Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. Please send suggestions for future episodes: Suggestions@TheHistoryGuy.net. Three improbable protagonists take it upon themselves to transport two giraffes, that survived a 1938 hurricane at the end of their trans-Atlantic crossing, in a trans-continental adventure from New York to San Diego. Photo courtesy Archives and Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries. But by 1925 there were reportedly only five giraffes in the entire country. > waynesville, mo police reports > 1938 hurricane giraffes. 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.Show more, Check out our new community for fans and supporters! One of the 19,000 buildings destroyed by the hurricane. From 5 p.m. to 9 a.m., we rebroadcast the morning and afternoon stream. Cincinnati. Eighty-mile-an-hour winds lashed the coast and the torrential downpour caused rivers and streams to overflow. Virginia Beach: The Donning Company. If youd like to read about a wild ride one family took during the storm, click. Two giraffes miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic and end up in New York. When, finally, I can bear the silence no longer, I let him know that I must have news. Browse all issues of Life Magazine in full color and search the full text through Google Books. [] department store employees could be fiercely loyal. . . The hurricane chewed away at roadbeds, like Shore Drive in Winthrop, Mass., above. Empower curiosity about the people, places, and stories of our past. All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. It destroyed cemeteries, slammed boats into shore, uprooted entire orchards and smashed structures into splinters. Recently, one particular work of historical fiction captured my interestthe fact that the title contained the word giraffes certainly helped, but upon reading the description I discovered that its based on actual events revolving around the San Diego Zoo in 1938. vertical-align: middle; Advice from the sidelines urged him to try ham and eggs. From the Archives: In 1958 interview 18-year-old Raquel had heart set on professional acting career, From the Archives: San Diego Air & Space Museum opened 60 years ago, From the Archives: Advice for Valentines parties from 1923, From the Archives: Rare Lincoln photograph came to light in San Diego in 1937, From the Archives: War on wild drivers waged in San Diego 100 years ago, From the Archives: The Nagano Olympic Games opened 25 years ago, From the Archives: A view of La Mesa 125 years ago, Protest held after medical examiner rules inmates death a homicide, Romanian citizen arrested on suspicion of stealing more than $5M in COVID relief funds, Two women suffer major injuries after head-on collision in Lake Murray-area, Man suffers major injuries after car hits ice patch on road, overturns in Ramona, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit now from its own insurance company. Show more The Northern Kraft Paper Mill in Howland, Maine. As the ocean waves began surging into the house, Catherine Moore recalls her father bracing against the front door literally trying to hold back the ocean. My Grandparents had a Farm in Northern Vermont. My 92 year old father is still talking about it, Our summer house is in Misquamicut which was wiped out. If you'd like to read more about the 1938 hurricane, click here. Robert L. was completely crushed by the animal. Cleaning up timber damaged by the Great 1938 Hurricane took years. Giraffes have a small hump on their back and have a spotted pattern similar to that of a leopard. There is only one giraffe species, but there are several subspeciestwo of which are endangered. Woodrow Wilson Nickel is a 17-year old boy who left his home in TX during the dust bowl to live with his relative. unlike almost every other reviewer, i could put the book down without any trouble. Realizing that punching all the TVs in the world wouldnt save the giraffes, he set out to document his story of how two giraffes changed his life forever. even Maggie the orangutan. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration. Use the links below to plan your visit to the Society's Archives. [], [] three other Category 3 hurricanes since the colonists arrived: the September Hurricane of 1869, the Great New England Hurricane of 1938 and Hurricane Carol in [], [] Coventry. 2 vols. and actually care about the dangers they were experiencing. Lynda Rutledge, a lifelong animal lover, has had the joy of petting baby rhinos, snorkeling with endangered turtles, and strolling with a tower of giraffes as a freelance journalist while winning awards for her fiction. On board the ship were some unique passengers: two Giraffes. Enjoy this live view of the African Plains habitat that comes to you from the Kijamii Overlook at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Arriving in New York Sept. 23, they had to keep quarantine officers company for 16 days. As one of the most costly hurricanes to hit the U.S. mainland, Cleaning up timber damaged by the Great 1938 Hurricane, How the 1st Storm Chasers Saved New England From the 1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane - New England Historical Society, Flashback Photos: When Downtown Department Stores Spelled Christmas - New England Historical Society, The Heroic Rescue of the Pendleton Crew, 1952 - New England Historical Society, 6 Hollywood Stars Buried in New England - New England Historical Society, Six Historic Apple Orchards - New England Historical Society, Six Historic Post Offices - New England Historical Society, Six Autumn Paintings of New England (And How They Look Today) - New England Historical Society, Six New England Ghost Towns - New England Historical Society, Six Breathtaking National Natural Landmarks - New England Historical Society, The High Tide Storm of 1723 Strands Puritans in Their Meeting Houses - New England Historical Society, The Portland Gale of 1898, and the Cat that Saved a Life - New England Historical Society, Hurricane Carol, So Deadly Her Name Was Retired - New England Historical Society, The Great September Gale of 1815 - New England Historical Society, Four Days in May: The 1942 Rhode Island Forest Fires - New England Historical Society, Hercules Had It Easy Compared to the Great 1938 Hurricane Tree Cleanup - New England Historical Society, Sept-21, 1938: The Most Powerful Hurricane in New England History Today Past, In Search of the Roosevelt Outhouse in New England - New England Historical Society. Instead of running away from the crazed primate, she stretched out her arms and caught it in mid-air and carried it back to its pen. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Lofty and Patches became national figures, From the Archives: In 1893 Jos Gabriel was the first inmate to be executed at San Quentin, From the Archives: 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee galvanized the modern American Indian Movement, From the Archives: The queens 1983 visit to San Diego drew a crowd, From the Archives: Egg poached to save condor 40 years ago. One of the aspects of the novel I enjoyed the most was the depiction of Belle Benchleysweet but tough, and highly respected. West with Giraffes. I certainly recommend it as a book club read. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Thank you again. oh, those sky-high eyes of theirs. Thank you Lynda Rutledge for researching this story and writing this wonderful fictionalized account!! The Great 1938 Hurricane submerged coastal towns under eight feet of water. I have been recommending it to everyone! I can see this made into a movie one day. This is one of the most unusual and heartwarming road-trip/animal adventure/love stories I have ever read. *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. So very touching and heart wrenching!! What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to become Southern California's first giraffes. Karie, I just finished West with Giraffes. Author Lynda Rutledge found inspiration for this story while browsing the San Diego Zoo archives and includes a number of the original articles in her book. the rig, the Old Man, and the giraffes were more homeand more familythan any home Id ever had. 22 (Evening special edition). that's really only 2-1/2 stars. By this time, the hurricane giraffes had made national headlines. Hooray Lynda Rutledge. Its closest relative is the okapi. mastro's downtown los angeles opening date. Two weeks ago last night, Smith, the giraffes and Eddie Seuss, mechanic, started the trek westward, the animals heads sticking out of the top of the crates and astounding motorists from ocean to ocean wondering if they saw it, really. I was so excited to read this book but couldn't get past the first third. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to become Southern California's first giraffes. The story is set around a truly extraordinary real life occurrence that took place in 1938. 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 . A very rewarding read. 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. Day and Night. The blowdowns posed a dilemma: What to do with enough woody debris to nearly fill Rhode Island? West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. Aftermath of the Great 1938 Hurricane in Hartford, Conn. Photo licensed under public domain by Wikipedia Commons. Reporters in the cities and towns theywent through wrote amusing anecdotes about seeing them on the road, the giraffes peering out of their tall windows at the scenery and cars around them. Rutledge, Lynda. 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. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel Publishing. The first part of their journey involved sailingaboard a ship from Africa. On board the ship were some unique passengers: two Giraffes. Now the incident is under review. 1938, near the Cape Verde Islands. The Great 1938 Hurricane washed homes off their foundations. Thank you for such an amazing story! display: none; it was the main character that i could not bring myself to like. But Charley Smith couldnt start the journey to San Diego just yet. 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. A total of 4,500 homes were destroyed and 25,000 damaged. Finally, the waves overwhelmed their own house, lifting it off its foundation. For commercial or non-profit use, please contact Image Sales. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. Thanks to amazon first reads and @lakeunion for the e-Arc . Check out our new community for fans and supporters! Above, the steamship Monhegansits at a pier in Providence after sinking during the hurricane. The 1938 New England Hurricane (also referred to as the Great New England Hurricane and the Long Island Express Hurricane) [1] [2] was one of the deadliest and most destructive tropical cyclones to strike Long Island, New York, and New England. .printfriendly.pf-aligncenter { Sweet memories. This image is issued by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Animal Trainer Called by Death. Los Angeles Times (July 21, 1941): B16. The youngest child, just turned 2, was with her and a tree limb fell and gave him a bad cut on his head. The drama is a bit formulaic, as is the dialogue, and sometimes it's a bit sentimental, but it works, so who cares. Sometimes the men even stopped under appropriate food trees and let Lofty and Patchesstretch stretch their necks up for an afternoon snack. Volume 1: The Founding Era, 19161953. A giraffe's heart is 2 feet (0.6 meters) long and weighs about 25 pounds (11 kilograms), and its lungs can hold 12 gallons (55 liters) of air! Nominee for Best Historical Fiction (2021). War, recession and lousy farmland created other ghost [], [] would ever be picked and that no ax ever be used. But that was only the beginning of their long journey, as they had to undergo . San Diego Zoo's timeline is best viewed on a desktop. . It's 1938The Great Depression lingers. If you like history too, this is the channel for you. Authors Channel Summit. 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. 1938: The Great Depression lingers. display: none; We were on the water with the waves crashing over us, and part of the house still attached, one of the walls still attached to this piece of floor, and it almost acted as a sail.. Could not imagine the river that high. The Modern Ark: The Story of Zoos: Past, Present and Future. It's also a coming of age story that demonstrates the positive influence caring friends and gentle animals can have on a young man's life. cursor: pointer; They were finally able to leave quarantine on October 10, 1938. Charley Smith was certainly the man for the job. In the novel, Woody is able to stop chasing the truck as, after much begging and pleading, he is offered the driving job by Old Man after a falling out with Earl. 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. Lion Country . Sold! } Around 60 people died on Long Island - 29 of them at or near Westhampton Beach. Charles A. Smith, head keeper at the zoo, was putting in that time devising ways and means of getting them into crates and on to a San Diego city truck for the last lap home. No more Maple Groves, no barn, the cows were standing in what used to be their stalls.. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Gawky Giraffes to Leave Athenia Today for Coast. Paterson (N.J.) News (October 10, 1938): 35. Yes, yes Mr. Ostrich, that is of course exactly what it means. 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. 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. Sept. 21, 1938, was supposed to be a breezy fall day in New England. They were on their way to San Diego Zoo in California. Erosion from the Great 1938 hurricane. Homeless refugees crammed into town halls, armories and fire stations. The San Diego Zoo: The First Century. .printfriendly.pf-alignright { I dont want this story to evaporate from my memory. 1938 hurricane giraffes . On. I seldom read books more than once, but this one I will return to again in the future! Seattle, WA: Lake Union Publishing. In 1938, 2 hurricanes survived the Great Hurricane and needed to be transported across the US from NY to the San Diego Zoo. Houses washed off their foundations, like the one above that landed in the Cape Cod Canal. Growing fame. 1923 campaign for safe and sane driving in San Diego urged citizen vigilance in reporting traffic violations. The accomplishment topped off what turned out to be a very successful year for the zoo. too many authors seems to be using this idea and with this book it definitely did not work for me. Her debut novel "Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale" won the 2013 Writers League of Texas Novel of the Year and was adapted as a major French film starring Catherine Deneuve (French title: "La Dernire Folie de Claire Darling") released in 2019 in France and around the world through 2020. a really sweet coming-of-age story that combines american history, animal friends, and a cross-country roadtrip. img#wpstats{display:none} West with Giraffes is an endearing, and also heart-rending piece of historical fiction. : https://thehistoryguyguild.locals.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryGuyYT/Please send suggestions for future episodes: Suggestions@TheHistoryGuy.net. If you love history, this is the channel to support! The storm forced the Connecticut River over its banks, inundating cities and towns with floodwater. Apparently they subsisted on pancakes that the cook made for them for three days until they got to shore. Good story line well written. 