Nice to Meet You, Windy City

So today it`s official. Autumn has arrived in Chicago and we have arrived in the Windy City. Chicago Tribune tells us the breaking news that the Lakefront Path has been closed in wake of area wind, wave and flood warnings. My Mac tells me its eight degrees outside, just like in Tallinn, and when I look outside the window (see below) something tells me I will stay in for the rest of the day, reading. Apparently, the wind can speed up to a 100 km/h and the waves of the Lake Michigan might even spray the Lakeshore Drive.

I am reading The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson, a historical, true murder story from the 19th century, when the World Fair was held in Chicago in 1893 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus`s discovery of the New World. Due that time, Chicago had reached a population of one million, making it the second biggest city in the whole country after New York. Apparently, a rivalry had been going on about this with Philadelphia who accused Chicago to have reached this number by simply annexing large pieces of land. In many sources one can read about Chicago having been especially self-indulgent and bragging about its right to host the exposition rather than letting New York or Washington do it. It had been this big talk that made The New York Sun editor Charles Anderson Dana call Chicago the Windy City, not the persistent breeze.