1. Few paid attention to the stormbarreling up the coast. Thank you so much for the feedback! The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered is the place to find short snippets of forgotten history from five to fifteen minutes long. The physiological demands of that long neck get support from a gene involved in strengthening bones and blood vessels, researchers find after inserting the sequence in mice. .printfriendly.pf-alignright { Awesome The History Guy merchandise is available at: Giraffes. Houses washed off their foundations, like the one above that landed in the Cape Cod Canal. border: none; I felt safe when I arrived at my house. Woodrow Wilson Nickel is a 17-year old boy who left his home in TX during the dust bowl to live with his relative. Erosion from the Great 1938 hurricane. Images altered beyond standard cropping and resizing require further negotiation with a staff member. Red was an aspiring photojournalist trying to sell her giraffe story to Life magazine. Sept. 21, 1938, was supposed to be a breezy fall day in New England. The giraffes arrival made the front page of The San Diego Union, Oct. 25, 1938. And how to do it quickly enough so it didnt set off tremendous forest fires? I have been recommending it to everyone! Finally, the waves overwhelmed their own house, lifting it off its foundation. Check out our new community for fans and supporters! i loved the idea of the story, a road trip from new york to california with two young giraffes, the only part of the book that is non-fiction. DeLeon, Clark. In the novel West with Giraffes, Woody Nickel, is a seventeen-year-old dirt-farm rowdy, pure as a cow pie, cunning as a wild hog bound to escape the Texas Panhandle (and any law enforcement that might be looking for him). You can purchase the bow tie worn in this episode at The Tie Bar:https://www.thetiebar.com/?utm_campaign=BowtieLove&utm_medium=YouTube&utm_source=LanceGeiger. Those Giraffes, caught in a storm that killed hundreds of people, were en route to San Diego, California, and the storm was only the beginning of their cross-country journey. [] years earlier, The New England Hurricane of 1938, one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, had struck without warning and killed more []. Another awesome animal book! Getting to see a giraffe in 1938 was a pretty rare occasion. Rhode Island got battered by the Great 1938 Hurricane. They were finally able to leave quarantine on October 10, 1938. Connect to database. Giraffes Will Ride in Truck to California. Miami Herald (September 25, 1938): 4. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. padding: 0; } 11 2 Reply the rig, the Old Man, and the giraffes were more homeand more familythan any home Id ever had. It is clear from Belle Benchleys memoir that she had a wonderful relationship with many of her keepers, particularly Charley Smith. Those Giraffes, caught in a. That was the plan, anyway, but the female giraffe had had enough of travel crates! Rhode Island got the worst of it. The Great 1938 Hurricane crossed over the tip of Long Island, slammed into New London and raced up the Connecticut River Valley at 50 miles per hour. It was some time before they found out. My 92 year old father is still talking about it, Our summer house is in Misquamicut which was wiped out. train station pub happy hour 1938 hurricane giraffes. It then took two years for the 50 CCC camps and 15,000 WPA workers in the region to finish the job. 1938 hurricane giraffes. They were to be the zoos first giraffes, and the city was excited about the impending arrivals. If you liked. The first part of their journey involved sailingaboard a ship from Africa. In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. Visit our other Wisconsin Historical Society websites! Part 3: War Years, 19371946. ZOONOOZ, March 2016. https://issuu.com/sdzglobal/docs/march_zn. 1938: Giraffes Lofty and Patches arrive (survived a hurricane on the journey to the United States) 1940: Benchley publishes My Life in a Man-Made Jungle; 1941: Dr. Harry Wegeforth dies at the age of 59; zoo plants its own garden to save money during the war Funny in many parts. I did some research too and found a website that gave me an idea of what the two crates looked like. . War, recession and lousy farmland created other ghost [], [] would ever be picked and that no ax ever be used. The Great 1938 Hurricane submerged coastal towns under eight feet of water. Prior to becoming head keeper at the San Diego Zoo, he had been with the circus since he was eleven years old, including sixteen-year gig as the lead keeper of the Ringling Bros. circus. The storm hit Long Island and Southern . No one recalls exact conversations, the gap teeth of a service station attendant, the color of vehicles along the road after 80 years. Day and Night. Aftermath of the Great 1938 Hurricane in Hartford, Conn. Photo licensed under public domain by Wikipedia Commons. San Diego Zoo keeper Charley Smith and driver Ed Seuss were also at the dock, having made their way to New York to collect the giraffes. . Listen 4:55. By extension, might I assume that global warming began in 38? All received the Gold Lifesaving Medal, the Coast Guards highest honor, for extreme and [], [] frequently visiting her familys summer home in the Fenwick section of Old Saybrook. Around 60 people died on Long Island - 29 of them at or near Westhampton Beach. Location: Urban Jungle. In October 