hitter (Extended Sidebar 04) Nov 13, 2023

In this extended sidebar we talk about a baseball player at the absolute top of his game, one of the hardest feats in the game of baseball, why he was able to pull it off under the influence of LSD - and more importantly, the incredible work he did once his baseball career was behind him.

The Ica Stones (Extended Sidebar Episode 02) Nov 06, 2023

Well, apparently all we're going to do are "stone-based historical scams" on these Extended Sidebar episodes... anyway, this hoax came up waaaaay back in our first season during the research for the Gregor MacGregor episodes. Join us as we talk about the Ica Stones, a hoax involving ancient Incans, Aliens, Dinosaurs, and the creative use of chickens. Enjoy!

The 1975 Heroism of Oliver Sipple (that ruined his life) (Episode 120) Oct 23, 2023

Join us for our last episode of the season, wherein Ella and Greg discuss how a selfless act of heroism led to the ruination of a man's personal life. We'll discuss how to NOT be a good friend, the state of human rights in 1975, and how far society's come since then - and how far we still have to go.

Also, Ella has an announcement.

Correction: In the episode, Greg stated that Mr. Sipple's middle name was William; it was actually Wellington. Thanks to an attentive listener for the correction!

Sources:

Sorrow Trailed a Veteran Who Saved a President and Then Was Cast in an Unwanted Spotlight

by Dan Morain, LA Times, Feb. 13, 1989

Caught in Fate's Trajectory, Along With Gerald Ford

by Lynne Duke, Washington Post, December 31, 2006

News and Sexuality: Media Portrayals of Diversity

by Laura Castañeda and Shannon Campbell

Sage Publications, 2006

Conduct Unbecoming: Gays and Lesbians in the US Military

by Randy Shilts

McMillan, 2005

The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk

by Randy Shilts

St. Martin's Press, 1982

Radiolab: Oliver Sipple

Sept. 22, 2017

The Dare Stones (Extended Sidebar 01) Oct 23, 2023

Join Ella and Greg while they talk about one of the weirdest (and most obvious) scams in American archaeology - the Dare Stones!

The Wellington Avalanche (Episode 119) Sep 25, 2023

In February 1910, the deadliest avalanche in the history of the United States occurred in the small town of Wellington, Washington. On this episode, we're talking rotary plows, wild weather, and railroad history.

Sources for this episode include:

"White Cascade", G. Krist, 2007

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/wellington-avalanche-site

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86072041/1910-03-04/ed-1/seq-2/#words=avalanche+Avalanche+crash+snow+Snow+snowed+train+trains

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/1910-stevens-pass-avalanche-still-deadliest-in-us-history/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbQ7Qc7MCIM

The 1972 Crash of Flight 401 (Episode 118) Sep 18, 2023

We head down to the Florida Everglades for one of the most disheartening plane crashes of all time - though with a higher survival rate than would be expected. We'll talk about alligators, frogs, autopilot controls, and a huckster attempting to cash in on tragedy.

Sources:

The 401 Crash and Survivors

Some Survive as Jet Smashes Into Swamp (AP) - The Eugene Register-Guard, December 30, 1972

NTSB Aircraft Accident Report on Flight 401 (here)

Magic the Gathering's Combo Winter of 1998 (Episode 117) Sep 11, 2023

A few notes; one, this is an extremely nerdy episode. Two, our recording circumstances were a little tricky (with a very persistent cricket intent on co-hosting), so the audio quality is a little less than I'd like with background noise.

With Ella on a well-deserved break, Greg and his friend Carson talk about something near and dear to their nerdy hearts - the time the card game Magic: The Gathering nearly collapsed because of a failure in recognizing a flaw in game design. Join us as we talk about game design, the delightfully geeky history of Magic, and the concept of "Fun"!

The Water Wiggle (Episode 116) Sep 04, 2023

Content Warning: In this episode we discuss the deaths of two children; if you'd rather not hear about that, please skip this episode.

We're going back to the 1960s and 1970s, where kids ran around and played in the street and hooked weird toys up to their garden hoses during the summer. One of those toys was the Water Wiggle, a toy that turned your hose into a chaotic missile of spraying water, wildly whipping hose, and getting bonked in the head with the goofy-looking plastic head of the toy. Danger and excitement abounded - unless the head came off. Join us as we discuss toy safety, lawn games (especially Lawn Darts), and how the Wham-O toy company is responsible for your childhood.

Sources:

The CSPC Recall Notice

"Sobbing Father Tells How Toy Choked Son" - The Palm Beach Post, Wednesday, Feb 25, 1981, p. 44

Couple sues Wham-O over deadly Water Wiggle

"Toy firm's R&D specialist admits 'Water Wiggle' toy dangerous"

Part 1306 - ban of Hazardous Lawn Darts

The 1865 Wreck of the S.S. Sultana (Episode 115) Aug 28, 2023

In April 1865, the deadliest shipwreck in American history occurred when a steamship exploded in the middle of the Mississippi River. On this episode, we're discussing the Civil War, cast-iron fire-tube boilers, and how a steamship with the legal capacity for 460 people ended up carrying just over 2,100.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon!

Sources for this episode include:

"The Explosion of the S. S. Sultana", 2014

"The Sultana Association of Descendants and Friends"

"The Search for a Photo of the Man Behind the Sultana Disaster", E. Demerel for Mental Floss, 2015

"Loss of the Sultana and the Recollections of Survivors", by C Berry, 1866

The Life of Puyi, Last Emperor of China (Episode 114) Aug 21, 2023

China had a dynastic system of government for four thousand years; it ended when its last emperor was six years old. His life would be filled with the dissolution and reconstruction of China, brutal foreign occupations and incursions, and his own self-sabotaging need to be an Emperor again. Join us as we talk about what a horrific time the early/mid 1900s was in China, the lengths people in power will go to maintain that power, and why being an Emperor is not a job for a six-year-old.

Sources:

From Emperor to Citizen by Pu Yi (2007 restored version)

Twilight in the Forbidden City by Reginald Fleming Johnston (1934)

The Long and Awful Reign of Nero (Episode 113) Aug 14, 2023

In CE 68, the Roman Emperor Nero died, bringing an end to a dynasty - and relief from his 14-year-long rule, a time of greed, excess, abuse, murder, and (possibly) arson.

On this episode, we're discussing the life of the worst of the Julio-Claudian rulers, as well as the Great Fire of Rome, a rat's nest of a family tree, and some of the worst theater ever performed.

Sources for this episode include:

"Nero, a Life From Beginning To End", by Hourly Histories, 2018

"The New, Nicer Nero", J Levine for Smithsonian Magazine, 2020

"The genderqueer tragedy of Sporus, Roman Emperor Nero’s last “empress”", K. Kaye for LGBTQ Nation, 2023

"The Fire of Rome" M. Owen and I. Gildenhard, 2013

"The Life of Nero", Suetonius

Liu Bang and the Founding of the Han Dynasty (Episode 112) Aug 07, 2023

Liu Bang was a man who had a good life and then had a really bad day. How he handled that bad day led to the creation of one of China's most important dynasties and reshaped China's history - join us as we talk about executions, how legal systems based on fear are not sustainable, and lacquer. Lots of lacquer.

Also, Greg's fighting a cold this week, so expect a few background sniffles.

Sources:

Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

The Short and Terrible Reign of Caligula (Episode 111) Jul 31, 2023

Born in 12 CE, Gaius Cesar Augustus Germanicus - nicknamed 'Caligula' - survived a horrific adolescence to become the third Roman Emperor at just 24 years old. The four years that followed were expensive, scandalous, and full of increasingly violent behavior - but was he really as 'mad' as his earliest biography would have us believe?

On this episode, we're discussing dynasties, paranoia, and all those juicy scandals.

Sources for this episode include:

"Caligula: A Biography" by A. Winterling, 2015 "Caligula: a neuropsychiatric explanation of his madness", J. Charry-Sanchez, et al, for Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 2021 "Dinner with Caligula" by C. Baumgarthuber for The New Inquiry, 2016

"The lives of the Caesars", Suetonius, 1913 Loeb translation

The Dilberito (Episode 110) Jul 24, 2023

In 1999, Scott Adams used his beloved-at-the-time character Dilbert to market... a line of microwaveable burritos.

Join us as we take a look at bizarre marketing, the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals, and cooking with gelatin, plus an insight into weird foods that Ella and Greg enjoy.

The 1950 Green Hornet Disaster (Episode 109) Jul 17, 2023

In 1950 Chicago, a rush-hour streetcar missed an emergency switch and slammed into a gas truck carrying 8,000 gallons of gasoline. The resulting explosion and fire burned down five apartment buildings and killed 34 people.

On this episode, we're discussing streetcar safety, emergency exits, and one of the worst traffic accidents we've ever come across.

Sources for this episode include:

"The Green Hornet Streetcar Disaster", C. A. Cleve, 2012

"On This Day in 1950: The Green Hornet Streetcar Disaster", CBS News Chicago, 2012

The Tri-State Tornado of 1925 (Episode 108) Jul 10, 2023

In 1925, a tornado of incredible size and power swept through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana; by the time it was finished, it had killed over seven hundred people, injured at least two thousand, and destroyed entire towns. Join us as we talk about tornado systems, how this particular tornado formed, the clairvoyancy of early 20th-century farmers, and the sheer tragedy of destruction at this speed.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

The Forgotten Storm by Wallace Akin

The Tri-State Tornado by Peter Felknor

Storms of the Century by Stephanie Watson

The Tri-State Tornado by The Tornado Project

as well as contemporary newspaper articles.

The Wreck of the USS Akron (Episode 107) Jul 03, 2023

In April 1933, the US Navy's airship Akron flew directly into a thunderstorm off the coast of New Jersey. The crash that followed claimed the lives of 75 people, making it the deadliest accident in airship history.

On this episode, we're discussing the American airship program, spy cars, cigarette smoking, aircraft carriers, and the big difference between hydrogen and helium in airship design.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"US Navy Rigid Airships" Airships.net “Airship: Design, Development and Disaster” by J Swinfield, 2012 "The Loss of the Akron", L.C. C.E. Rosendahl for Proceedings, 1934

The 1755 Lisbon Earthquake (Episode 106) Jun 26, 2023

We're headed to Portugal this week, with an earthquake so large it shook fundamental human belief systems. The 1755 earthquake hit the capital of Lisbon (and elsewhere), with its physical effects being felt as far away as Brazil; its effects on society at the beginnings of the Enlightenment were just as profound. Join us as we discuss earthquakes, tsunamis, firestorms, and why the question of divine judgement was raised.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

1755 O Terramoto de Lisboa by Jao Duerte Fonseca

This Gulf of Fire by Mark Molesky

Wrath of God by Edward Paice

The Last Day by Nicholas Shrady

and various archived materials available through the National Archive at Torre do Tombo

Hyacinth Madness! (Episode 105) Jun 19, 2023

In 1910 America, residents of the southeastern states were facing down two major problems: a shortage of meat, and an invasive plant that was threatening fishing, shipping, and recreation. Luckily, a Louisiana official and two 'experts' had just the solution: hippo ranching. On this episode, we're talking water hyacinths and hippopotamuses, as well as cocaine, meatpacking, lake-cow bacon, and some of the most colorful characters we've ever discussed.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"American Hippopotamus" by J. Mooallam for The Atavist, 2013

“How the U.S. Almost Became a Nation of Hippo Ranchers” S. Parks for Smithsonian, 2023

"The true story of when Congress almost released wild hippos into the Louisiana bayou", M. Rosza for Salon, 2022

"The Crazy, Ingenious Plan to Bring Hippopotamus Ranching to America", G. Miller for Wired, 2013

“A Dangerous Beauty” Army Corps of Engineers

10-Cent Beer Night (Episode 104) Jun 12, 2023

Well, we're back with 1970's baseball again. This time, the hapless baseball team from Cleveland decided to offer a 10-Cent Beer promotional event... but they neglected a key restriction that would result in a riot that left both teams injured, the stadium getting torn up, and a massive force of Cleveland police coming to put an end to it. In this episode we'll talk about the city of Cleveland, the things that REALLY should be part of planning any event centered around alcohol, and the truly scary events of that night in June. Kick your feet up, settle back, and maybe drink a soft beverage as we explore what might be the worst riot in baseball history.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

The night beer and violence bubbled over in Cleveland, by Paul Jackson for ESPN

Forty years ago, 10-cent beer makes memories, by Anthony Castrovince for Major League Baseball

The Strange Tale of Ten Cent Beer Night, by Bill Lubinger for Ohio Magazine

The 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks (Episode 103) Jun 05, 2023

In July of 1916, five swimmers at the Jersey Shore were attacked by a shark. Four suffered fatal wounds and the fifth required two months in the hospital to recover. The "New Jersey Man-Eater" was front-page news across the country, and the attacks are still a subject of debate, scrutiny, and speculation. On this episode, Ella talks about the five attacks, the sharks who may (or may not) have been responsible, and the beach dangers much more likely to cause a fatal accident.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"Twelve Days of Terror", R. G. Fernicola, 2016

"Two Weeks, Four Deaths, and the Start of America's Fear of Sharks", V. McCall for National Geographic, 2019

"The Real-Life ‘Jaws’ That Terrorized the Jersey Shore", C. Klein for History, 2023

"The 1916 Shark Attacks That Gave Sharks a Bad Rap" by N. Gonzalez for Brittanica, n.d.

