San Diego's Hurricane Giraffes | In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. They were on their way to San Diego Zoo in California. This is a good book for the whole family to read. It brought down 20,000 miles of power and telephone lines. 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. Stephenson, Lynda Rutledge. 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. I loved this book from the first page to the very last. 2016. 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. February 27, 2023 alexandra bonefas scott No Comments . Is there any talk of turning this into a movie? Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. @media screen { It's 1938. Lion Country . The "Teenie Weenies" cartoons enchanted readers of all ages for more than 50 years. West with Giraffes, a novel by Lynda Rutledge, gripped my attention from beginning to end. My Grandparents had a Farm in Northern Vermont. display: none; } Almost 700 people perished as the result of the storm, and 2,000 were injured. Erosion from the Great 1938 hurricane. Lofty and Patches became national figures when they made the last lap. .printfriendly.pf-aligncenter { Volume 1: The Founding Era, 19161953. I was so excited to read this book but couldn't get past the first third. vertical-align: middle; 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. 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. Baby Giraffes from Africa Reach San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (October 27, 1938): 14. I had read about the true story of the famous hurricane giraffes when I conducted research for my story on Belle Benchley, but I thank Lynda Rutledge for writing this work of fiction, which left me with the desire to learn more about them. My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a review e-copy of this one. [] 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 []. The keepers and other staff members would visit her daily; [s]ometimes as many as eight would come during the same day or evening, she recalled. Hooray Lynda Rutledge. 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 Benchley recalled, I have never seen anyone so tired and relieved as Charley Smith when he drove the great awkward truck through the zoo gate, half an hour after phoning me from a suburb. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. Red was an aspiring photojournalist trying to sell her giraffe story to Life magazine. Lofty and Patches. San Diego Zoo: 100 Years. The XVIII Winter Olympics opened in Nagano, Japan 25 years ago. Listen 4:55. But getting Mr. -webkit-box-shadow: none; the rig, the Old Man, and the giraffes were more homeand more familythan any home Id ever had. Estimates vary, but at least 400 people died that day andmaybe as many as 800. All Wildlife. But by 1925 there were reportedly only five giraffes in the entire country. In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. The original caption reads: "D-40 Internationals sold to San Diego Zoo to transport 2 giraffes across the continent from New York. Giraffes at Lion Country Safari remained outdoors and kept their heads down during Hurricane Irma. Sept. 21, 1938, was supposed to be a breezy fall day in New England. /* If html does not have either class, do not show lazy loaded images. 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. Please Credit: Wisconsin Historical Society. Imagine waves so severe that a rhino is tossed overboard. This is one of the most unusual and heartwarming road-trip/animal adventure/love stories I have ever read. Wendy Eckart. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. All rights reserved. I seldom read books more than once, but this one I will return to again in the future! Not a favorite. Use the links below to plan your visit to the Society's Archives. Sold! 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. The stormblew down so many trees that paper mills processed them for nine years. In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. Wisconsin history is full of breweries and beer. The blurb describes this book so accurately, that I don't want to repeat it. Images altered beyond standard cropping and resizing require further negotiation with a staff member. too many authors seems to be using this idea and with this book it definitely did not work for me. Even up there the damage was great. The giraffe is in a large crate on the bed of the truck which appears to be inside a building. How I got into. Yes, yes Mr. Ostrich, that is of course exactly what it means. . The original caption reads: "7 negatives of D-40 International sold to San Diego zoo to transport 2 giraffes across the continent from New York. As a book junkie, when I receive new book alerts I almost always peruse the titles. I dont know how I was led to this book.Thank you to whomever suggested it. Giraffes Will Ride in Truck to California. Miami Herald (September 25, 1938): 4. This fictional tale is based on the true story and was so beautifully written that it will be remembered for a long time. Loading them was no one-day job and in the melee, Patches (Mrs. giraffe), kicked Smith down more than once. document.documentElement.classList.add( I have been recommending it to everyone! a 30-foot bank of what looked like fog rolled in toward Long Island. 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. All Rights Reserved. Robert L. was completely crushed by the animal. Begin or dive deeper into researching your family tree, Learn about the spaces, places, & unique story of your community, The largest North American Heritage collection after the Library of Congress. San Diego, already a world-class zoo, opened their WPA-constructed Reptile House and a zoo caf. Sometimes the men even stopped under appropriate food trees and let Lofty and Patchesstretch stretch their necks up for an afternoon snack. Funny in many parts. She telegraphs WIRE ME TODAY, and you can bet she gets her wire. Knowing that the female giraffe barely survived the hurricane, I can imagine Benchley was quite worried throughout Smiths cross-country trip with the giraffes! A touch of unrequited romance, a bit of larceny and a droll sense of humor kept me entranced to the end. . Sherr, Lynn. .printfriendly.pf-alignright { . Looks like a granny, dresses like a schoolmarm, swears like a sailor, and still charms snooty zoo galoots with their fancy educations. Rutledge even includes reference to Benchleys encounter with an escaped baboon. The first part of their journey involved sailing aboard a ship from Africa. West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge was inspired by the true story of two giraffes in 1938 that "survived a hurricane at sea, then were driven cross-country for 12 days in little more than a tricked-out pickup truck to become the first giraffes in Southern California." 