1938 the first breeding pair of giraffes arrived at the San Diego Zoo from east Africa. Lofty and Patches became national figures when they made the last lap of the journey from south eastern Africa a transcontinental trip from New York by truck. Kraft, Joy W. 2010. She also had a vocabulary that she kept in reserve that the [former] circus men could understand. The keepers came to call her Boss. She let them know that she admired their work, and responded to her with both respect and affection. Traveling shows displayed them as early as 1837; however, they were difficult to capture and transport, making them expensive to procure. With Woody behind the wheel, true to the actual events, the giraffe truck stopped regularly at auto camps under appropriate trees with the top of the crates open to let Boy and Girl reach up and browse. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. After 12 days, before it could reach the Bahamas, it turned northward, skimming the East. Determined to meet his cousin at that Brooklyn dock, he arrived only to find that his cousin was killed on board the Goodfellow during the hurricane. Empower curiosity about the people, places, and stories of our past. All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. If you like history too, this is the channel for you.Subscribe for more forgotten history: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sEmXUuWIFlxRIFBRV6VXQ?sub_confirmation=1.Awesome The History Guy merchandise is available at:https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-guyScript by JCG#history #thehistoryguy #SanDiego .pf-button.pf-button-excerpt { } In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. ); Sometimes the men even stopped under appropriate food trees and let Lofty and Patchesstretch stretch their necks up for an afternoon snack. i enjoyed the parts about the giraffes, their attachment to various characters, their enjoyment of the warm weather, sunshine, cool breezes. Rutledge, Lynda. The storm, which originated near the Cape Verde Islands and had previously intensified to a Category 5 hurricane near the Bahamas, pummeled Southern New England with sustained hurricane-force winds and caused . a 30-foot bank of what looked like fog rolled in toward Long Island. No one thought of padding their stalls, and they learned bout mal de mer during the last days of the voyage when the big September storm swept the Atlantic coast. The San Diego Zoo: The First Century. Also, it's well researched with a "Historical Notes" section at the end that's informative and the research is never heavy-handed within the text. In 1938, 2 hurricanes survived the Great Hurricane and needed to be transported across the US from NY to the San Diego Zoo. The Great Depression lingers. } "As the country teeters between a depression and Europe's looming war, a pair of giraffes, survivors of a hurricane at sea, left a wake of much-needed cheer while driven cross-country to the San Di. A Cherry & Webb employee drowned during the Hurricane of 1938 while trying to rescue the stores furs in the Providence stores [], [] waves in the hopes ofreaching the Pendleton, an oil tanker that had snapped in two during the fierce storm. Schroeder was a former zoo veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo and would later become the zoos director after Benchley retired in 1953. The AMC breached the contract once, after the Great Hurricane of 1938 required downed trees to be [], [] Snow called the High Tide Storm of 1723 one of the big four New England storms. Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal, https://www.thetiebar.com/?utm_campaign=BowtieLove&utm_medium=YouTube&utm_source=LanceGeiger, https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryGuyYT/, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sEmXUuWIFlxRIFBRV6VXQ?sub_confirmation=1, https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-guy. Inspiration struck, and the result is this charming and wondrous enchantment of a novel. 1st ed. The storm forced the Connecticut River over its banks, inundating cities and towns with floodwater. Worley, Karen E. 2016. He done a grand job and he knew it. A crane was used to lower the giraffe crates out of the truck and onto terra firma. I would give this book ten stars if possible. They were enormously relieved to find that their precious cargo was alive. Arriving in New York Sept. 23, they had to keep quarantine officers company for 16 days. } The XVIII Winter Olympics opened in Nagano, Japan 25 years ago. In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. It destroyed cemeteries, slammed boats into shore, uprooted entire orchards and smashed structures into splinters. The Great 1938 Hurricane crossed over the tip of Long Island, slammed into New London and raced up the Connecticut River Valley at 50 miles per hour. even Maggie the orangutan. They survived, although the female was injured. html:not( .jetpack-lazy-images-js-enabled ):not( .js ) .jetpack-lazy-image { One of the 19,000 buildings destroyed by the hurricane. SUBJECTS Animals Clothing and dress Hats Automobile industry and trade Indoor photography Men Zoos Delivery of goods Signs and symbols Automobiles Transportation Trucks How to Purchase a Copy Buy The Image For commercial or non-profit use, please contact Image Sales. 