# What's the deal with the 'Devil's Cemetery' at Tunguska? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-devils-cemetery-at-tunguska/511870 "2009-09-28T18:06:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-devils-cemetery-at-tunguska/511870/41 "2009-10-01T05:41:34Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > :smack: I can’t believe I forgot to mention the obvious (but often overlooked) explanation for the Tunguska blast. > > Baba Yaga > > The old crone of Mother Russia is a potent force, with a long reach. Thanks for mentioning it. Great book. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-devils-cemetery-at-tunguska/511870/42 "2009-10-01T12:03:24Z")
> [@jakesteele](#): > > Do you mean it was so cold out that the needle just randomly chose that moment to lock up from cold? This interpretation doesn’t make sense: there is no evidence that it was unusually cold when the compass “froze”, and anyway compass needles don’t freeze from cold (if they are liquid-filled, it’s typically alcohol with a freezing temperature below -100 F); > [@](#): > > Or do you mean that there was mechanical defect/problem that caused it to lock up just at that moment? This is the only sensible interpretation of the quote from the OP. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-devils-cemetery-at-tunguska/511870/43 "2009-10-01T20:33:38Z")
> [@hotflungwok](#): > > [Apparently, there’s some weird shit going down.](http://english.pravda.ru/science/mysteries/25-09-2009/109507-devil_cemetery-0) > Dead animals not decomposing? So the meteorite sterilized the place? Huh? > > Some of it just doesn’t make sense: > > Holy crap, a compass _pointed north_? No kidding? A radio froze? _In Siberia_? No shit? I’m not really sure what this is supposed to show. > > So there’s nothing on Snopes, and the Master has not weighed in on this that I can find. So what’s the deal? Is this for real? I don’t think anybody is dumb enough to investigate Tunguska in the winter. ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-devils-cemetery-at-tunguska/511870/44 "2009-10-01T21:24:53Z")
Perhaps the author meant that his compass needle pointed North, but that the needle refused to move away from that direction – most compasses have a bit of needle float. Imagine putting a compass near an MRI machine; the needle might lose some of its float. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-devils-cemetery-at-tunguska/511870/45 "2009-10-01T21:30:13Z")
> [@Fish\_Cheer](#): > > Thanks for mentioning it. Great book. Seriously, what book? ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-devils-cemetery-at-tunguska/511870/46 "2009-10-02T05:44:13Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Seriously, what book? This sounded like a Tim Powers reference, to [Declare](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declare) to be specific. Sorry if I got that wrong. What _were_ you referring to, then? ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-devils-cemetery-at-tunguska/511870/47 "2009-10-02T10:20:57Z")
> [@Fish\_Cheer](#): > > This sounded like a Tim Powers reference, to [Declare](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declare) to be specific. Sorry if I got that wrong. What _were_ you referring to, then? [Baba Yaga](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Yaga), presumably: she may be a character in the book you read, but she’s a staple of Russian folklore and has been used by many authors. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-devils-cemetery-at-tunguska/511870.md?page=2)