"The Shark Attacks That Were the Inspiration for Jaws", M. Gambino for Smithsonian, 2012

The 1896 St. Louis / East St. Louis Tornado (Episode 102) May 29, 2023

In 1896, the cities of St. Louis and East St. Louis were enjoying an economic boom that led to skyscrapers, mansions, and a 'tornado-proof' bridge connecting the two cities. That progress was unfortunately paused at the end of May, when an F4 tornado went straight through the downtowns of both cities.

On this episode, Ella and our special guest host discuss architecture, bridges, tornado damage, and a building made of popsicle sticks.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

“The Great Cyclone of 1896” Digital exhibit at St. Louis Public Library

“Tornadoes in the Past”, The Tornado Project, 1999

“The Great Cyclone at St. Louis and East St. Louis, May 27, 1896, Being A Full History of the Most Terrifying and Destructive Tornado In The History Of The World”, by J Curzon, 1897

“On This Day: The Great St. Louis Tornado of 1896”, staff writer for NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information website, 2017

“It all Happened in 20 Minutes: In 1896, The Great Cyclone Ripped Through St. Louis”, T. O’Neill, St Louis Post Dispatch, 2022

The 1977 Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire (Episode 101) May 22, 2023

On Memorial Day weekend of 1977, an event space and nightclub in Southgate, Kentucky, called the Beverly Hills Supper Club caught fire at around 8:50 in the evening. Within minutes, the building was fully engulfed and beginning to collapse, and 165 people were dead and dying.

In this episode, Ella tells the story of the tragic and very preventable Beverly Hills fire.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Main sources for this episode include: “Inside the Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire”, by R. Eliott, 2010

"Remembering the tragic Beverly Hills Supper Club fire", staff writers for The Enquirer, 2021 "The Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire", NFPA documentary, 1980

Additional information from: "The Beverly Hills Supper Club: The Untold Story of Ky's Worst Tragedy", R. Webster et al, 2016

"$3 Million Settlement Approved In Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire", staff writer, New York Times, 1979

The 1992 Hurricane Iniki (Episode 100) May 15, 2023

Join us for our 100th episode (!) as we journey to the lovely beaches of Hawaii... except they're not so lovely when being battered by 145-MPH winds. We're talking about the monetarily-costliest (and human-least-costliest) hurricane to strike Hawaii, 1992's Iniki. We'll be examining the failures - and difficulties - in tracking the storm, the weird mix of weather conditions that led to its formation, Greg's favorite global-weather pattern, Jurassic Park, and chickens! Lots of chickens.

Thanks for sticking with us for one hundred episodes! We wouldn't be doing this if you weren't listening, so our most heartfelt thanks and we've got plenty more disasters to talk about.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

USA Dept. of Commerce's Natural Disaster Survey Report on Hurricane Iniki

Tropical Depression Eighteen-E Discussion with Max Mayfield

US Army Corps of Engineers Hurricane Iniki Assessment

"Hawaii Hurricane Devestates Kauai: Iniki blamed for 3 deaths, scores of injuries" by Al Kamen, Washington Post, September 13, 1992

"Something's Killing Off Kauai Chickens" Honolulu Advertiser, August 2, 2007

...and a bunch of other news articles.

The 1912 Piltdown Man Hoax (Episode 99) May 08, 2023

In 1912, English geologists and archaeologists were buzzing over the discovery of an amazing set of human remains recovered from a gravel pit outside the village of Piltdown. Amateur archeologist Charles Dawson had uncovered what looked to be Darwin's "Missing Link", the proof of human evolution. Thought to be 600,000 years old, Dawson's find - a fossilized human skull and a jawbone that looked much like an ape's - was immediately controversial and fascinating.

On this episode, we're talking gravel, lost teeth, the long con, and why you should always get an expert to vouch for you.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"The Piltdown Man Hoax: Case Closed" by M. Russell, 2012

"Study reveals culprit behind Piltdown Man, one of science's most famous hoaxes", by M. Price for Science magazine, 2016

"Solving the Piltdown Man Scientific Fraud" by I. De Groot for Scientific American, 2016

"The Problem of Piltdown Man", by M. Subramanian for Distillations, 2023 "Note on the Piltdown Man (Eoanthropus Dawsoni )" by A. Smith Woodward for The Geological Magazine, 1913

The Life of Julie D'Aubigny (Episode 98) May 01, 2023

Who's everybody's favorite beautiful French sword-fighting bisexual opera singer? Join us as we discuss the incredible stories of the life of Mademoiselle de Maupin, Julie D'Aubigny, a woman who was both fascinating and more than a little terrifying. Separating myth from truth is difficult with many historical figures, but with a life this amazing it's a real challenge - sit back and enjoy the tale of swashbuckling, romance, and danger that is as close to the truth as we can get!

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

Gallant Ladies

by Cameron Rogers, published by Harcourt, Brace; 1928

Queens of Song: being memoirs of some of the most Celebrated Female Vocalists who have appeared on the lyric stage, from the earliest days of opera to the present time, to which is added a Chronological List of all the Operas that have been performed in Europe

by Ellen Creathorne Clayton, published in 1863

Anecdotal History of the Duel

by Émile Colombey, published in 1861

and articles from various sources

The 1930 Crash of the R-101 (Episode 97) Apr 24, 2023

Throughout the 1920s, Britain built airships that never quite competed with the German and American programs. In 1929, they sought to catch up by holding (and funding) a competition between a commercial and government teams to build a rigid airship capable of traveling to the far corners of the British Empire. The team behind R-101 created an ambitious design that allowed for both long-haul travel and luxurious accommodations. However, 6 hours into her maiden voyage, she crashed into a French hillside, in the deadliest civilian airship disaster in history.

On this episode, we're discussing airships and blimps, the "Socialism vs. Capitalism" competition, and the fatal flaws in the R-101's ambitious design.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources for this episode include: “R 101 Final Trials and Loss of the Ship”, Royal Airship Heritage Trust, retrieved 2023 “Airship: Design, Development, Disaster” by J. Swindon, 2012

“Innovation Pushed Too Far Too Fast”, System Failure Case Studies (NASA), 2007

The 1838 Jesuit Slave Sale (Episode 96) Apr 17, 2023

The business of treating people as property has never reflected well on those who practice it; however, when the practice is not just morally repugnant but also violates the religious precepts of your faith... you really have to ask yourself what side of history you want to be on. In 1838, the Jesuit order of Maryland faced just such a dilemma. These are the choices they made.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources:

The Georgetown Slavery Archive

The Georgetown Memory Project

The GU272 Memory Project

Facing Georgetown's History: A Reader on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation by Adam Rothman, Elsa Barraza Mendoza, et al. (2021)

Further Resources:

⁠The Georgetown Memory Project⁠

⁠The GU272 Memory Project⁠

The GU272 Descendants Association

The Jesuit Plantation Project

The Slavery, History, Memory, and Reconciliation Project

The Ibrox Park Disasters (Episode 95) Apr 10, 2023

In 1902, 1961, and 1971, Ibrox Park in Glasgow, Scotland, claimed the lives of 90 football fans in three separate accidents. In this episode, we’re discussing the Rangers vs. Celtics rivalry, architect Archibald Leitch, crowd dynamics, and how one of the most dangerous stadiums in the United Kingdom became one of the safest in the world.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources for this episode include: “Singing and Dancing to their Deaths: Football’s Forgotten Tragedy”, by J. Hodgman for The Guardian, 2020 “Temple of Dreams, The Changing Face of Ibrox” by I. Duff, 2011 “The Fatalities at the Ibrox Disaster of 1902”, by R. S. Shiels for The Sports Historian, 1998 "Stairway 13", Rangers Football Club, 2021

The Witch and The Weather (Episode 94) Apr 01, 2023

In the hills of Tennessee, there is nestled a village that has some of the strangest weather on the planet - and the locals believe a legendary witch could be the cause. Come join Greg as he takes Relative Disasters on a road-trip; we'll discuss weather, the natural and supernatural, and the proper way to take a walk in the woods.

This episode took a lot of help to put together, so a big thank-you to our wonderful friends who helped us with the travel, logistics, and recording devices: Adrian, Anders, Carson, Catherine, Doug, and Gerry - you're all amazing and we couldn't have made the trip without you.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources:

The History of East and West Craven by Sutter Cane

Does this tiny Tennessee town have the weirdest weather on the planet? by H. Henderson, Smithsonian Magazine, April 2020

A Historie Moste Tragick of Mary Bell by Sutter Cane

Interviews with the lovely and gracious citizens Pamela, Frederick, Gunnar, Pound Foolish, Dr. H. West, Pluto Michaelson, Tommy (and Big Mike), and Dr. Sutter Cane.

The 1900 Galveston Hurricane (Episode 93) Mar 27, 2023

At the turn of the 20th century, Galveston, Texas, was a thriving port city boasting an opera house, miles of beachfront resorts, and its very own weather station. Unfortunately, in September 1900 it was also the target of a Category 4 hurricane that is still the deadliest weather event in United States history.

On this episode, we're discussing 1890s meteorology, Cuban vs. American forecasting, and the worst weather we've ever heard of.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources for this episode include:

"Isaac’s Storm: a Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History” by E. Larsen, 1999

“The Great Galveston Disaster: Containing a Full and Thrilling Account of the Most Appalling Calamity of Modern Times", by P. Lester, 1901

The Fitzsimmons vs Sharkey Boxing Match of 1896 (Episode 92) Mar 20, 2023

It was the most anticipated boxing match of the year, a fight to decide the heavyweight champion, a fight in front of fifteen thousand people in San Fransisco. There were just a couple of issues... 1), it was illegal to hold a boxing match in San Fransisco, and 2), they couldn't agree on a referee. Come step into ring as we talk about boxing, thrown/fixed fights, and what this all had to do with legendary Wild West lawman Wyatt Earp.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources:

The Earp Decision by Jack DeMattos

Inventing Wyatt Earp: His Life and Many Legends by Allen Barra

Various San Fransisco Chronicle and San Fransisco Call articles

The Lost Colony of Roanoke Island (Episode 91) Mar 13, 2023

At the end of the 16th century, 115 English colonists set out to settle Queen Elizabeth I's claim to the mid-Atlantic coast of North America, and were promptly marooned by pirates on the Outer Banks. Only a few weeks into the project, and faced with bad luck, drought, and a murder, the colonists decided to send their leader back home for supplies and assistance. When he returned three years later, however, every single one of the colonists had disappeared.