1938 1939 LIFE Magazine October 10, 1938 LIFE Magazine October 10, 1938 Legion Drum Majoretts $ 39.99 9 in stock Add to cart SKU: 113-810-1000 Categories: LIFE Magazines, LIFE Magazines 1930's, LIFE Magazines 1938 Tag: Description Additional information Description Just finished this wonderful book!! West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. Volume 1: The Founding Era, 19161953. -moz-box-shadow: none; Now get that head back in its hole, ignore those know nothing scientists, and relax. Gawky Giraffes to Leave Athenia Today for Coast. Paterson (N.J.) News (October 10, 1938): 35. News of the storm-tossed ship had reached reporters, and they gathered on the dock to get the story. It's harder to imagine hauling two of them across the United States during the Dust Bowl. Sold! In normal conditions this would be a rough trip, especially for temperature-sensitive giraffes, which were placed in crates and forced to endure whatever the high seas threw at them. } Before the storm, 100 boats fished the waters between Point Judith, R.I., and New London. That is when he locks eyes with the giraffes (Boy and Girl). They prepared to transport the animals across the country to San Diego, in the tall, oddly shaped crates that had been custom built for the purpose. This attention, the time for which had to be borrowed from their all too few leisure hours, touched me deeply because it showed that I had won a place with them not based on relationship of boss and employee, but upon friendship and confidence, she reminisced in her memoir. In 1938, America was looking for a feel-good tale to help them through the threat of Hitler in Europe and the continuing Great Depression. But when she was angry she made Mount Vesuvius seem considerably less dangerous. Benchley preferred to transport the giraffes by vehicle so that they could stop as deemed necessary to nourish and rest the animals. Another regular occurrence, this one fictional, was the sighting of a fancy green Packard, driven by a redhead full of determination. The storm developed near the Cape Verde Islands on September 9, tracking across the Atlantic and up the Eastern Seaboard. The storm totaled about 26,000 automobiles and blew over 20,000 electrical poles. Those Giraffes, caught in a storm that killed hundreds of people, were en route to San Diego, California, and the storm was only the beginning of their cross-country journey. I finished the book last night and now after reading the background and seeing the pictures of the truck and the Red paper hearts, ribbons and Kewpie dolls were just the thing for Valentines Day entertaining 100 years ago. . Weakened by age, racing against a clock, hallucinating, writing long hand, I could not believe that a writer would include details about billboards, flying birds, the physical look of hotels and camp grounds. font-weight: 600; This improbable, but fact-based, story of two giraffes transported cross country in what was basically an over-balanced flatbed truck made me laugh, cry. */ *Estimated delivery dates - opens in a new window or tab include seller's handling time, origin ZIP Code, destination ZIP Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment. . I highly recommend the book: Sudden Sea by R. A. Scotti. They also turned a profit for the first time in the zoos 22-year history. I want to confirm my idea that Woody was the father of little Augie, who was the one who received his foot locker after his death with the porcelain gifaffe. If you'd like to read more about the 1938 hurricane, click here. Many zoos simply werent willing to take the risk or didnt have the funds. 1947. Those Giraffes, caught in a storm that killed hundreds of people, were en route to San Diego, California, and the storm was only the beginning of their cross-country journey. They were given names Lofty and Patches, the winning entries in a naming contest. The storm hit seven days after I was born in Northampton, Mass. In New London, Conn., high waters pushed a five-masted ship, Marsala,into a warehouse and started a fire that demolished a quarter-mile section of the citys business district. Wisconsin history is full of breweries and beer. A San Diego judge had a defendants 13-year-old daughter handcuffed. All Wildlife. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. 27 febrero, 2023 . vertical-align: middle; She indeed fills our imagination with a journey full of colorful characters, tall tales, and deep secrets. So, although he cant speak, falls out of his wheelchair, isnt eating, he commits this story in sprawling detail to the pages of notebooks. A woman stands on the running board of an International D-40 truck to feed a captive giraffe in transport. It touched me more deeply than anything Ive read in years!! Smith spent a few days easing her into the crate while attempting not to spook her, and getting kicked in return. I can see this made into a movie one day. . The storm soaked an unknown number of pants. I remember my mother saying she got the last bus out of downtown Providence go home to Jenkins St I think they were living there then. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. Its moving, thrilling, educational and thought-provoking, and was a welcome break from all my thrillers. I headed to San Diego and their new zoo, where Id heard that the animals get treated better than the people. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. Animal Quarantine Station in Athenia, New Jersey, for a federally mandated fifteen-day quarantine. However, as soon as she was upright the crew could see that her left rear ankle was severely injured. