Today is the anniversary of the fiery disaster predicted by Robert Reidt, a follower of Margaret Rowan, the fringe Adventist.
On Feb 11 1926, Reidt predicted a ball of fire would drop from the heavens onto New York City on Feb 13, destroying everything within 25 miles.
The New York Times made Reidt a minor celebrity the previous year, reporting on his preparations for Margaret Rowan's prophesied date of Feb 6, 1925.
Reidt told the press that Christ would appear on Long Island to transport he & his family to San Diego on a cloud.
Obviously that didn't happen, and the New York Times wasted absolutely no time in printing one of the best headlines maybe ever
Truly, the @daithaigilbert of their time.
@daithaigilbert Based on the unforgivingly mocking tone and the word choices that pop up in every article about Reidt during the year between Rowan's date and his own fireball prediction, I really think the NYT had a single reporter making it their mission to follow everything Reidt did.
The New York Fucking Times ran a story in January 1926 where they dubbed Reidt's car the Chariot of Doom
It'd be great if the New York Times returned to the once-noble tradition of treating these things as ridiculous hoaxes worthy only of mockery and scorn
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