On this episode, we're discussing diplomacy, pirates, Schrodinger's Colonists, and John White's years-long (and incredibly frustrating) effort to get back to his friends and family.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources for this episode include:

"The Head in Edward Nugent's Hand" by M. L. Oberg, 2000

"What Happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke?'" by staff writer for History, 2012

"The Mystery of Roanoke Endures Yet Another Cruel Twist", by A. Lawlor for Smithsonian Magazine, 2017

The 523 Nika Riots (Episode 90) Mar 06, 2023

Come join us for a sporting event/political statement that got wildly out of control! We'll talk about some interesting historical people, one of the most interesting historical empires, and why wearing blue or green in the wrong place at the wrong time could get you killed. Also, bread is tasty and circuses are fun.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources:

The Account of Malalas John, written circa 540~ CE

The Wars of Justinian by Procopius

Blue versus Green: Rocking the Byzantine Empire by Mike Dash

The 1820 Wreck of the Whaleship 'Essex' (Episode 89) Feb 27, 2023

In August of 1819, the Essex set sail from the island of Nantucket to the whaling grounds of the south Pacific. In June of 1821, less than half of the crew returned, with a horrific tale of a whale attack and months adrift at sea. On this episode, we're discussing sperm whales, whale oil processing, survival cannibalism, a series of terrible decisions (and one great one), and why Herman Melville's book 'Moby Dick' is so incredibly boring.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources for this episode include:

"In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex", by N. Philbrick, 2000

“Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-ship Essex", by O. Chase, 1821

"The face that sank the Essex: potential function of the spermaceti organ in aggression" article by D. Carrier, et all, for Journal of Experimental Biology, 2002

The 1920 Attempt to Defraud Sarah Rector (Episode 88) Feb 20, 2023

In this episode we'll be talking about why laws regarding stewardship of other peoples' money exist, how institutionalized prejudice threatened the lives and well-being of Sarah Rector and her family, and how she fought back and re-gained control of what was rightfully hers. Come meet the young millionaire who refused to let the shady people "managing" her money win!

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources for this episode include:

Searching For Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America by Tonya Bolden, published 2014 by Abrams

The Richest Black Girl in America by Dr. Lauren N. Henley

Washington Post article by Sydney Trent, September 3 2022

The Australian Rabbit Problem (Episode 87) Feb 13, 2023

In 1859, a wealthy landowner in Whichelsea, Victoria, released 24 rabbits on his land for shooting, and unintentionally infested the continent with a rabbit population that peaked at 10 billion. On this episode, we're talking bunnies: their homes, diets, families, and the incredible amount of damage they can do to an ecosystem.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources for this episode include:

"How 24 British rabbits took over Australia", H. Chen for CNN, 2022

"Defining Moments: Rabbits introduced", National Museum Australia, n.d. "How Two Dozen Rabbits Started an Ecological Invasion in Australia", W. Sullivan for Smithsonian Magazine, 2022

The Dangers and Deaths of Action Park (Episode 86) Feb 06, 2023

With Ella going nine rounds with Covid this week, please welcome our special guest-hosts: Greg's family! Join us as we talk about Action Park, the now-legendary New Jersey destination that promised great family fun... with a side-menu of skull fractures, skin abrasions, and - in six tragic cases - death. How this park stayed open - and how it ever opened in the first place - will be explored. Make sure your safety belt is fastened for this one!

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources:

Revisiting Traction ... Er, Action, Park by Joanne Austin, Weird NJ #25, October 2005

Remembering Action Park, America's Most Dangerous, Daring Water Park by Jack McCallum, Sports Illustrated August 2020

Class Action Park by Seth Porges and Chris Charles Scott III (Documentary), released 2020

The 1966 Aberfan Disaster (Episode 84) Jan 23, 2023

Warning: This episode is centered on the senseless and preventable deaths of over one hundred children. If that's not something you want to deal with, please skip this episode and re-join us next week.

In the green, rolling hills and valleys of southern Wales, coal sat in rich veins. The process of removing that coal was acknowledged to be dangerous for the miners, a risk that they all accepted to provide for their families. None of them knew that the lives that would be risked were not just their own, but those of their children. Join us as we discuss mining operations, the power of the National Coal Board, and how de-humanizing bureaucracy can be when empathy for human beings is forgotten for the sake of a bit of cash.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources:

Aberfan:Disasters and Government by Iain McLean & Martin Johnes (Cardiff: Welsh Academic Press, 2000)

Aberfan: The mistake that cost a village its children by Ceri Jackson

The 1908 Tunguska Event (Episode 83) Jan 16, 2023

On a clear summer morning in 1908, a bright light was seen in the sky over the Siberian forest around the Tunguska River. Minutes later, a shock wave flattened 800 square miles of forest, killed hundreds of thousands of animals, and blew out windows some 200 miles away from the impact site. But when scientists went looking for the crater, they found no evidence that anything at all had hit the ground. On this episode, we’re discussing meteors / comets / asteroids / meteoroids, space grazers, a lake with a weird shape, and what exactly lay at ground zero of the Tunguska Event.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources for this episode include:

“The Tunguska Event: The Mystery of the Biggest Explosion in Recorded History” by Charles River Editors, 2014

"The Mystery of the Dark Asteroid That Scorched Russia" by M. Altamirano for Nautilus, 2020

"Tunguska Revisited: 111-Year-Old Mystery Impact Inspires New, More Optimistic Asteroid Predictions" by K. E. Smith for NASA.gov, 2019

"The Tunguska explosion, 114 years ago today", by P. S. Anderson and K. K. Witt for Earth Sky, 2022

"Preliminary Results from the 1961 Combined Tunguska Meteorite Expedition" by K.P. Florenskiy for Meteoritica, 1963

"The Tunguska Mystery" by L. Gasperini, E. Bonatti,and G. Longo for Scientific American, 2008

The 1184 Erfurt Latrine Disaster (Episode 82) Jan 09, 2023

Come with us to medieval Germany as we discuss lines of succession, human chemistry, and a very unfortunate and disgusting disaster. Find out about Heinrich VI, Freiderich I, and what happens when too many people stand on a floor.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources:

Encyclopedia Brittanica for the lives and reigns of Heinrich VI and Freidrich I, as well as background on various nobles.

One very patient and kind reference librarian from Erfurt who was willing to answer my questions.

Chronik von St. Peter zu Erfurt (translated)

The 1944 Hartford Circus Fire (Episode 81) Jan 02, 2023

On July 6, 1944, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus began their Hartford, Connecticut, matinee show with an audience of 7,000 ticketholders, mostly women and children. A few minutes into the show, however, the massive Big Top, which had been waterproofed with a paraffin-and-gasoline cocktail, caught on fire. On this episode, we’re discussing circus superstitions, city inspections, and a whole lot of fire safety.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources for this episode include:

“Circus Fire 1944”

“The Hartford Circus Fire: Tragedy Under the Big Top” by Michael Skidgell, 2019

“Hartford Circus Holocaust” by W.Y. Kimball for National Fire Prevention Association’s The Quarterly, 1944

The Franklin Expedition (Episode 80) Oct 17, 2022

We're going back to the Arctic for our final episode of the season! Join us as we talk about how dangerous the arctic sea is, what pack ice can do to ships (again), and why maybe listening to the people who live where you're trying to explore might be a good idea. We'll touch on the interesting lives and deeds of John Rae and James Fitzjames, talk about the weird politics that led to the expedition, and how everything was basically never going to work no matter how they prepared. Also, we found another place to visit and we'll preview a little bit of next season!

Thank you all for lending us your ears for a little while each week - we really appreciate all of the feedback, constructive criticism, and kind words you've had to share over these last few years. We'll see you again in January!

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources:

Ice Ghosts by Paul Watson

The Man Who Ate His Boots by Anthony Brandt

Deadly Winter by Martin Beardsley

Fatal Passage by Ken McGoogan

Unraveling the Franklin Mystery: Inuit Testimony collected by David Woodman

https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/what-happened-to-erebus-terror-crew-true-story

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1279489/

https://www.history.com/news/franklin-expedition-mystery-northwest-passage

https://www.thecollector.com/the-franklin-expedition-canadian-maritime/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/heres-how-amc-producers-worked-inuit-fictionalized-franklin-expedition-show-180968643/

https://www.canadianmysteries.ca/sites/franklin/archive/text/DickensHouseholdWords1_en.htm

The Story of the Kate Shelley High Bridge (Episode 79) Oct 10, 2022

In the summer of 1881, a heavy thunderstorm caused a flash flood in the Des Moines River valley of central Iowa, in the midwestern United States. The flood caused a small railway trestle bridge to weaken, which in turn caused a steam locomotive to plunge into Honey Creek - killing two of the crew and stranding the rest in the still-rising water. So begins one of the most remarkable rescue efforts in the history of American railways.

On this episode, we're talking bridges, bad luck, Victorian poetry, and the remarkable tenacity of an Iowa teenager.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"Iowa’s Railroad Heroine" (blog post at ISU Special Collections)

"Kate Shelley: Heroine of the High Bridge" (website)

"Kate Shelley: A Girl’s Heroic Journey", by T. Beck for Historynet, 2019

"Our Kate" poem by J. B. Kaye, 1901

Leser v Garnett and attempts to repeal the Nineteenth Amendment (Episode 78) Oct 03, 2022

We're headed back to court again for a look at the 1922 Leser v Garnett supreme court decision! Join us as we discuss how women's right to vote has been a really weird issue in the US, what kind of folks were trying to prevent them from voting in the first place, and how is this stuff still going on today? Also, Greg's dog really wanted to be on the podcast this week, so listen for her tappy-toes in the background.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources:

The United States Constitution and Amendments

Leser et al v. Garnett et al Supreme Court Decision

How a Little-Known Supreme Court Case Got Women the Right to Vote by Lily Rothman

Visit your local library for books on voting rights in the United States.

The 1955 Disappearance of the MV 'Joyita' (Episode 77) Sep 25, 2022

In October of 1955, a ship named 'Joyita' set sail from Apia, Samoa, to the Tokelau Islands. The 300-mile trip should have taken 2 days, but she never arrived, and an extensive search failed to find any traces of either the 'Joyita' or the 25 people she carried. Not that she'd sunk; in fact, a month later, she was found floating off the coast of Fiji, with no one aboard and no sign of what had happened to her passengers and crew.

On this episode, we're discussing ghost ships, Old Hollywood, iron pipes vs. the Pacific Ocean (the ocean wins, every time), and the curious and unlucky life of a luxury yacht turned into a patrol boat, a fishing vessel, and a merchant ship.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources for this episode include:

"Joyita: Solving the Mystery" by D. G. Wright, 2002

"MV Joyita: The Ghost Ship That Couldn't Sink" by B. Dimri for Historic Mysteries, 2022

"25 People Got Lost At Sea; The Ship Was Found, But The People Weren't", by C. Leigh for Medium, 2018

Bessie Coleman and the Barnstormers of the 1920's (Episode 76) Sep 19, 2022

Come join us in the friendly skies, where danger is a constant co-pilot and daredevils risked their lives to entertain the onlookers below. We're going to talk about the 13 Black Cats flying troupe, Gladys Ingle's amazing "mid-air wheel replacement" stunt, and the incredible life of Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman to get a pilot's license, along with barnstorming stunts and safety equipment (or lack thereof).

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources:

William J. Powell - Black Wings, published 1934

Doris Rich - Queen Bess: Daredevil Aviator, published 1993

The 13 Flying Black Cats

The Gladys Ingle Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oAzdbd0J2A

The 1937 Hindenburg Disaster (Episode 75) Sep 12, 2022

On a rainy May evening in 1937, thousands of spectators gathered at the Lakehurst, New Jersey, airfield to watch the German luxury zeppelin 'Hindenburg' land. Instead of the landing, however, they were shocked to see the massive airship catch fire and burn to the ground in a minute and a half.

On this episode, we're discussing airships and airship travel; hydrogen vs. helium; how the crash was documented; and the Hindenburg's short life and last voyage.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources for this episode include:

"Scenes from Hell - Herb Morrison and the Hindenburg Disaster", digital exhibit by the National Archives, n.d.

"What Really Sparked the Hindenburg Disaster", J. Stromberg for Smithsonian Magazine, 2012

"LZ-129 Hindenburg" page on Airships.net, n.d.

The 1958 Wintle V Nye Decision (Episode 74) Sep 05, 2022

On its surface, it's a complicated legal case that took an appeal all the way to the House of Lords to settle. In reality, it's what happens when you attempt to swindle the relative of Lt. Colonel Alfred Daniel Wintle MC - a man who lived an utterly remarkable life and wasn't about to lose this last battle. Come join us for a discussion about a complicated military career, a case that changed the British legal system, and pants!