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. . After examination and treatment, Schroeder deemed the giraffe worth saving and cleared her to make the trip. document.documentElement.classList.add( It is one of my favorite books I have read in my 84 1/2 yrs. Could not imagine the river that high. I dont want this story to evaporate from my memory. Start your day off right, with a Dayspring Coffee My Grandparents had a Farm in Northern Vermont. I refuse to give out any spoilers about the novel, but I encourage you to pick it up. Giraffes Proud Parents at the San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (August 28, 1952): 15. .printfriendly { A giraffe could look into a second-story window without even having to stand on its tiptoes! My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a review e-copy of this one. The first part of their journey involved sailing aboard a ship from Africa. The hurricane also tossed the lighthouse tender Tulip, pictured above, ashore. display: none; 2016. Even up there the damage was great. It was a three-hour ordeal. Charley Smith would update Benchley via telegram during the twelve-day trek. Two giraffes (later to be called Lofty and Patches) travelled to New York surviving a hurricane at sea. Hence, West with Giraffes. Yesterday at 12:30 Eddie drove the truck through the gates at San Diego zoological gardens and all hands followed it to the mesa where the citys big crane was waiting and the camels were wondering what the heck. February 27, 2023 alexandra bonefas scott No Comments . Image-purchasing questions? According to Benchley, they were one of the few breeding pairs in captivity. Loading them was no one-day job and in the melee, Patches (Mrs. giraffe), kicked Smith down more than once. According to the National Weather Service,a storm surge of 12 to 15 feet destroyed most coastal homes, yacht clubs and marinas on Narragansett Bay. It destroyed cemeteries, slammed boats into shore, uprooted entire orchards and smashed structures into splinters. He remembered the 38, too! They talked about the bridges that had washed away. I was 7 yrs old and I remember getting out of school late afternoon. . They were instant successes, and beloved by staff and visitors alike. A treasure for sure. The first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed the topic, the setting and the giraffes!! This is original content based on research by The History Guy. All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. .wp-block-image figcaption {text-align: center; font-size: 75%}, As the country teeters between a depression and Europes looming war, a pair of giraffes, survivors of a hurricane at sea, left a wake of much-needed cheer while driven cross-country to the San Diego Zoo, where lady zoo director Mrs. Belle Benchley awaited.. He tried alfalfa and molasses. But in many ways, the San Diego Zoo had been built on risk taking, and Dr. Harry Wegeforth, the zoos former director and then Belle Benchleys right-hand man, was darn good at fundraising. Authors Channel Summit. Above, the steamship Monhegansits at a pier in Providence after sinking during the hurricane. As a book junkie, when I receive new book alerts I almost always peruse the titles. Fred Ghent and Ray Sheldon were honest men who made a mistake. . Woodrow Wilson Nickel, aka Woody Nickel, almost 18, happens to be on a New York dock in 1938 when the hurricane-battered SS Robin Goodfellow limps into the harbor. Perhaps the most astounding story of the storm comes from the Moore family of Westerly, R.I. As the storm grew stronger, the familytried to evacuate their beachfront home, but could not. To view this image, visit the Archives Research Room on the 4th floor at the Society Headquarters building in Madison, WI. outline:none; When, finally, I can bear the silence no longer, I let him know that I must have news. Stephenson, Lynda Rutledge. https://zoohistories.com/2021/02/11/west-with-giraffes/. lofty and patches giraffes 1938. 2 vols. It's 1938The Great Depression lingers. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. How I got into. The three older kids were in school and my mom had to get them out to go home. The 1938 hurricane was the worst natural disaster in American history a gale that wreaked more death and havoc than either the great Chicago fire or the San Francisco earthquake. As a travel writer she loved the idea of a road trip. Im so glad you enjoyed it! I Loved this book, and hated to see it come to an end. Check out our new community for fans and supporters! Now the incident is under review. However, from Benchleys 1941 memoir it is obvious that Smith did not update her as much as she would have preferred. Its closest relative is the okapi. San Diego, CA: Zoological Society of San Diego. If youd like to read about another familys ordeal stranded on a high floor in their house, click here. Along with the rhino, the food for the giraffes was lost as well. Subscribe for more forgotten history: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sEmXUuWIFlxRIFBRV6VXQ?sub_confirmation=1. The Great 1938 Hurricane pushed the Tulip onto land. The main produce from that farm was Maple Sap and Dairy. https://thehistoryguyguild.locals.com/. If you love history, this is the channel to support! The stormblew down so many trees that paper mills processed them for nine years. