Much is explained, then. While failing to footnote many things that deserve explanation (what the hell is a "tantalus"?), the footnotes are full of efforts to pin a story down to a particular date of a particular year by matching weather reports, moon phases, and so on.

about how Nero Wolfe is Sherlock Holmes's son

Somebody ought to write a story where Sherlock feels that it's his duty to impregnate as many women as possible. He doesn't even especially enjoy it, but he feels he must spread his genes even on nights when he'd rather stay in and watch television.