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources for this episode:

The last Englishman: An autobiography of Lieut.-Col. Alfred Daniel Wintle, M.C. (1st the Royal Dragoons)

The last Englishman - the unbelievable wartime exploits of AD Wintle by Sky History

Foreign News: Here Is an Englishman from Time Magazine, Monday, Aug. 08, 1955

Wintle v Nye: HL 1959

Judgement of Wintle V Nye, HL 1958 Nov-Dec

The 1971 'D.B. Cooper' Hijacking (Episode 73) Aug 29, 2022

On the busiest travel day in 1971, a hijacker commandeered Northwest Airlines' Flight 305, as it was en route from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington. Upon landing in Seattle, he got what he'd asked for - four parachutes and $200,000 cash - and when the passengers had disembarked, he ordered the plane on to Mexico. But they'd only been in the air for a few minutes when the hijacker tied the cash to his body, strapped on the parachute, and jumped off the plane, disappearing forever into the dense forest of southeast Washington State.

On this episode, we're talking plane travel, air piracy, flight attending, and of course, the mystery of DB Cooper.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

The official FBI report, which is online at FBI.gov

"The Hunt for D.B. Cooper Continues", by D. Tolentino for MuckRock, 2018

"Diatoms constrain forensic burial timelines: case study with DB Cooper money", by T. G. Kaye & M. Meltzer, Scientific Reports, 2020

The Practice of Baby-Farming, 1860-1910 (Episode 72) Aug 22, 2022

Content Warning: In this episode, we talk about the deliberate murder of infants for profit. Please skip this episode if you'd like to avoid hearing about that subject.

When there's money to be made, there will always be people who will go too far to make it. The practice of "baby farming" - on paper - looks almost like a direct ancestor to adoption agencies or foster care. In reality, it was a way for people to make a lot of money, providing they didn't mind killing infants. It's a horrifying look at a system wherein lack of protection under the law, lack of body autonomy, and lack of option led to inhuman decisions and massive human suffering.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources:

The Baby Farmer (Thames Valley Police Museum)

Regulating sexual behaviour: the 19th century (UK Parliament)

Minutes of Evidence Taken Before The Select Committee on Infant Life Protection Bill

Baby Farming (The Adoption History Project)

"Baby Farming" – a tragedy of Victorian times

Amelia Dyer: The Victorian nurse who strangled babies by Sarah Lee

Victorian baby killer Amelia Dyer evidence found in loft (BBC)

The 1953 Tangiwai Disaster (Episode 71) Aug 15, 2022

On Christmas Eve, 1953, the North Island of New Zealand was settling in for the holiday when the crater lake on top of Mount Ruapehu abruptly gave way. Within minutes, a six-meter-high wall of mud and rocks was barreling down the Wongaehu River valley, where it knocked out half of a railway bridge...just as the evening Wellington-to-Auckland express train was approaching.

On this episode, we're discussing volcanoes, lahars, British / American train terms, railway bridges, Queen Elizabeth's first royal Commonwealth tour, and a truly incredible rescue effort.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources for this episode include:

The official Ministry of Transportation Inquiry into the Tangiwai Disaster, 1954

"Tangiwai Railway Disaster 1953", a digital collection from Christchurch City Libraries, 2012

“Tangiwai Disaster”, a digital collection from NZ History

The 1988 Piper Alpha Explosion (Episode 70) Aug 08, 2022

Come join us for the day the ocean caught fire. A simple, tiny mistake meant death for over a hundred and sixty people when the Piper Alpha oil rig in the North Sea of Scotland became engulfed in flames. We'll talk about the events of the day, how the safety protocols failed, and how the chain of events likely unfolded.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources:

Piper Alpha: The Disaster in Detail by Fiona Macleod et al.

Piper Alpha: The world’s deadliest offshore oil disaster

Piper Alpha - a timeline of the world's worst offshore disaster by Thomas Durham

July 6, 1988: The Piper Alpha Disaster

The 1988 Piper Alpha explosion

The 1979 Three Mile Island Meltdown (Episode 69) Aug 02, 2022

In March of 1979, the worst accident of the American nuclear power industry occurred inside the reactor of TMI 2, a brand-new power plant just outside Middletown, Pennsylvania. The operators knew immediately that the plant had to be shut down, due to leaking radiation, but it wasn't until years later that they - and the public - realized just how close they'd come to a full-scale disaster.

On this episode, we're getting into nuclear power in America, along with the energy crisis of the 1970s, an unusually well-informed President, hydrogen bubbles, airborne radioactivity, and exactly how much radiation the residents of central Pennsylvania might have been exposed to over the last week of March, 1979.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Main sources for this episode include:

"Three Mile Island: The Inside Story", digital exhibit at the National Museum of American History, 2004

"Three Mile Island Accident" by C. Douglas for Backgrounder, 2022

The Tsavo Lion Attacks of 1898 (Episode 68) Jul 25, 2022

In 1898, an ambitious railway project intended to connect Kenya and Uganda to the coast ran into trouble when construction hit the Tsavo River valley in Kenya. There, two of the local lions - both oversized, fearless, and very smart - spent nine months terrorizing the labor camps with nighttime attacks, killing between 35 and 135 laborers and injuring dozens more.

On this episode, we're discussing those lions, aka The Tsavo Man-Eaters, aka The Ghost and The Darkness. We'll get into how they behaved, attacked, escaped, and were ultimately hunted down by the project's construction manager, J. H. Patterson (who narrowly escaped being eaten himself).

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources:

"The Man Eaters of Tsavo and Other East African Adventures" by J. H. Patterson, 1919

"Tsavo Man Eaters" by A. Black for Atlas Obscura, 2012

"Tsavo Lions: Were bad teeth to blame for these man-eaters’ taste for humans?" Staff writer for the Field Museum blog, 2018

"Man-Eaters of Tsavo", by P. Raffaele for Smithsonian Magazine, 2010

"A Cultural Leap at the Dawn of Humanity" by E. Yong for The Atlantic, 2018

The 1990 Gardner Museum Heist (Episode 67) Jul 18, 2022

On St. Patrick's Day weekend in 1990, two thieves disguised as police officers broke into Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and stole 13 works of art, ranging from a Vermeer masterpiece to a decorative eagle. By dawn the next morning, the thieves and the art had vanished, and clues were few and far between. In the thirty-odd years since the theft, not one piece has been recovered, despite a $10 million reward.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.⁠

Sources include:

"The Gardner Heist" by U. Boser, 2009

"This Is a Robbery: The World's Greatest Art Heist", Netflix documentary, 2021

"About Isabella and her Museum", staff writer for ISGM, n.d.

"Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924)", by B. H. Smith for Boston Women’s Heritage Trail, n.d.

"25 Years After Gardner Museum Heist, Video Raises Questions" by T. Mashberg for the New York Times, 2015

"Milton art thief Myles Connor steals scenes in Netflix doc on Gardner museum heist", by D. Barbuto for The Patriot Ledger, 2021

"What to Know About the Gardner Museum Heist", by N. McGreevy for Smithsonian Magazine, 2021

The Beast of Gévaudan (Episode 66) Jul 11, 2022

In the late 1760s, rural France was terrorized by a beast. Appearing suddenly out of the rocky, forested hills of Gévaudan province, it would seize a victim and disappear, leaving only blood and mangled bodies behind. With an estimated victim count of at least 60, mostly small children, the Beast of Gévaudan was certainly real; but what exactly was it?

On this episode, we're talking wolves, dogs, and wolf-dogs, along with hyenas, lions, politics, hunting, King Louis XV, and religious fervor in pre-Revolution France.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast.

Sources:

"When the Beast of Gévaudan Terrorized France" by L. Boissoneault for Smithsonian, 2017

"How The Beast Of Gévaudan Turned The Idyllic French Countryside Into A Place Of Unprecedented Slaughter", by K.Fraga for All That's Interesting, 2021

"The Real Story of the Beast of Gévaudan", by A. Johnson for Museum Hack, 2019

"The Beast of Gevaudan: Hunting the Monster of 18th Century France", by M-M. Renauld for The Collector, 2022

"Solving the Mystery of the 18th-Century Killer “Beast of Gévaudan”" by K-H. Taake for National Geographic Newsroom, 2016

"The Marin Report - Minutes written by Master Etienne Marin, Royal Notary of Langeac", by E. Marin, 1767 (in French)

"Marie-Jeanne Valet vs. the Beast of Gevaudan" by A. Black for Complete France, 2013

"Sherlock Holmes and the Beast of Gevaudan" by C. Andrews for History, 2013

"How An Ancient Volcano Helped A Man-Eating Wolf Terrorize 18th Century France" by D. Bresson for Forbes, 2017

The 1883 Eruption of Krakatoa (Episode 65) Jul 04, 2022

In the summer of 1883, the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra were rocked by a volcanic eruption more destructive than any other in recorded human history. When the tiny, uninhabited island of Krakatoa erupted, it sent a plume of ash and gas 17 miles into the sky, created a 2,500-foot-tall pyroclastic cloud, and wiped out settlements thirty miles away with a series of deadly tsunamis. The eruption was so loud it was heard 5,000 miles away, and it sent so much debris into the atmosphere that it created a four-year-long global volcanic winter.

On this episode, we're talking plate tectonics, the Dutch East Indies, disaster reporting, the B-52s, and the unsettling behavior of Krakatoa's current incarnation, Anak Krakatau.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded", by S. Winchester, 2003

"The Eruption of Krakatoa (also known as Krakatau) in 1883” by M. R. Morgan for BRANCH: Britain, Representation and Nineteenth-Century History, 2013

"Krakatau: The loudest sound in recorded history", by B. B. Johnson and D. Russell for WBUR's Endless Thread, 2022

"Krakatoa: Devastating Explosion", episode of How the Earth Was Made (S1, E3), produced for the History Channel, 2009

The Ottawa Sewer Explosions of 1929 & 1931 (Episode 64) Jun 27, 2022

In the first quarter of the twentieth century, the city engineers of Ottowa, Ontario, designed a sewer line that was so full of combustible material and so poorly ventilated it blew up twice, causing injuries and property damage each time.

This week, we're talking 'dark waterfalls' (so much worse than it sounds), exploding streets, DIY water piping, service station waste, natural gas on the loose, and dangerous laundry habits.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

"The Ottawa Sewer Explosions", by J. Powell for the Historical Society of Ottawa, n.d.

"May 29, 1929: The day that manhole covers rained down on Ottawa" by B. Deachman for the Ottawa Citizen newspaper, 2018

"The Ottawa Sewer Explosions", by staff writer, Sandy Hill History blog, n.d.

"The Good Sewer: Why Ottawa’s $232-million sewage storage tunnel is both an engineering marvel and an act of contrition" by A. Duffy for the Ottawa Citizen, 2020

The 1969 Stonewall Inn Riot (Episode 63) Jun 21, 2022

On a hot June night in 1969, the New York police raided a gay club called the Stonewall Inn. They planned to seize some under-the-counter liquor, arrest some 'loiterers', and and close down the club for a day or so. Instead, they became the catalyst for a riot that lasted for six days and sparked a massive movement towards equality for LGBTQ+ Americans.

On this episode, we're talking Joseph McCarthy, sodomy and loitering laws, the Mattachine Society's 'sip-in' protest, the Mafia, Marsha P Johnson, and what we celebrate when we celebrate Pride Month. (And happy Pride from us both!)

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"Remembering Stonewall", produced by D. Isay for NPR / All Things Considered, 1989

"Why Sodomy Laws Matter", by staff writer, ACLU.Com, n.d.

"The Stonewall Riots: A Documentary History", by M. Stein, 2019

"Behind the Halloween Mask: Power, Identity, and the Law in New York", by J. Gutierrez for New York Historical Society, 2020

"Stonewall Inn and Christopher Park" page, NYC LGBT History Sites

"Articles That Sparked a Final Night of Rioting", by various for the Village Voice, 1969

"Milestones in the American Gay Rights Movement" by staff writer, WGBH / PBS, 2015

"Life Story: Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992): Transgender Activist" by staff writer, Women and the American Story / New York Historical Society, n.d.