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. On the other side of the pond, Hitler was invading Eastern Europe, so the combined stress of world events and personal troubles were briefly assuaged by the sight of the traveling giraffes. About 700 people died 75 years ago when the storm known variously as the Great New England Hurricane of 1938 or the Long Island Express began plowing up the Northeast coastline at 2:45 p.m. on. In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. My grandpa later worked on a boat called Allert I have a picture of him on it in the 50s I think. color: #3AAA11 !important; Im going to include a part of the blurb that enticed me to listen to this wonderful audiobook: From the beginning, this remembrance of a few short weeks of one mans life captured both my attention and my heart. She used a set [], [] known as Apple Valley. Apple growing reached its peak in Smithfield during the 1930s, but the Great Hurricane of 1938 wiped out many trees. and ocean . Old World. The blowdowns posed a dilemma: What to do with enough woody debris to nearly fill Rhode Island? So all in all, it's really well done: a great escape, completely enjoyable, and if you are an animal lover who cares about animal rights and avoiding the final sixth extinction, you'll be especially satisfied. Homeless refugees crammed into town halls, armories and fire stations. -webkit-box-shadow: none; Original giraffe caravan photo from "The New York Sun" 1938 Rutledge had to grasp what it was like to live during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, with the physical problems and racial situations, to create realistic characters. Im so happy that I found this website to answer my questions about this great book. Lofty and Patches became national figures when they made the last lap. At one point in the novel, Old Man stops at the zoo in Little Rock, Arkansas, for the night to procure some medication for Girls wounded leg. unlike almost every other reviewer, i could put the book down without any trouble. and what i found incredibly annoying was the constant reminder that he had a big secret and he couldn't let anyone know his secret and he couldn't talk about his secret, and if anyone knew his secret horrible things would happen and his secret was such a terrible secret; you get the picture. For the purposes of a bibliography entry or footnote, follow this model: Common questions about purchasing historical images from the Wisconsin Historical Society. Robert L. was completely crushed by the animal. Wisconsin Historical Society Archives, 4th Floor, Madison, Wisconsin. Even today, the numbers are startling. With horrible writing. Giraffes at Lion Country Safari remained outdoors and kept their heads down during Hurricane Irma. Non censuram. Perhaps you will fall in love with those giraffes and enjoy the adventures of Old Man and Woody as much as I did. . In Hartford, the river reached 35.4 feet, 19.4 feet above flood stage. Erosion from the Great 1938 hurricane. Overall, says Magilligan, the Hurricane of 1938 and Irene dumped similar amounts of rain - between 7 and 10 inches in most locations, often within just a few hours. lofty and patches giraffes 1938. lofty and patches giraffes 1938. In the eastern part of the state, a fire started in Newport among fallen timber from the 1938 hurricane around Tonomy [], [] This story was updated in 2019. I rode Miss Jim when I little every summer and even in her cage to feed her a carrot. Melanie says: In 1938, two giraffes bound for the San Diego zoo survived a hurricane at sea and a cross-country trip by truck. oh, those sky-high eyes of theirs. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Cincinnati. As I looked for more historical information, I found your page. display: none; Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. quite the fun adventure! When she sent him on a collecting trip to Africa in 1940, she noted, I am quite sure that we shall not hear much about Charleys trip until his return. All rights reserved. A Pegasus XL rocket was delivered to Vandenberg Space Force Base for the TacRL-2 mission in a quick response demonstration launch that carried a small tactical satellite payload into low Earth . On board the ship were some unique passengers: two Giraffes. San Diego, already a world-class zoo, opened their WPA-constructed Reptile House and a zoo caf. Baby Giraffes from Africa Reach San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (October 27, 1938): 14. While conducting research in the archives of the San Diego Zoo, Rutledge came across a trove of newspaper articles about two giraffes that had survived a hurricane on the deck of a freighter and a cross-country trip, from New York to California, in 1938. Awesome The History Guy merchandise is available at:https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-guy, The History Guy: History Deserves to be Remembered, Enjoyed this video? 1938 hurricane giraffes float: left; Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), his wish for giraffes at the National Zoo, https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/3298.html, https://library.sandiegozoo.org/sdzg-history-timeline/#1930, http://timeline.sandiegozoo100.org/1930/1930-3/, https://www.sandiegozoo100.org/100-animals/lofty-and-patches, https://www.sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/timeline/1938/1938/, https://issuu.com/sdzglobal/docs/march_zn.