The 45-mile drive from Brooklyn to the quarantine facility through flooded and debris-ridden streets, avoiding potentially low-rise overpasses, was certainly a true test of how the giraffes might handle a drive across the country, which in fact had never been done before with the towering creatures. Seattle, WA: Lake Union Publishing. Browse all issues of Life Magazine in full color and search the full text through Google Books. The story is set around a truly extraordinary real life occurrence that took place in 1938. Benchley also once caught a rattlesnake by grabbing it by the back of the head. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. 1997. 1st ed. She was right. a 30-foot bank of what looked like fog rolled in toward Long Island. Sweet memories. 27 febrero, 2023 . This book stays in my library for later rereading. Animal Trainer Called by Death. Los Angeles Times (July 21, 1941): B16. For commercial or non-profit use, please contact Image Sales. Day and Night. ); There is not a man now on the animal staff who is not in the work because he would rather be in it than anywhere else in the world, and because he feels that his contribution is important to the Zoo and to the community. According to Ken Stott, a former San Diego Zoo curator, . Clinics then ran out of typhoid vaccine. The storm hit seven days after I was born in Northampton, Mass. 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. .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.. While hiding out at the barn in Athenia, Woody does his own acquainting with the giraffessneaking into the paddock to feed them apples and onions, and checking on the injured girl. The crates holding giraffes Lofty and Patches are loaded onto the truck from the ship in New York, 1938. . The director of the zoo tells Old Man, Any friend of Mrs. Benchley is welcome here.. Taken on September 22, 1938, the day after the category-3 "Great Hurricane" of 1938 struck Old Lyme, the image focuses on the upturned roots of a monumental tree that dwarfs the wood-framed house behind it. Schroeder was a former zoo veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo and would later become the zoos director after Benchley retired in 1953. On board the ship were some unique passengers: two Giraffes. The accident happened when a giraffe crossed over the road and was hit by a mini bus taxi carrying 13 people when the 18-foot tall giraffe which weighed about 1,650 lbs completely crushed the front of the bus before then smashing in the roof and front of the Swiss family's Ford Ranger camper. September 22, 1938. she was such a sweet grandmotherly type. 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. padding: 0; Even today, the numbers are startling. With thanks to The Great Hurricane: 1938 by Cherie Burns. What happened on that ship during the storm is almost too crazy to be true. Find The History Guy at:New community! On board the ship were some unique passengers: two Giraffes. From 5 p.m. to 9 a.m., we rebroadcast the morning and afternoon stream. Not a favorite. Local Woman Names Newly Arrived Giraffes. Escondido (CA) Times-Advocate (October 28, 1938): 6. Rutledge, Lynda. 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. Enjoy this live view of the African Plains habitat that comes to you from the Kijamii Overlook at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Subscribe for more forgotten history: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sEmXUuWIFlxRIFBRV6VXQ?sub_confirmation=1. Brooklyn Bridge. Glover/Barton VT to be precise. The crate containing the female giraffe rolled and rolled until it shattered to pieces. 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. where is the serial number on vera bradley luggage. The book was wonderful and reading this was the icing on the cake! 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. 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. San Diego, already a world-class zoo, opened their WPA-constructed Reptile House and a zoo caf. Initially they refused to leave their traveling carriers but were eventually lured out with onions. . A charming and wondrous enchantment of a novel Sunday, February 14, 2021 Michelle Newby Lancaster HISTORICAL FICTION Lynda Rutledge West with Giraffes: A Novel Lake Union Publishing Hardcover (also available as an e-book, an audiobook, on audio CD, and in paperback), 978-1-5420-2174-6, 356 pgs., $24.95 February 1, 2021 outline:none; Wonderful to see the photos and learn the history! giraffes - Find news stories, facts, pictures and video about giraffes - Page 1 | Newser Rhode Island got the worst of it. .printfriendly { .printfriendly.pf-alignright { Footage of two giraffes transported on the highway before they died 22,066 views Aug 5, 2014 20 Dislike Share Save Alberton Record 941 subscribers This incident caused a stir on social media,. All Rights Reserved. Stone stairs from a washed away house stood on Atlantic Ave through the 80s. San Diego's Hurricane Giraffes | In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. There the family stepped back on to land and back into their lives. .printfriendly.pf-alignleft { Non censuram. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. I absolutely loved this book. Images altered beyond standard cropping and resizing require further negotiation with a staff member. One story about the Zoo that was told in newspapers nationwide was the travels of Lofty and Patches, the Zoos first giraffes. And how to do it quickly enough so it didnt set off tremendous forest fires? margin-left: 6px; Benchley preferred to transport the giraffes by vehicle so that they could stop as deemed necessary to nourish and rest the animals. Making The History Guy takes time, effort, and equipment. Eighty-mile-an-hour winds lashed the coast and the torrential downpour caused rivers and streams to overflow. HURRICANE GIRAFFES TO QUARANTINE. The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 was one of the most destructive and powerful storms ever to strike southern New England. Real estate developers wiped out many of the orchards that the hurricane [], [] for 103 years, until 1958. Traveling shows displayed them as early as 1837; however, they were difficult to capture and transport, making them expensive to procure. Our giraffe habitat lets you get amazingly close to these tremendously tall creatures. The original caption reads: "D-40 Internationals sold to San Diego Zoo to transport 2 giraffes across the continent from New York. It's hard to imagine a time when most of the population had never seen a giraffe. Tall Blondes: A Book about Giraffes. News of the storm-tossed ship had reached reporters, and they gathered on the dock to get the story. The giraffe is in a large crate on the bed of the truck which appears to be inside a building. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. I headed to San Diego and their new zoo, where Id heard that the animals get treated better than the people. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel Publishing. "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. Ive fibbed a bit over the years and told people I was born during the great 1938 hurricane, the hospital lights were out, and the doctor slapped the wrong end, which was the beginning of all my troubles. 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 I loved this book from the first page to the very last. Connect to database. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. 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. 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. .figcaption {font-size: 75%;} I was 7 yrs old and I remember getting out of school late afternoon. and sweet foreign farm dung. For a farm boy who grew up listening to his father prattle on that animals were nothing more than food, this experience was life-changing. Peter Haden / WLRN. .printfriendly { One of the 19,000 buildings destroyed by the hurricane. 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!)*. The Modern Ark: The Story of Zoos: Past, Present and Future. cursor: pointer; Start your day off right, with a Dayspring Coffee The animals were loaded onto the S.S. Robin Goodfellow in Mombasa, British East Africa (present-day Kenya), for a 52-day, 3,200-mile journey to the coast of New York. 82nd Anniversary - September 21, 1938. It was the voice of the narrator that I struggled with. . Could not imagine the river that high. 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. Oct. 25, 2022 4:50 AM PT In October 1938 the first breeding pair of giraffes arrived at the San Diego Zoo from east Africa. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. i enjoyed the parts about the giraffes, their attachment to various characters, their enjoyment of the warm weather, sunshine, cool breezes. Americas First Zoostory: 125 Years at the Philadelphia Zoo. https://thehistoryguyguild.locals.com/. 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. 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. .primary-navigation-wrap{background-color:transparent}.main-navigation-menu a:hover,.main-navigation-menu a:hover:after,.main-navigation-menu a:active,.main-navigation-menu a:active:after{color:#fff !important}.main-navigation-menu li.current-menu-item>a,.main-navigation-menu li.current-menu-item>a:after:hover,.main-navigation-menu ul .menu-item-has-children>a:after:hover,.widget_wpcom_social_media_icons_widget ul li a{color:#fff !important}.widget_tag_cloud div a:link,.footer-widgets .widget_tag_cloud div a:link,.widget_tag_cloud div a:hover,.footer-widgets .widget_tag_cloud div a:hover,.widget_tag_cloud div a:active,.footer-widgets .widget_tag_cloud div a:active,.widget_tag_cloud div a:visited,.footer-widgets .widget_tag_cloud div a:visited,.wp_widget_tag_cloud div a:link,.footer-widgets .wp_widget_tag_cloud div 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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! Boston: Little, Brown and Co. Croke, Vicki. It destroyed cemeteries, slammed boats into shore, uprooted entire orchards and smashed structures into splinters. I absolutely loved this book! 22 (Evening special edition). oh, those sky-high eyes of theirs. 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. 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. 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). Sept. 21, 1938, was supposed to be a breezy fall day in New England. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. If youd like to read about a wild ride one family took during the storm, click here. That isn't much compared to what Hurricane Harvey did to Houston last month, dumping up to 50 inches of rain, but our hills and narrow valleys channel the water, producing much . It's 1938. The San Diego Zoo: The First Century. Almost 700 people perished as the result of the storm, and 2,000 were injured. 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. 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. Arriving in New York Sept. 23, they had to keep quarantine officers company for 16 days. Westward ho! Two huge broken-up crates are lifted off containing amazing cargo: two Baringo giraffes. The blurb describes this book so accurately, that I don't want to repeat it. 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. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. 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. 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. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. 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. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. Its closest relative is the okapi. The XVIII Winter Olympics opened in Nagano, Japan 25 years ago. lofty and patches giraffes 1938. The drama is a bit formulaic, as is the dialogue, and sometimes it's a bit sentimental, but it works, so who cares. Before the storm, 100 boats fished the waters between Point Judith, R.I., and New London. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. In October 1938 the first breeding pair of giraffes arrived at the San Diego Zoo from east Africa. Visit our other Wisconsin Historical Society websites! Thank you Lynda Rutledge for researching this story and writing this wonderful fictionalized account!! You can purchase the bow tie worn in this episode at The Tie Bar: Thank you again. 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. Down a winding road out in the middle the hill country, yet only 5 minutes from charming, bustling Fredericksburg, Texas, Rick has brought 3 zoo-born giraffes and 3 zoo-born southern white rhinos to a 100 acre ranch and has opened the first phase of his dream of offering that kind of fun, conservation experience for those of us unable to travel -webkit-box-shadow: none; The image should not be significantly altered through conventional or electronic means. San Diego Zoo. Her fictional account follows the giraffe truck across the Lee Highway and illustrates the scenes of America in 1938. .fun to weave the book with your stellar research! Volume 1: The Founding Era, 19161953. This was on his retirement day. I remember water lines painted on telco poles along the Merrimack river. West with Giraffes, a novel by Lynda Rutledge, gripped my attention from beginning to end. Just finished this wonderful book!! The narrator is the orphan, now 100 years old and nearing death, who has decided that he cant let the story die with him. San Diego Zoo's timeline is best viewed on a desktop. 1. Copyright 2023 The History Guy. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Im so happy that I found this website to answer my questions about this great book. For the purposes of a bibliography entry or footnote, follow this model: Common questions about purchasing historical images from the Wisconsin Historical Society. 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. San Diego Zoo. Sold! From the Archives: Chinese spy balloon sparks echos of Japanese balloon bombs during WWII. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Stephenson, Lynda Rutledge. San Diego, CA: Zoological Society of San Diego. However, as soon as she was upright the crew could see that her left rear ankle was severely injured. We had us an adventure, didnt we, Woody Nickel? Upon discovering that two of the passengers were giraffes, a whole new set of stories quickly developed. Part 3: War Years, 19371946. ZOONOOZ, March 2016. https://issuu.com/sdzglobal/docs/march_zn. Thank you! This book has a special place in my heart. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. He tried alfalfa and molasses. I finished the book last night and now after reading the background and seeing the pictures of the truck and the The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 - Damage Photos Weather.gov > New York, NY > The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 - Damage Photos Current Hazards Current Conditions Radar Forecasts Rivers and Lakes Climate and Past Weather Local Programs The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 82nd Anniversary - September 21, 1938 He called me pickle puss and remembered me when I brought my 4 children to meet him. https://zoohistories.com/2021/02/11/west-with-giraffes/. February 27, 2023 alexandra bonefas scott No Comments . . it was the main character that i could not bring myself to like. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time, you're watching the live cam from the Safari Park. They survived, although the female was injured. The giraffes, probably only a few years old, were met at the Brooklyn dock by the San Diego Zoos head keeper Charley Smith (Riley Jones and Old Man in the novel) and city truck driver Ed Seuss (Earl). When the 1938 hurricane washed the house away, she dug the family silver out of the sand and rebuilt it. Another regular occurrence, this one fictional, was the sighting of a fancy green Packard, driven by a redhead full of determination. The miracle giraffes who survived the killer hurricane on the high seas had to make their way the flooded and blocked streets of Manhattan today in order to get to the United States Bureau of Animal Industry Quarantine Station in Athenia, New . 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.. It's 1938. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. The 130-foot storm-ravaged cargo ship finally reached soggy and mangled Brooklyn on September 23. InNew Hampshire, fire destroyed four buildings in Peterborough and wind blew down part of the Cog Railway on Mount Washington. Please send suggestions for future episodes: Suggestions@TheHistoryGuy.net. It's 1938The Great Depression lingers. It turned out to be the storm surge, topped by waves 30 and 50 feet high. You'll be supporting this record of the past that helps to inform our present. 'jetpack-lazy-images-js-enabled' Location: Urban Jungle. 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. Apparently they subsisted on pancakes that the cook made for them for three days until they got to shore. All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. color: #3AAA11 !important; The events of the twelve-day cross-country drive are difficult to decipher outside of what Smith revealed to journalists and The Boss Lady. He did not keep a journal, so Lynda Rutledge takes creative license to fill in the blanks for us. font-size: 14px !important; 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. Non censuram. They also included the Colonial Hurricane of 1635, the Great September Gale of 1815 and the Hurricane of 1938. Narrator: On September 4, 1938, a French meteorologist in the Sahara noted winds moving west toward the African coast and the Atlantic Ocean.Two weeks later, these winds -- now at hurricane force . The first part of their journey involved sailing aboard a ship from Africa. As the truck finally reached the San Diego Zoo entrance on October 17, 1938, the nearly unthinkable had been accomplished. They were instant successes, and beloved by staff and visitors alike. Worley, Karen E. 2016. Explore Jim Widmer's photographs of the Friday fish fry dinner tradition in Wisconsin.