"Seymour Pine Dies at 91; Led Raid on Stonewall Inn" by D. Hevesi for the New York Times, 2010

The K-Pg Extinction Event of 66 MYA (Episode 62) Jun 13, 2022

It's our most dramatic disaster ever this week, as we take a look back in time to explain what happens when an 10-kilometer-wide asteroid hits a planet with life on it. In short: the dinosaurs perish, an ice age follows global forest fires, and the air quality hit an all-time low for ten years straight. On the other hand, after the impact, mammals had the perfect conditions to become bigger and brainier, sharks survived quite nicely, and plant and insect life diversified and flourished.

On this episode we're talking asteroids, glitter, impact craters, dueling geologists, and why fur was THE fashion accessory for Fimbulwinter.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Primary Sources for this episode include:

"Extraterrestrial Cause for the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction" by Luis Alvarez, Walter Alvarez, Frank Asaro, Helen V. Michel

Science Magazine Volume 208 Number 4448, 6 June 1980, pg. 1095-1108

"The Chicxulub Asteroid Impact and Mass Extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary" by Peter Schulte, et. al.

The 1920 Collapse of Charles Ponzi's Scheme (Episode 61) Jun 06, 2022

In 1903, a young Italian man emigrated to America in hopes of finding work, love, and money. Over the following thirty years, Charles Ponzi would work dozens of jobs, form several companies, marry a very nice stenographer, and become an important (and notorious) member of the immigrant Italian-American communities he landed in.

On this episode, we're taking a deep dive into Ponzi's background and the dozens of smaller scams that informed the financial scheme he's best known for - the wild success and inevitable collapse of his Securities and Exchange Company, a fraud which caused the collapse of six banks and removed 20 million dollars from the local economy.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this article include:

"Charles Ponzi - Biography (1882–1949)", Staff writer, Biography.Com, 2014

"In Ponzi We Trust", by M. Darby for Smithsonian Magazine, 1998

"The Rise of Mr. Ponzi", by C. Ponzi, 1935

"Charles Ponzi, The Financial Idiot Who Drove Boston Money Mad in 1920", Staff writer, New England Historical Society, 2021

The Astor Place Riot of 1849 (Episode 60) May 23, 2022

On May 10, 1849, wealthy New Yorkers set out for a night at the Astor Place Opera House to enjoy English actor William Macready's performance in "Macbeth". A few streets away, however, fans of rival American actor Edwin Forrest were preparing to 'express their opinion' at the urging of inflammatory press pieces and Tammany Hall. Before the night was out, Astor Place would be the scene of chaos, rioting, and the deaths and injuries of dozens of New Yorkers, police, and soldiers.

On this episode, we're discussing theater hooliganism, William Shakespeare, English vs. American acting styles, and how the New York State militia came to be firing cannons at unarmed American citizens in the middle of Manhattan.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

"Account of the terrific and fatal riot at the New-York Astor Place Opera House, on the night of May 10th, 1849; with the quarrels of Forrest and Macready, including all the causes which led to that awful tragedy! Wherein an infuriated mob was quelled by the public authorities and military, with its mournful termination in the sudden death or mutilation of more than fifty citizens, with full and authentic particulars" by H.M. Ranney, 1849

"Remembering New York City's Opera Riots", S. Simon (host), Weekend Edition, 2006

"When New York City Rioted Over Hamlet Being Too British", by B. G. Kellem for Smithsonian Magazine, 2017

The 1904 Wreck of the Paddle Steamer General Slocum (Episode 59) May 16, 2022

On a sunny June day in 1904, well over a thousand German-American residents of Manhattan set out for a picnic and river cruise aboard the stately P.S. General Slocum. Fourteen years old, freshly painted and polished, and enjoying a reputation as one of New York's largest and most comfortable excursion steamships, the General Slocum was also a master class in maritime safety violations, with lifeboats that couldn't be launched, life preservers that couldn't float, and a fire suppression system that relied on rotten hoses and an untrained crew. Two hours after her launch that day, the vast majority of her passengers would be dead; the remainder would spend years trying to come to terms with New York's worst maritime disaster.

On this episode, we're discussing fake safety inspections, imaginary fire drills, what makes cork float, swimming in Hell Gate, life in New York City's Little Germany, and some theories on why some disasters are remembered far longer than others.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

New York’s Awful Steamboat Horror, HD Northrup, 1905

The General Slocum, by J. Kalafus for Gare Maritime, 2007

"The General Slocum Disaster of June 15, 1904", by V Wingfield for the New York Public Library Blog, 2011

"Thousands Sob as Baby Unveils Slocum Statue" NY Times, 1905

“Fearful Visitation, The Steamship Fire of the General Slocum, 1904” documentary by PBS, 2004

Two Arctic Ghost Ships, the HMS Terror and the SS Baychimo (Episode 58) May 09, 2022

It's an Arctic Ghost Ship Double-Header! First up is the HMS Terror, which carried Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition all the way to King William Island in the very far north of Nunavut, Canada, before freezing into the pack ice and being abandoned; and in the second half, we've got the SS Baychimo, a cargo freighter lost in pack ice off the coast of Alaska in 1931. Although they were abandoned at either end of the Arctic and nearly a century apart, both the Terror and the Baychimo were repeatedly spotted - and in some cases, boarded - by locals multiple times before disappearing again.

On this episode, we're talking about how interesting the Arctic Ocean is, why so many people died looking for the Northwest Passage, pack ice fun facts, and whether kraken have bathtub toys. Put on your winter gear, pop those drinks in a cooler, and get your icebreakers ready - it's going to be a chilly one.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

"HMS Terror and Erebus", Royal Museums of Greenwich website

"Arctic shipwreck 'frozen in time' astounds archaeologists" by R Smith for National Geographic, 2019

"Ship found in Arctic 168 years after doomed Northwest Passage attempt" by P Watson for The Guardian, 2016

"Arctic 'ghost ship' found -- Sir John Franklin's doomed HMS Terror" by B Jones for CNN.com, 2016

"Baychimo: Arctic Ghost Ship" by A Dalton, 2006

"SS Baychimo: the Ghost Ship that sailed alone for 38 years and disappeared…", staff writer for Random Times, 2018

"Rediscovering the S.S. Baychimo at the UA Museum of the North" University of Alaska Museum of the North webpage, 2016

"No traces found today of SS Baychimo, the “Ghost Ship of the Arctic” that roamed the seas unmanned for decades" by M Chalakoski for The Vintage News, 2018

Disco Demolition Night (Episode 57) May 02, 2022

On a hot July evening in 1979, thousands of Chicagoans gathered in Comisky Park for a double-header between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. After a lackluster season, White Sox owner Bill Veeck was hoping to fill seats with a promotion called "Disco Demolition Night", in which spectators could get a discount ticket if they brought a disco record to be blown up by local radio celebrity Steve Dahl.

On this all-American episode, we're discussing the national game (baseball) and the national music (rock 'n roll, baby), along with riot police, disco, explosions, radio talk shows, blow-dried hairdos and one very pissed-off radio DJ.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"Disco Demolition Night" by A. Behrens for ESPN Chicago, 2004

“When Fans Wanted to Rock,the Baseball Stopped: Sports, Promotions, and the Demolition of Disco on Chicago’s South Side" by C. J. Young for The Baseball Research Journal, 2009

"The Death of Disco Did Not Take Place: Disco Demolition Night and The Rhetorical Destruction of Disco" by J. Williams for the Richard Macksey Journal, 2021

“Disco Demolition 25th Anniversary: The Real Story", 2000

"Disco Demolition Night was Not Racist, Not Anti-Gay" by S Dahl for Medium, 2016

"Disco Demolition: The Night They Tried to Crush Black Music" by A. Petridis for the Guardian, 2019

The Demon Core Incidents of 1945-1946 (Episode 56) Apr 25, 2022

Who knew that a ball of plutonium could be dangerous? We were surprised too!

At the end of World War II, the United States' Manhattan Project was left with an extra plutonium core, intended for an atomic bomb that was never built. What does one do with a subcritical ball of plutonium? Experiment, of course. At Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico, scientists and physicists performed a number of criticality studies and tried out various neutron reflector materials on "Rufus".

On this episode, we're discussing the Los Alamos Laboratory, proper use of a flathead screwdriver, lab cowboys, the strengths and flaws of Rufus: The Demon Core, and the two tragic and preventable deaths associated with Rufus. As a special bonus, Greg drops the worst pun that Ella's ever heard.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

"The Demon Core and the Strange Death of Louis Slotin" by A Wellerstein for the New Yorker, 2016

"The Third Core's Revenge" by A Wellerstein for Restricted Data: The Nuclear Secrecy Blog, 2013

"The Blue Flash" by A Wellerstein for Restricted Data: The Nuclear Secrecy Blog, 2016

The Peel Island Lazaret (Episode 55) Apr 18, 2022

This week it's a public health special on a topic you probably don't need to worry too much about: leprosy. Today it's treated with a three-drug cocktail, but in 1892 Queensland, Australia, it was so feared that the government made Peel Island, off the cost of Brisbane, into a leper colony. Here, sufferers from across the state would be housed, treated, and kept isolated from the general population until they died. Of course, from the moment the first patients arrived ... nothing went smoothly.

On this episode, we're getting into healthcare architecture, uninhabited islands, Hansen's Disease, some incredibly racist public health policies, dueling pianos, and why you shouldn't inject gold into your bloodstream.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Main sources for this episode include:

“Isolation and Segregation: An Intercultural Analysis of the Peel Island Lazaret” by Juckes, Greenop, and Jarzab, 2013

“Peel Island: Paradise or Prison?” by P Ludlow, 1999

"Peel Island Lazaret" CyArk Project, 2017

"'Intended solely for their greater comfort and happiness': Historical archaeology, paternalism and the Peel Island Lazaret", by J M Prangnell, 1999

The Donora Smog of 1948 (Episode 54) Apr 11, 2022

We just can't seem to stay away from the beautiful (and dangerous) state of Pennsylvania! Today we're visiting a town called Donora, where in October of 1848 the weather and the local zinc factory combined to create a blanket of yellow smog that lay over the town for five full days. Unfortunately for the citizens of Donora, this particular smog wasn't just smelly and impossible to drive in, but loaded with poisonous fluorine. 20 people died in the event, and an estimated 6,000 residents were injured before heavy rains were able to clear the air.

On this episode, we're talking about temperature inversions, Acts of God, the surface of Venus, a cornucopia of lawsuits, and why your fog should never be yellow and opaque.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"1948 Donora Smog", Wikipedia, last updated 2022

"A Darkness in Donora", E Kiester Jr. for Smithsonian Magazine, 1999

"Museum Remembers Donora's Deadly 1948 Smog" D Hopey for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2008

"When smoke ran like water: tales of environmental deception and the battle against pollution" D Davis, 2002

"The Deadly Donora Smog of 1948 Spurred Environmental Protection - But Have We Forgotten The Lesson?" L Boissoneault for Smithsonian Magazine, 2018

The Jersey Devil Attacks of 1945 (Episode 53) Apr 01, 2022

In the summer of 1945, as World War II was drawing to a close, a number of unusual animal attacks occurred in and around the town of Erehwon, New Jersey, on the American east coast. Miles away from their nesting ground in the Pine Barrens wilderness, a pair of Jersey Devils were spotted circling a playground, 'befouling' a public library, burning down a barn, scaring campers, and, in the most serious incident, attacking and carrying away a 10-year-old child.