1938: Two giraffes, Lofty and Peaches, arrive. On board the ship were some unique passengers: two Giraffes. 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). Stone stairs from a washed away house stood on Atlantic Ave through the 80s. Giraffes. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. . . On September 21, 1938, one of the most destructive and powerful hurricanes in recorded history struck Long Island and Southern New England. But when she was angry she made Mount Vesuvius seem considerably less dangerous. 1999. ship I am getting all chocked up and tearing ..I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH ! San Diego Zoo. 2.5 stars, *When reading this, one will develop an strong urge to head to the nearest zoo and see giraffes (maybe even feed them; you can at the Colorado Zoo!)*. Visual materials in the Archives do not circulate and must be viewed in the Society's Archives Research Room. View this selection of cartoons by William Donahey. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. Inaccurate weather forecasts left residents unprepared. color: #3AAA11 !important; 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 . Thank you! The storm hit seven days after I was born in Northampton, Mass. Benchley, Belle J. From the Archives: Chinese spy balloon sparks echos of Japanese balloon bombs during WWII. I finished the book last night and now after reading the background and seeing the pictures of the truck and the . When the 1938 hurricane washed the house away, she dug the family silver out of the sand and rebuilt it. } 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. 3rd ed. The XVIII Winter Olympics opened in Nagano, Japan 25 years ago. Subscribe for more forgotten history: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sEmXUuWIFlxRIFBRV6VXQ?sub_confirmation=1. Lofty and Patches lived at the San Diego Zoo for nearly 30 years and had seven offspring, including Raffy, D-Day (born June 6, 1946), Rusty, Patty and Lofty Jr. From The San Diego Union, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 1938: alive and kickingaccent on kicking--the two much-heralded animals that blazed a publicity trail across the continent were unloaded in San Diego zoo yesterday. One question I have, since way back in the early sixties I was licked on the nose by a giraffe at the San Diego Zoo. If youd like to read about a wild ride one family took during the storm, click here. float: right; A treasure for sure. Sixty years ago this week, the San Diego AeroSpace Museumrenamed the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 2006opened to the public in Balboa Park. The family moved first to the second floor and finally to the third floor to stay above the storm surge, watching as house after house succumbed and neighbors were washed away. Another regular occurrence, this one fictional, was the sighting of a fancy green Packard, driven by a redhead full of determination. In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. They were enormously relieved to find that their precious cargo was alive. 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. Amazingly, one of the crew saw the female giraffe move, so they covered and protected her as the storm raged on. The narrator is the orphan, now 100 years old and nearing death, who has decided that he cant let the story die with him. It was some time before they found out. If youd like to read about another familys ordeal stranded on a high floor in their house, click here. As a travel writer she loved the idea of a road trip. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. HURRICANE GIRAFFES TO QUARANTINE. With horrible writing. Awesome The History Guy merchandise is available at: Get help and learn more about the design. Use of the image requires written permission from the staff of the Collections Division. The storm soaked an unknown number of pants. Rhode Island got the worst of it. Two giraffes (later to be called Lofty and Patches) travelled to New York surviving a hurricane at sea. 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. Published September 20, 2017 at 11:17 PM EDT. The story begins with a centenarian named Woodrow Wilson Woody Nickel sitting in his nursing home watching a TV documentary on the near extinction of giraffes and other endangered species in Africa. February 27, 2023 alexandra bonefas scott No Comments . Getting to see a giraffe in 1938 was a pretty rare occasion. Explore Jim Widmer's photographs of the Friday fish fry dinner tradition in Wisconsin. It is clear from Belle Benchleys memoir that she had a wonderful relationship with many of her keepers, particularly Charley Smith. He has often bragged, When the Missus gets tired of waiting for me to write she just burns up the wires. There were many reasons giraffes were hard to come by for Americas first zoos. Smith, who was quick to express his affection for Lofty--the giraffe that didnt kick him--directed that his crate be the first to be unloaded by the whirring, grinding, chug-chugging crane. 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.