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. I was 7 yrs old and I remember getting out of school late afternoon. @media print { In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. unlike almost every other reviewer, i could put the book down without any trouble. Getting to see a giraffe in 1938 was a pretty rare occasion. Sweet memories. A giraffe could look into a second-story window without even having to stand on its tiptoes! I absolutely loved this book. Thanks to amazon first reads and @lakeunion for the e-Arc . 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. . 1940. Charley Smith was certainly the man for the job. Life Magazine is a photographic magazine chronicling the 20th Century. Cleaning up timber damaged by the Great 1938 Hurricane took years. They are inside a large wooden crate on the back of the truck which is in a building. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. 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. body.custom-background { background-color: #505050; } Browse all issues of Life Magazine in full color and search the full text through Google Books. 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. They talked about the bridges that had washed away. And in Vermont, the storm caused a train derailment and uprooted maple trees and apple orchards. Animal Trainer Called by Death. Los Angeles Times (July 21, 1941): B16. If you like history too, this is the channel for you. See and touch history at Historic Sites, Museums and special events, Restore your historic home or property, get tax credits, renovation tips. Use of the image requires written permission from the staff of the Collections Division. For commercial or non-profit use, please contact Image Sales. I can see this made into a movie one day. Brooklyn Bridge. San Diego, CA: Zoological Society of San Diego. Thank you! i guess this is supposed to build up suspense and have the reader on the edge of their seat, waiting with bated breath for the secret to be revealed. . train station pub happy hour 1938 hurricane giraffes. But the author does a magnificent job. Start your day off right, with a Dayspring Coffee box-shadow: none; West with Giraffes. It is one of my favorite books I have read in my 84 1/2 yrs. The storm developed near the Cape Verde Islands on September 9, tracking across the Atlantic and up the Eastern Seaboard. 1938 hurricane giraffes West with Giraffes is a wonderful novel based on the true story of the cross-country road trip America's first giraffes took in 1938. Explore Jim Widmer's photographs of the Friday fish fry dinner tradition in Wisconsin. margin-left: 6px; Thank you so much for the feedback! However, from Benchleys 1941 memoir it is obvious that Smith did not update her as much as she would have preferred. I remember hearing my dad talk about this and how it affected the trees. One of those books that make you not want to even start another cuz. But when they underestimated an approaching hurricane, at least 250 luckless World War I vets died, caught in the path of the most. Based on true events, this adventurous historical novel is the story of 17 year old Woody, the giraffes known as "Boy" and "Girl", the "Old Man" and a host of other characters met on their travels. Thank you for sharing it the magic of googling. 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. So, although he cant speak, falls out of his wheelchair, isnt eating, he commits this story in sprawling detail to the pages of notebooks. 1923 campaign for safe and sane driving in San Diego urged citizen vigilance in reporting traffic violations. https://zoohistories.com/2021/02/11/west-with-giraffes/. As one of the most costly hurricanes to hit the U.S. mainland, it caused damage later estimated at $308 million. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Image-purchasing questions? . The country had endured a Great Depression, filling the landscape with Hoovervilles and shantytowns, WPA and CCC projects, and migrants searching for a better life. You can purchase the bow tie worn in this episode at The Tie Bar: https://www.thetiebar.com/?utm_campaign=BowtieLove\u0026utm_medium=YouTube\u0026utm_source=LanceGeigerAll events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. Nothing worked until, after a couple of hours, he tried an onion. So very touching and heart wrenching!! The main produce from that farm was Maple Sap and Dairy. Vol. Now get that head back in its hole, ignore those know nothing scientists, and relax. that's really only 2-1/2 stars. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. Thank you Lynda Rutledge for researching this story and writing this wonderful fictionalized account!! For instance, there were amazing oral histories just about the 1938 hurricane that the giraffes were caught in before landing in New York was the worst until Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The San Diego Zoo: The First Century. If you liked. display: inline; However, as soon as she was upright the crew could see that her left rear ankle was severely injured. Write by: . Please Contact Us. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. 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. The accomplishment topped off what turned out to be a very successful year for the zoo. They were finally able to leave quarantine on October 10, 1938. Empower curiosity about the people, places, and stories of our past. Hurricane Sweeps Coast. New York Times (September 22, 1938): 1, 1618. Making The History Guy takes time, effort, and equipment. Fantastic, and such a good read. 1997. Print out this index page and present it to the librarian. 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. color: #3AAA11 !important; 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. 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! At 12:30 PM, a 30-foot bank of what looked like fog rolled in toward Long Island. I have some books printed the next year , with 100s of picture , tv, nh, ri, and ct I have a book for each. Check out our new community for fans and supporters! As the truck finally reached the San Diego Zoo entrance on October 17, 1938, the nearly unthinkable had been accomplished. Apparently they subsisted on pancakes that the cook made for them for three days until they got to shore. 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? 