On our annual Special Episode, we're talking about the rare North American amphibian 'Ineptias mendax' - commonly known as the Jersey Devil. We'll get into their unique biology, life cycle, diet (NOT known to include human children) and habits, as well as a full explanation of the events of 1945. And of course we'll sidebar on the Hermit of Erehwon, the 1909 sightings, two exercises in creative taxidermy, the history of Smith's Bird Farm, the Jersey Devil Gingerbread Men, and - why not?- the invention of snake oil.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"My Time in the Barrens", M. Morrison, 2001 (reprint)

"Into the Lair of the Jersey Devil", M. Morrison, P. Smith for the National Geographic Magazine, 1975

"Pine Barrens Secrets: What we still don’t know about the Jersey Devil", M. Morrison, P. Smith for the National Geographic Magazine, 1979

Smith Family Papers Collection and Nemo and Burlington County Newspapers Collection, Nemo County (NJ) Historical Society, 1860-1995

"1945 Attacks: Overview", staff writer, FriendsoftheNewJerseyDevil.com, 2019

The American Locust Plague of 1874 (Episode 52) Mar 28, 2022

In the spring of 1874, a plague of locusts descended on the American Midwest in a swarm so vast it blocked the sky for miles before it settled down and beginning to eat...everything. Farmers and homesteaders fought back with blankets, coal tar, and fire, with exactly zero success. By the first frost that autumn, an estimated 120 billion Rocky Mountain Locusts had destroyed hundreds of thousands of square miles of farmland.

On this episode, we're talking grasshoppers vs. locusts, high-protein snacks, an anti-locust fungus, disaster relief, and some pretty incredible hopping muscles.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"Grasshopper Plague of 1874", by staff writer, Kansas Historical Society, 2016

"1874: The Year of the Locust", by C. Lyons for Historynet, 2012

"The Death of the Super Hopper", by J. Lockwood for High Country News, 2003

"Report of the United States Entomological Commission", F. V. Hayden et all, 1878

The Flooding and Drying of the Salton Sea (Episode 51) Mar 21, 2022

In 1905, a backed-up canal on the Colorado River caused a years-long flood into Imperial Valley, California. The resulting deluge of freshwater, along with new advances in canal engineering and agricultural practices, became an important part of southern California's economy, allowing the land to provide fresh produce and meat to much of the Southwestern United States. The flood also created an enormous lake at the lowest point of the valley. For a long time, all was well - the valley produced huge yields of fresh food, and the "Salton Riveria" became a popular vacation spot for families from Los Angeles and San Diego.

In the 1970s, however, scientists began warning that all was not well with the Salton Sea's ecology, and by the 2010s, their worst predictions were coming true. Runoff from the farms and feedlots, plus a hotter, drier climate, caused fish to die off, birds to stop visiting, and vacationers to go elsewhere. Even worse, the exposed lakebed was filling the air with toxic dust, creating an array of public health issues in Imperial Valley's residents. On this episode, we're getting into environmental disaster, pollution, freshwater fish die-offs, outsider art, cleaning costs, and how electric cars might just save the day.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"Toxic Dust From a Dying California Lake", C. Iovenko for the Atlantic, 2015

"Salt Dreams, Land and Water in Southern California", by W. deBuys, 1999

Bombay Bech Biennale (ongoing)

"The Salton Sea", Pacific Institute / UC Riverside (ongoing)

"Mining At The Salton Sea: Area Set To Become A Massive Lithium Source In The US", by Staff Writer for Planet Voice, 2021

"Miracle in the Desert - Salton City" video, 1968

The 1967 Collapse of the Silver Bridge (Episode 50) Mar 14, 2022

On the December 15 evening rush hour in 1967, traffic was heavy on the Silver Bridge, a 40-year-old suspension bridge connecting the states of Ohio and West Virginia. When a single link broke on the bridge's suspension system, none of those drivers had time to react - and within 20 seconds, dozens of cars and trucks had toppled into the icy Ohio River as the bridge collapsed. 64 people fell in the river, and 46 of them died, in the deadliest bridge failure in US history.

On this episode, we're talking suspension bridge design - the good, the bad, and the non-redundant -, the cause of that little crack in Eyebar 330, why bridge inspections had failed to catch an issues, and some incredible stories from the survivors. And, of course, we're discussing Mothman, who is (sadly) less of a cryptid / urban legend, and more of a blatant cash grab.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

The Silver Bridge at WV.Gov

The deadliest bridge disaster in US history was caused by a tiny crack just three millimeters deep by Matt Reimann for Timeline, 2017

Silver Bridge Collapse, staff writer for Corrosion Doctors, 2022

The 1889 Johnstown Flood (Episode 49) Mar 07, 2022

In the late spring of 1889, southern Pennsylvania's South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club was gearing up for another summer of luxurious hiking, boating, and swimming, when an unexpected rainstorm dropped 10 inches of water on their pristine mountain getaway. The resulting rise in the club's lake, Lake Conemaugh, spelled disaster for the dam holding it back. And with the failure of the dam came the horrific flood in the valley below, a flood which took out railroad bridges, knocked over factories, tore houses off their foundations, and wiped out downtown Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in less than an hour.

In this episode, we're getting into the details of what that flood looked like to eyewitnesses; why the dam broke; the Carnegie libraries (it's relevant!!), the astonishing amount of money in the steel industry, and what exactly the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club was doing up there in the Alleghany Mountains.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Main sources for this episode include:

Charles Guggenheim's documentary "The Johnstown Flood", 1898

"How Andrew Carnegie Built the Architecture of American Literacy", by K. Capps, Bloomberg City Lab, 2014

"A history of Johnstown and the great flood of 1889: a study of disaster and rehabilitation" by N D Shappee, 1940

"Through the Johnstown Flood" by D J Beale, 1890

Eddie the Eagle and the 1988 Winter Olympics (Episode 48) Feb 28, 2022

In the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, a British ski jumper named Michael Edwards competed with enthusiasm, sportsmanship, and optimism. It had been a lifelong dream to compete in the Olympics, and he made the most of it, soaring to ... dead last in every event in which he competed. On this episode, the story of "Eddie the Eagle", skiing in England (it's harder than you think!), Olympic glory, Finnish pop music, and the joy of achieving your dreams and finding your niche.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

Eddie the Eagle: From scavenging bins and living in a mental asylum to working at Glenshee by Gayle Ritchie

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/past-times/1886605/eddie-the-eagle-from-scavenging-bins-and-living-in-a-mental-asylum-to-working-at-glenshee/

Flying High by Stuart Jeffries

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/sep/03/sport.athletics

http://eddie-the-eagle.co.uk/

The 1902 Mt. Pelée Eruption (Episode 47) Feb 21, 2022

In the spring of 1902, Mt Pelée, a volcano on the Caribbean island of Martinique, began behaving a little strangely. First, there was the overwhelming stink of sulphur. Then, steam eruptions became visible, and ash began to fall. Next were snake attacks, mudslides, flash floods, tsunamis, and smallpox. At the foot of the volcano, in the town of St Pierre, people were torn between evacuation ... and voting in the upcoming election, in which Progressive and Radical candidates were facing off for a seat in French Parliament. On this episode, we're getting into why politics and volcanoes should never mix.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

“The Day the World Ended” by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts, 1969

"The Eruption of Mt. Pelee", San Diego State University geology department, 2001

"Benchmarks: May 8, 1902: The deadly eruption of Mount Pelée" by J. Rosen for Earth Magazine, 2015

"The Unlucky Consul: Thomas Prentis and the 1902 Martinique Disaster" by W. Bent for American Foreign Service Association Journal, 2020

The 1992 "Hot Coffee" Lawsuit (Liebeck vs. McDonald's Restaurants) (Episode 46) Feb 14, 2022

On a chilly February morning in 1992, 79-year-old Stella Liebeck ordered a 49-cent cup of hot coffee from a McDonald's drive-through. When she opened the top to add cream and sugar, the flimsy cup spilled 190-degree coffee into her lap, resulting in excruciatingly painful 3rd degree burns.

Mrs. Liebeck sued for gross negligence, asking McDonald's to improve their cups, lower the temperature of their dangerously hot coffee, and pay her $20,000 worth of medical bills; McDonald's countered with...$800. After a week-long trial, the jury found McDonald's responsible and awarded Mrs. Liebeck two days' worth of the fast-food giant's coffee sales, a sum of $2.7 million. No, the Golden Arches never paid her the full sum, and the press had a field day with "Woman Spills Hot Coffee, Wins Millions" stories.

On this highly caffeinated episode, we're looking into coffee safety, burn lawsuits, tort reform, and how hot you should really be drinking your morning beverage.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode:

The McDonald’s Hot Coffee Case from Consumer Attorneys of California

McDonalds' Hot Coffee Case - Read the Facts NOT the Fiction

Liebeck v. McDonald’s: The Hot Coffee Case by Allison Torres Burtka

The Truth Behind the Infamous McDonald’s Hot Coffee Case by A.J. Serafini

And Now, The Rest of the Story by Kevin G. Cain

Stella Liebeck vs. McDonald’s Restaurants by Elizabeth Gam

The 1955 Le Mans Crash (Episode 45) Feb 07, 2022

The Le Mans 24, one of auto racing's oldest and most dangerous endurance races, has seen its share of fatal accidents over the past 100 years. That's thanks to mixed surfaces, sharp corners and curves, unpredictable weather, and very, very fast driving for hours at a time. Spectators at Le Mans expect to see the cutting edge of automotive technology from all the major European carmakers PLUS expert driving skills, and most years they get exactly that.

In the 1955 race, however, the delicate balance of speed, skill, and conditions failed, causing a single-car crash that snowballed into the worst accident in motorsports history. On this episode, we're looking at the history of the race, the quirks of the course, and what exactly happened the evening of June 11, 1955.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"THE TRAGEDY AT LE MANS", by B. Newman for Sports Illustrated, 1986

"Le Mans 1955: the disaster that changed motorsport forever", by B. Goodhart for GQ, 2020

"On Auto Racing’s Deadliest Day", by B. Spurgeon for the NY Times, 2015

"Le Mans 1955", short film by Q. Baillieux, 2018

"Everything You Need to Know about the 24 Hours of Le Mans Race" by R. Ceppos for Car and Driver, 2021

The 1985 Death of Cocaine Bear (Episode 44) Jan 31, 2022

In this episode, we're tackling one of the great wildlife stories of all time: Cocaine Bear. We'll get into the finer points of drug laws, a quick history of cocaine (a key ingredient in both shampoo and children's medicines!), the socioeconomic ramifications of Reagan's "War on Drugs", and the adrenaline-seeking hi-jinks of Drew Thornton II. But the real star of our story is the 175-pound black bear who stumbled upon a duffel bag of cocaine in the Georgia wilderness and ... ate it.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

Drew Thornton's Last Adventure by Sally Ann Denton for the Washington Post, October 20 1985

The Bluegrass Conspiracy: An Inside Story of Power Greed, Drugs and Murder, also by Sally Denton

Cocaine's Skydiving Smugglers by John S. Demott, Time Magazine, October 1985

Meet Our New Mascot: Cocaine Bear by Coleman Larkin, August 19 2015

The True Story Behind ‘Cocaine Bear’ by EJ Dickson for Rolling Stone

Cocaine Research: What is the Scope of Cocaine Usage in the United States

The 1872 Mystery of the Mary Celeste (Episode 43) Jan 24, 2022

In December 1872, the American brigantine 'Mary Celeste' was found drifting hundreds of miles off the coast of Portugal - with not a living soul aboard, and no sign whatsoever of what had caused her crew and passengers to abandon ship. On this episode, we cover Mary Celeste's history of bad vibes all the way from her maiden voyage (where the captain died) to her final sinking (where the captain was convicted of insurance fraud). We'll also talk about who was aboard in 1872, what they were carrying, and the High Court of Gibraltar's investigation into the incident. And along the way we'll get into sea monsters, pirates, salvage law, Arthur Conan Doyle, and why you should never keep your explosive liquids in red oak barrels.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"Mary Celeste: What Actually Happened Aboard The Notorious Ghost Ship" by J. Kuroski, All That's Interesting, 2021

"Abandoned Ship: The Mary Celeste", by J. Blumberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 2007

MaryCeleste.Net

"Solved: The Mystery of the Mary Celeste", by A. Lee, The Express, 2006

"The Mary Celeste", by Brian Freemantle, 1999 (fiction)

The 27 BCE Roman Invasion of Kush (Episode 42) Jan 17, 2022

Strap on your sandals and join us for a trip to the Nubian kingdom of Kush, where, in 27 BCE, the rapidly expanding Roman Empire bit off slightly more than it could chew. This isn't a story of legions marching into battle - instead, this is the tale of Queen Amanirenas, the one-eyed warrior queen who stopped the might of the Roman war machine with courage, strategy, and a handful of golden arrows. On this episode, we're getting into archery vs. siege engines, matrilinear lines of succession, The Candaces, and why an amazingly preserved bust of Cesar Augustus (glass eyes and all!) was buried underneath the front steps of a Kushite temple.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

