Great Chicago Fire - time !! ~ ஒழிவிலாக் காலம் உடனாகி மன்னி

A Perumal post on another  hot October day !  - with photos of  Sri Parthasarathi Emperuman  Kodai Uthsavam of 18.7.2015, nothing much has changed in the holy Thiruvallikkeni divyadesam ~ the kainkaryabarars and others seen in the photos look much younger and would certainly feel happier seeing this !!! 

Today, October 8 is the 282^nd  day of the year (281 in other than  leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 84 days remain until the end of the year. Catherine O'Leary died in 1895, of acute pneumonia at her home  - her life changed this day 1871 and for the rest of her life she was constantly   blamed;  she "died heartbroken."  -  Reason !?!? 

Usually the past is recorded in centuries. However, the past is also divided into larger periods of time known as eras, ages or periods. Eras and ages are usually made up of more than one century (one hundred years). When we find out about an age or era, we can learn about what happened at particular time blocks in history, for example the age of the Roman Empire.   

Earth’s beginnings can be traced back 4.5 billion years, but human evolution only counts for a tiny speck of its history. The Prehistoric Period—or when there was human life before records documented human activity—roughly dates from 2.5 million years ago to 1,200 B.C. It is generally categorized in three archaeological periods: the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. From the invention of tools made for hunting to advances in food production and agriculture to early examples of art and religion, this enormous time span—ending roughly 3,200 years ago (dates vary upon region)—was a period of great transformation, according to European historians. 

Time is relevant not only in History but multi-dimensional.  It  is a fundamental concept in physics with several significant roles.  Time allows us to measure and quantify changes in the physical world. Every event or process occurs over a period, and time helps us track these changes. Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity revolutionized our understanding of time. According to relativity, time is not absolute but relative and can vary depending on the speed at which an object is moving and the strength of gravitational fields. This means that time can slow down or speed up depending on some  factors. 

Reading back the timeline, on 8^th Oct 2005, an  earthquake occurred at 08:50:39 Pakistan Standard Time in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, a territory usurped and occupied by Pakistan. It was centred near the city of Muzaffarabad, and also affected nearby Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some areas of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It registered a moment magnitude of 7.6 and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). The earthquake was also felt in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, India and the Xinjiang region. The severity of the damage caused by the earthquake is attributed to severe upthrust. Over 86,000 people died, a similar number were injured, and millions were displaced. It is considered the deadliest earthquake in South Asia, surpassing the 1935 Quetta earthquake. 

More than a century and half ago, this day in 1871 – occurred a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago – recorded as ‘Great Chicago Fire’ killing  approximately 300 people, destroying  roughly 3.3 square miles (9 km2) of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 100,000 residents homeless. A long period of hot, dry, windy conditions, and the wooden construction prevalent in the city, led to the conflagration. The fire leapt the south branch of the Chicago River and destroyed much of central Chicago and then leapt the main stem of the river, consuming the Near North Side.    

The fire's spread was aided by the city's use of wood as the predominant building material in a style called balloon frame. More than two-thirds of the structures in Chicago at the time of the fire were made entirely of wood, with most of the houses and buildings being topped with highly combustible tar or shingle roofs. All of the city's sidewalks and many roads were also made of wood.  Compounding this problem, Chicago received only 1 inch (25 mm) of rain from July 4 to October 9, causing severe drought conditions before the fire, while strong southwest winds helped to carry flying embers toward the heart of the city.  In 1871, the Chicago Fire Department had 185 firefighters with just 17 horse-drawn steam pumpers to protect the entire city.   

For us Srivaishnavaites, no waiting for time or tide – our Acaryar Swami Manavala Mamunigal guides us in his Thiruvaimozhi nootranthathi pasuram : 

ஒழிவிலாக் காலம் உடனாகி மன்னி

வழுவிலா ஆட்செய்ய மாலுக்கு – எழுசிகர

வேங்கடத்துப் பாரித்த மிக்க நலம் சேர் மாறன்

பூங்கழலை நெஞ்சே!  புகழ்

 

நெஞ்சே! உயர்ந்த சிகரங்களையுடைய திருமலையில் எழுந்தருளியிருக்கும் எம்பெருமானுடன் பிரியாமல் இருந்து எல்லாக் காலங்களிலும் குற்றமில்லாத கைங்கர்யங்களைச் செய்ய ஆசைப்பட்டு அதனால் பேரின்பத்தை அடைந்த ஆழ்வாரின் அழகிய திருவடிகளைக் கொண்டாடு. ஆசார்யன் ஸ்வாமி மணவாள மாமுனிகள் - திருவாய்மொழி நூற்றந்தாதி பாசுரம்.  

If you still remember that lady Caterine O'Leary mentioned in 2^nd para – she had the ignominy as it was alleged that fire started in her barn with her cow kicking a lantern !!  that started the ghastly fire.  She was an Irish immigrant living in Chicago running a saloon and gambling hall besides the cattle place.   The Press mentioned that on the evening of that ill-fated day,   a fire consumed the O'Leary family's barn at 137 DeKoven Street.  After the Great Fire, Chicago Republican (now defunct) reporter Michael Ahern published a claim that the fire had started when a cow kicked over a lantern while it was being milked. The owner was not named, but Catherine O'Leary soon was identified because the fire had begun in her family's barn. Illustrations and caricatures soon appeared depicting Mrs. O'Leary with her cow. The idea captured the popular imagination and still is circulated widely today.  However, in 1893 Ahern finally admitted he had made the story up  !! 

Forget the past !  - live in the present, plan for the future – do kainkaryam and spend your time peacefully at the golden feet of Emperuman. 

adiyen  Srinivasa dhasan

Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar

8^th Oct 2024