The One-Eyed African Queen Who Defeated the Roman Empire by Adhiambo Edith Magak

The Land of Nubia by Janice Kamrin and Adela Oppenheim

Kandake Amanirenas from Lisapo Ya Kama African History

Decapitated head of Emperor which amazed archaeologists in Sudan in 1910 goes on display by Ben Miller

The Donner Party Disaster of 1846-1847 (Episode 41) Jan 10, 2022

In the spring of 1846, a group of 90 would-be settlers left Independence, Missouri, for new lives in California. Led by James Reed and George Donner, the group planned to head west by covered wagon as quickly and comfortably as possible, using the Oregon and California trails. But after being delayed by bad directions, a murder trial, an endless desert 'shortcut', and crippling losses, the Donner Party reached the last leg of their journey weeks behind schedule, only to be stopped by an early snowstorm in the Sierra Nevadas. Trapped by below-freezing temperatures and twenty feet of snow, they settled in to try and survive until help arrived, and soon found themselves starving and freezing to death in the most brutal circumstances imaginable. On this episode, we look into the unluckiest road trip in the history of westward expansion, plus a collection of grifters, a very persuasive guidebook, and one of the longest and strangest rescue efforts we've ever come across.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

“Ordeal by Hunger”, by G. R. Stewart, 1936

"The Expedition of the Donner Party and its Tragic Fate", by E. P. D. Houghton

"The Tragic Story of the Donner Party", by L. Radford, 2019

“Diary of Patrick Breen” by P. Breen, 1846-1847

“The Case for Cannibalism” by C. Cassidy, Wired.com, 2021

"Emigrants’ Guide to Oregon and California” by L. W. Hastings, 1845

The Relative Successes of 2021 (Episode 40.5) Dec 14, 2021

It's the end of our first season! To celebrate, we're answering all your invasive and highly personal questions, spilling the tea on what went wrong with our least-favorite episode, bickering over who had the best research finds, and going over suggestions for next year. See you in 2022!

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

Greg's specific and detailed memories of 2021

Ella's vague and questionable recollections of 2021

The 1979 Fall of the Skylab Space Station (Episode 40) Dec 06, 2021

Get a glass of Tang and join us for a lofty episode on America's first space station: Skylab! When NASA launched the project in 1973, it heralded a new era of space exploration and scientific progression - one that was still, unfortunately, subject to the law of gravity. When Skylab's orbit began to fail in 1978, NASA engineers found that they couldn't quite aim it for the ocean the way they'd hoped - and they also couldn't quite predict where the flaming tons of wreckage might crash down. Cue the bookies, Chicken Little parties, 'Skylab Repellant Spray', and a slew of other weirdness ranging from the Miss Universe 1979 Pageant to a littering bill from rural Western Australia that went unpaid for thirty years. Along the way we'll cover the Skylab missions, solar activity, spiders in space, and why Ella worries about space junk falling on her head.

Bonus: dear listeners, it's our fortieth (!) episode and the end of Season One! We'd love to hear your thoughts on the past season and ideas for Season Two - you can email us at relative.disasters@gmail.com or drop us a DM on Instagram @relative.disasters

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

Spacelab: A Chronology/ A Classroom in Space

Chicago Tribune. January 11, 1975 - "Skylab Rocket Debris Falls in Indian Ocean"

Karimnagar: Revisiting the Day Skylab Fell by Puli Sharat Kumar

Balladonia, Skylab crash site in Australia: How a fallen space station caused mayhem in the outback by David Whitley

The Strange Tale of the Skylab's Fall From Orbit by Rebecca J. Rosen

The 1863-1864 Sinkings of the Submarine "H. L. Hunley" (Episode 39) Nov 30, 2021

This week, we're off to Charleston, South Carolina, where at the height of the American Civil War a secret weapon was launched into Charleston Harbor. It wasn't a very good weapon - in fact, it killed three times as many of its own crew members than enemy sailors - but it was an example of cutting-edge wartime technology that wouldn't be attempted again until World War 1. In sinking the Union ship 'Housatonic', the Confedarate ship 'H.L. Hunley' became the world's first successful combat submarine; however, when it failed to surface after this victory, it became a long, weird footnote in naval history, one that's still posing questions today. Join us for a wartime story of privateering, blockades, torpedo boats, cast iron, and some extremely bad luck as we pick apart the story of the builders, crew, and victims of the 'H. L. Hunley'.

Love the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

“The H L Hunley: The Secret Hope of the Confederacy”, by Tom Chaffin, 2010

“Air blast injuries killed the crew of the submarine H.L. Hunley”, by R. Lance et al, Plos One, 2017

“The Amazing (If True) Story of the Submarine Mechanic Who Blew Himself Up Then Surfaced as a Secret Agent for Queen Victoria”, by M. Dash for Smithsonian Magazine, 2014

“The Old South Lives as It Buries a Part of the Past”, by E Barry for the Los Angeles Times, 2004

“In the Waves: My Quest to Solve the Mystery of a Civil War Submarine”, by R. Lance, 2020

Hunley.org

The 1919 Black Sox Scandal (Episode 38) Nov 16, 2021

Hear the crack of the bat, the munching of cracker-jack, and the calls of the (possibly corrupt) umpire as we take you back to the scandalous 1919 World Series of Major League Baseball! On this episode, we invite our dear listeners to meet a cast of excellently-named conspirators, their gambling buddies, their dreams of unimaginable wealth, and what led to their ultimate downfall; and spoiler alert, it's not just unbridled greed. Grab your glove, toss a few pitches, and settle in for the tale of the so-called Black Sox - what actually happened, plus the myths and legends of a truly wild season of America's pasttime.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠.

Sources:

Black Sox in the Courtroom: The Grand Jury, Criminal Trial, and Civil Litigation by Bill Lamb

Notes From The Shadows of Cooperstown by Gene Carney

The Black Sox Scandal by Bill Lamb

Misc. court documents

The 1980 Lake Peigneur Disaster (Episode 37) Nov 11, 2021

On a quiet November morning in 1980, a drilling crew making an exploratory borehole in the middle of Lake Peigneur, Louisiana, ran into a problem: their drillbit got stuck at 12,000 feet down. Although they didn't know it, this would be the first sign of an industrial accident on a massive scale, one that would flood a mine, drain a lake, cause a 150-foot waterfall, set off a geyser, and a begin a natural gas explosion. This week, we invite you to grab a salty snack, make sure your safety drills are up-to-date, and join us for a deep dive (sorry) into the Lake Peigneur disaster.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

“The Jefferson Island Mine Inundation: Report of Mine Innundation, Jefferson Island Mine Inundation, Diamond Crystal Salt Company, New Iberia, Iberia Parish, Louisiana” by M. W. Nichols et al, 1981

“How Can a Lake Vanish in 3 Hours?--Phenomenon Explained (The Lake Peigneur Salt Mine Disaster)”, video by L. Klein, 2020

“Lake Peigneur: The Swirling Vortex of Doom”, by A Bellows for Damn Interesting, 2005

“Lake Peigneur”

“4oth Anniversary of salt mine breach causing Louisiana’s Deepest Lake” staff reporters for KLFY

The Halifax Explosion of 1917 (Episode 36) Nov 02, 2021

On a quiet December morning in 1917, a Norwegian passenger ship was speeding through the Narrows, just outside Nova Scotia's Halifax Harbor, when it collided with a French freighter packed full of TNT, guncotton, and fuel. The resulting explosion flattened most of the harbor-facing district of Halifax, caused a tsunami and a fire, and killed or injured upwards of ten thousand people. On this episode, we're looking at the causes of the accident and explosion, the heroism of the railway workers and firefighters who averted even greater loss of life, the loss of the Mi'kmaq settlement of Turtle Grove and the Black community of Africville, the blizzard that nearly derailed early rescue efforts, and the almost-unimaginable damage to Dartmouth and Richmond neighborhoods. We're also taking a look at the incredible rescue effort put forth by Canadian and American healthcare workers and emergency services, and the story behind the legacy Christmas tree that Nova Scotia continues to send to Boston every holiday season.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

1917 Halifax Explosion and American Response by B. Beed

The Halifax Explosion: Surviving the Blast that Shook a Nation by J. Glasner

The Survivors: The Children of the Halifax Explosion by J. Kitz

Catastrophe and Social Change: Based upon a sociological study of the Halifax Disaster by S. Prince

The story of Turtle Grove by Ava Coulter, Isabel Ruitenbeek and Julia-Simone Rutgers

Tracking Dr. Lonecloud: Showman to Legend Keeper by Ruth Holmes Whitehead

Nova Scotia Archives

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

The 1945 Collapse of Fordlandia (Episode 35) Oct 26, 2021

This week, we're road tripping with Henry Ford's worst idea: a Brazilian rubber plantation the size of New Jersey, where he planned to clear the Amazonian rainforest, grow hundreds of thousands of rubber trees, and introduce the locals to American-style efficiency. Join us for the lowdown on Ford's obsession with efficiency, the ideal 1920s company town, soccer & square dancing, a riot over canned vegetables, and the incredible run of bad luck that plagued the project from its inception onward.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

"Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City" by G. Grandin, 2009

"Henry Ford's short trip in his first vehicle 125 years ago changed our lives forever" by P W Howard for the Detroit Free Press, 2021

"Ford Rubber Plantations in Brazil", digital collection, The Henry Ford.org

"Henry Ford’s Muscle Shoals", by T. O'Donnell for Urban Utopias, 2019

Henry Ford's biography, Ford.com

The 1909 City Government Election of Zion, Illinois (Episode 34) Oct 19, 2021

Grab a handful of Brazil nuts and a glass of buttermilk, and join us for the tale of a knock-down, drag-out election between the dictator of a small town and the citizens who want him and his cronies out of office. The 1909 election in Zion, Illinois should have been a straightforward democratic vote, but it turned into something much, much more. On this episode, we've got it all: voter suppression and oppression, a collection of con artists and their grifts, millions of dollars in stolen and misappropriated funding, Flat Earthers run amok, and how the town of Zion came to have bathtub decency written into their legislation.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

Sources:

"Zion City, Illinois: 20th Century Utopia" by P.L. Cook

"Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture" by G. Wacker

"Flat Earth: The History of an Infamous Idea" by C. Garwood

1909-1910 issues of the Zion City Independent newspaper

1909-1910 issues of the Zion Herald newspaper

1909-1910 issues of the Lake County Independent and Waukeegan Weekly Sun newspaper

(all courtesy of the Illinois Digital Newspapers Collection hosted by the University of Illinois)

Personal interviews

The 1956 Filming of "The Conqueror" (Episode 33) Oct 12, 2021

It’s mushroom clouds over Hollywood in this episode, as we immerse ourselves in the tale of the 1956 making of “The Conqueror”, an 'historical' epic based on the life of Genghis Khan. Produced by Howard Hughes on the largest budget in RKO Studios’ history, the picture starred A-list actors John Wayne and Susan Hayward, and was shot in beautiful Snow Canyon, Utah. That location happened to be right next door to the Nevada Proving Grounds, where an aggressive series of nuclear test detonations was ongoing; but is that really what caused the cancer deaths of a quarter of the cast and crew? Grab your Geiger counter and join us for a closer look into Snow Canyon, Operation Teapot, the magic of CinemaScope, and the production of what is possibly the worst movie ever made.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

“Who Nuked the Duke?” by J W Law, 2014

'Screen: 'The Conqueror'; John Wayne Stars in Oriental 'Western'', A H Weiler for the New York Times, 1956

John Wayne’s 1971 Playboy Interview Transcript

'The Children of John Wayne, Susan Hayward and Dick Powell Fear That Fallout Killed Their Parents', by K G Jackovich and M Sennet for People Magazine, 1980

Nevada Test Site Oral History Project

'Cancer Incidence in an Area of Radioactive Fallout Downwind From the Nevada Test Site' by C J Johnson, as published in JAMA, 1984

'Cancer Mortality and Radioactive Fallout in Southwestern Utah" by S G Machado, et al, as published in American Journal of Epidemiology, 1987

The Black Monday Hailstorm of 1360 (Episode 32) Sep 23, 2021

Come with us back to the Hundred Years' War, with a battle not between opposing armies but against (apparently) God. In the red corner: The English army of Edward the Third! In the blue corner: Lightning, freezing temperatures, 55-MPH winds, and hailstones bigger than your fist! The Black Monday Hailstorm of 1360 caused more deaths and injuries than any previous "battle" in the Hundred Years' War - come sit with us for a bit and find out why and how.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

Sources:

The Chronicle of Jean Froissart

The History of that Most Victorious Monarch Edward III... by Joshua Barnes

The Chronicle of London

The 1956 Wreck of the S.S. Andrea Doria (Episode 31) Sep 13, 2021

The luxury liner SS Andrea Doria made the voyage from Italy to America a hundred times without incident, and earned rave reviews from her wealthy passengers, who loved her modern décor and fabulous food. On her hundred-and-first trip, however, a cascade of poor decisions, design flaws, and bad luck ended in her sinking just off the coast of Massachusetts. On this episode, we take you through one of the worst maritime disasters of the 20th century, and attempt to explain why so many experienced divers are still risking their lives trying to salvage the wreck.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

“The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria", by Greg King and Penny Wilson, 2020

“Setting the Hook: A Diver’s Return to the Andrea Doria” by Peter Hunt, 2011

“Andrea Doria 2020” dive video, 2020

“Down to the Andrea Doria” newsreel, 1956

“New images from submarine show current state of Andrea Doria wreck” by T. Thadani for the Boston Globe, 2016

“Andrea Doria Safe Opened” by M. Kernan for the Washington Post, 1984

“Andrea Doria – Tragedy and Rescue at Sea” collected and maintained by P. Grillo, consulted 2021

Personal correspondence by L. Siness, 1956

“Andrea Doria” page by R. Galino for New Jersey Scuba

“Everest At the Bottom Of the Sea” by B. McMahon for Esquire Magazine, 2000

The Reign of Emperor Norton I, Emperor of the United States, 1859-1880 (Episode 30) Sep 05, 2021

In this episode, we take a look at one man's personal disaster that led to a wonderful figure from American history - Emperor Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico. We'll discuss dogs, congress, a certain bridge, anti-Chinese racism of the mid-1800s, and we'll take a deep dive in to the truth of Norton's life as well as his posthumous mythology!

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

Sources:

The Emperor Norton Trust

http://emperornortontrust.org

Emperor Norton: Historical Essay by Chris Carlsson with Michael Whitson

https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Emperor_Norton

Funeral Fit For a Queen - Bay Area Reporter, 9/12/2013

The Kentucky Cave Wars and the 1925 Death of Floyd Collins (Episode 29) Aug 25, 2021

Down for a vist to the world's largest cave system? In this episode, we look at the discovery and development of what is now known as the Mammoth–Flint Ridge Cave System, in the US state of Kentucky. These days, it's owned by the federal government and overseen by the National Park Service; but a hundred years ago, caverns and entrances to the system, as well as unconnected caves, were owned by private landholders, small corporations, and a railroad. With American tourists eager to visit, competition for their dollars escalated to lawsuits, sabotage, and deceptive-to-untruthful advertising - and rivalries became so intense that the first quarter of the 20th century is known locally as the Cave Wars. This period culminated in the horrific and extremely public death of cave explorer William Floyd Collins, a tragedy that led to improvements in caver safety, a Pulitzer prize for one of his would-be rescuers, and a painfully long and complicated attempt to find a peaceful resting place for his remains.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

“Trapped! (Story of Floyd Collins)”, by R. K. Murray and R. W. Brucker

“The Kentucky Cave Wars” by D. R. Kem, 2016

“The Sucker’s Visit to the Mammoth Cave” by R. S. Thompson, 1879

“Human Chain Helps Loosen Prisoner in Kentucky Cave” staff writer, Associated Press article, 1925

“Tragedy at Sand Cave”, staff writer, NPS.gov

“Mammoth Cave National Park”, website, NPS.gov

The Rapid Decline of Sharks, 1970-Now (Episode 28) Aug 02, 2021

Come join us in the water! On this episode, we explore how sharks are being driven to extinction and why that matters for humanity. We talk about Jaws, Megalodon, amiable sharks, human-left-foot-soup, and which shark Greg would go swimming with! Sit back, relax, and keep an eye on your toaster - that thing's gonna kill you.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

Sources:

Alarming Decline in Shark Populations Points to Need for Stricter Conservation Measures by Rachel Hopkins and KerriLynn Miller

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/03/09/alarming-decline-in-shark-populations-points-to-need-for-stricter-conservation-measures

Shark numbers in 'alarming' worldwide decline as many species face extinction, study says by Doyle Rice

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/01/27/shark-populations-declining-worldwide-study-reports/4279611001/

Sharks at unprecedented risk of extinction after 71 per cent decline by Adam Vaughan

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2265724-sharks-at-unprecedented-risk-of-extinction-after-71-per-cent-decline/

The Staggering Decline of Oceanic Sharks and Rays by David Sims

https://therevelator.org/decline-sharks-rays/

Shark Week Opens With Fake Megalodon Documentary by Rich Juzwiak

https://gawker.com/shark-week-opens-with-fake-megalodon-documentary-1028053485

Discovery Channel defends dramatized shark special 'Megalodon' by Breeana Hare

https://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/07/showbiz/tv/discovery-shark-week-megalodon/

The history of Shark Week: How the Discovery Channel both elevated and degraded sharks by Matt Cohen

https://theweek.com/articles/444542/history-shark-week-how-discovery-channel-both-elevated-degraded-sharks

Shark Slaughter: 73 Million Killed Each Year by Ker Than

https://www.livescience.com/1027-shark-slaughter-73-million-killed-year.html

The Influence of Culture on the International Management of Shark Finning by Andrea Dell'Apa, M. Chad Smith, Mahealani Y. Kaneshiro-Pineiro

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00267-014-0291-1

Sharks and Tunas: Fisheries Impacts on Predators with Contrasting Life Histories by Daniel E. Schindler, Timothy E. Essington, James F. Kitchell, Chris Boggs, Ray Hilborn

https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1890/1051-0761%282002%29012%5B0735%3ASATFIO%5D2.0.CO%3B2

The World Is Running Out of Fish Faster Than We Thought by James Wilt

https://www.vice.com/en/article/gvqmey/global-fish-stocks-are-in-even-worse-shape-than-we-thought

Shark Nets, Drumlines, and Safe Swimming by the Kwazulu-Natal Sharks Board

https://web.archive.org/web/20140128015833/http://www.shark.co.za/SharkNetsMore

Marine "Gold Rush": Demand for shark fin soup drives decimation of fish by Saeed Kamali Deghhan

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/04/marine-gold-rush-demand-shark-fin-soup

Beware of shark meat, FDA warns by Al Hinman

http://edition.cnn.com/HEALTH/indepth.food/meat/seafood/shark.mercury/index.html

Neurotoxins in shark fins: A human health concern from University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120223182516.htm

The Book That Spawned a Monster by Stephen Dowling

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3400291.stm

Shark Trouble by Peter Benchley

Sharks Should Be Respected, Not Feared from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

https://www.fws.gov/news/blog/index.cfm/2020/8/11/Sharks-Should-Be-Respected-Not-Feared

The Biosphere 2 Missions of 1991 and 1993 (Episode 27) Jul 24, 2021

In the early 1990s, a privately funded ecology experiment took place in the Arizona desert. Sealing humans inside with thousands of carefully selected plants, animals, and insects, the Biosphere 2 missions sought to show that people could survive and thrive in a contained ecosystem - if they could just get over the sleep apnea, cockroaches, orange skin, constant hunger, and difficult interpersonal relationships.

On this episode of Relative Disasters: what went right in Biosphere 2? What went terribly wrong? And what does Steve Bannon (yes, THAT Steve Bannon) have to do with any of it?

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

“Pushing Our Limits: Insights from Biosphere 2” by M. Nelson, 2018

“The Human Experiment: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2”, J. Poynter, 2006

"The Lost History of One of the World’s Strangest Science Experiments: The hummingbirds were dying. Cockroaches were everywhere. And then Steve Bannon showed up", C. Zimmer, New York Times, 2019

“Biosphere 2” website, University of Arizona, 2021

“'Bon voyage' 8 Biospherians Begin Journey in Greenhouse”, J. Erickson, Arizona Daily Star, 1991

“Take This Terrarium and Shove It”, M. Cooper, Village Voice, 1991

“Biosphere's image: rise, fall, and rehabilitation”, S. Veggeberg, Metanews, Columbia University, 1995

The 1629 Mutiny/Shipwreck of the "Batavia" (Episode 26) Jul 14, 2021

This episode focuses on the wreck of the ship Batavia off the coast of Australia and the horrific mutiny that followed. Join us for a discussion of stupid plans, intrepid heroes, and what happens when you let a psychopath take charge of a group of people. We'll take a few sidebars into the Dutch East India company, a torturous method of execution, and the moronic reason behind a major change in maritime law. All in all, a fun time for everyone.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

Sources:

BATAVIA (1629): giving voice to the voiceless symposium

Defining Moments: Wreck of the Batavia

"Batavia's Graveyard - The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny" by Mike Dash

"Island of Angry Ghosts: The Story of the Batavia" by H. Edwards

"The First and Last Voyage of the Batavia" by P. Godard

The Peshtigo Fire of 1871 (Episode 25) Jul 07, 2021

In this episode, we look at the events surrounding the Great Peshtigo Fire - the deadliest wildfire in American history. If you’ve never heard of it, that’s probably because it took place the same day as the Great Chicago Fire, on October 8, 1871. Unlike the blaze in Chicago, however, conditions surrounding the Peshtigo fire turned it into a phenomenon known as a firestorm – a debris-laden flaming tornado that swept over the town of Peshtigo and surrounding communities at horrific speeds and temperatures, ultimately killing at least 1500 people (and possibly as many as 2500). We’ll give you some eyewitness accounts, an overview of just how flammable Peshtigo was in 1871, an introduction to the Peshtigo Paradigm, and the rundown on why you never want to use a white pine for a Christmas tree.

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

Sources for this episode include:

“The Wisconsin Fires – Additional Particulars of the Unusual Phenomena Attending Them – Balls of Fire in the Air – Swift March of the Flames”, by staff writer (Milwaukee Sentinel, as printed in NYT), 1871

“The Peshtigo Fire”, by S. Holbrook (The American Scholar), 1944

“Fire at Peshtigo” by Robert W. Wells, 1968

“The Peshtigo Fire, October 8, 1871: Calamity and Response”, by N. Flesch (University of Wisconsin - thesis paper), 2009

“147TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT PESHTIGO FIRE” by T. Baldwin (US Congressional Record) 2018

“Menominee Nation honored for assisting victims of Peshtigo fire”, by K. Vinehaut, 2018

“Remembering the Great Peshtigo Fire of 1871”, by G. Havel, (Fire Engineering), 2007

"Personal Letter to Mary Newberry", by Martha Newberry Coon, 1871

The Great Diamond Hoax of 1872 (Episode 24) Jun 29, 2021

Join us in the somewhat-settled/somewhat-Wild West of the United States for a tale of a diamond mine that doesn't exist, the gleeful embarrassment of some of the biggest names in finance and politics of the late 1800s, and the unlikely twist of fate that exposed the whole scheme. It's an episode where the "hero" leads a double-life and the criminal masterminds settle down for quiet lives. Step behind the uncut stones for the unvarnished truth in this glittering episode of Relative Disasters!

Enjoy the show? Support us on Patreon, at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/RelativeDisastersPodcast⁠⁠.

Sources:

Diamonds in the Salt by Bruce A Woodard

A Hole In the Ground with a Liar at the Top by Dan Plazak

The Explorer King: Adventure, Science, and the Great Diamond Hoax : Clarence King in the Old West by Robert Wilson

American Lives: The "Strange" Tale of Clarence King, NPR

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129250977&t=1624938806853