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 Thank you for this! font-size: 14px !important; Survivor. Virginia Beach: The Donning Company. Gawky Giraffes to Leave Athenia Today for Coast. Paterson (N.J.) News (October 10, 1938): 35. I Has it been made into a movie, or any chance it might be? text-decoration: none; 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 Copyright 2023 Rumble. 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). 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. A storm formed in the eastern Atlantic near the Cape Verde Islands on September 4, 1938, and headed west. This book stays in my library for later rereading. Real estate developers wiped out many of the orchards that the hurricane [], [] for 103 years, until 1958. 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. Above, the steamship Monhegansits at a pier in Providence after sinking during the hurricane. But when she was angry she made Mount Vesuvius seem considerably less dangerous. The Great 1938 Hurricane inflicted tremendous damage on shipping. Americas First Zoostory: 125 Years at the Philadelphia Zoo. Could not imagine the river that high. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. .printfriendly { Find The History Guy at:New community! Thank you again. 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. she was such a sweet grandmotherly type. Orphaned during the Dust Bowl, he found his way to New York to work for a distant cousin. No more Maple Groves, no barn, the cows were standing in what used to be their stalls.. The book was wonderful and reading this was the icing on the cake! Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. 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. On board the ship were some unique passengers: two Giraffes. She smelled of fur . In 1938, the San Diego Zoo acquired two giraffes from east Africa. Life Magazine Digital Archive. https://thehistoryguyguild.locals.com/This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Amazingly, one of the crew saw the female giraffe move, so they covered and protected her as the storm raged on. Connect to database. 1943: Lotus, first hippo born at zoo; trainer Richard Havemann fatally injured by Himalayan bear. A woman stands on the running board of an International D-40 truck to feed a captive giraffe in transport. 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. Her fictional account follows the giraffe truck across the Lee Highway and illustrates the scenes of America in 1938. Smith stayed with the giraffes during their time in quarantine, sleeping beside their stalls, nursing the females injury, and getting to know these towering creatures of Gods pure Eden. After their quarantine was complete, it was time to load the giraffes into their custom-made, heavily padded 12 8 crates, which were large enough for the giraffes to lie down on piles of peat moss and straw. DeLeon, Clark. 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. Giraffe. They were to be the zoos first giraffes, and the city was excited about the impending arrivals. There were many reasons giraffes were hard to come by for Americas first zoos. West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. That was the plan, anyway, but the female giraffe had had enough of travel crates! The user is responsible for all issues of copyright. 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 . There is no real bluffing and nothing underhanded between Charley Smith and me nor is there between any of us; we are all working for one end, here in the Zoo, though perhaps by different methods. The great hurricane of 1938, which hit on September 21, was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869. On board the ship were some unique passengers: two Giraffes. Two-thirds of the boats in New Bedford Harbor sank. justify-content: center; padding: 0; During that time they had seven offspring, including aptly named D-Day, born June 6, 1944. .printfriendly.pf-alignleft { Karie, I just finished West with Giraffes. 1938: The Great Depression lingers. This was on his retirement day. Two giraffes (later to be called Lofty and Patches) travelled to New York surviving a hurricane at sea. September 22, 1938. Parts of downtown Providence were under 14 feet of water, with people sheltering on the second and third floors of buildings. My Life in a Man-Made Jungle. At 8:15 pm electric power went out and with it the fire . In 1938, there was a terrible hurricane that caused massive destruction to New York. 1938: Two giraffes, Lofty and Peaches, arrive. I did some research too and found a website that gave me an idea of what the two crates looked like. 100 Years of the San Diego Zoo. Along with the rhino, the food for the giraffes was lost as well. z-index: 1000; position: relative Train travel did not allow that freedom. (Side note: these events occurred one year after young Nicky Arundel got his wish for giraffes at the National Zoo.). Even today, the numbers are startling. West with Giraffes is a Lovely Book based on real life events, about an orphaned teenager who ends up driving two giraffes across the USA to the San Diego Zoo in 1938. 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. In 1938, the merchant steamer SS Robin Goodfellow was caught in the Great New England Hurricane. ship I am getting all chocked up and tearing ..I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH ! Those Giraffes, caught in a. The hurricane chewed away at roadbeds, like Shore Drive in Winthrop, Mass., above. Woodrow Wilson Nickel is a 17-year old boy who left his home in TX during the dust bowl to live with his relative. Amanda Heidt | Mar 19, 2021 | 5 min read. .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.. 2016. https://www.sandiegozoo100.org/100-animals/lofty-and-patches. The giraffes arrival made the front page of The San Diego Union, Oct. 25, 1938. Old World. The 1938 New England Hurricane made landfall near Bellport on Long Island, New York, and again near Milford and New Haven, Connecticut. What we called highways were barely tolerable for transporting people much less chauffeuring giraffes. .fun to weave the book with your stellar research! 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 . It was the voice of the narrator that I struggled with. 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. 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. 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 . } Little did anyone now that in September 1938, during the final few days of their trip, these animals bound for San Diego would encounter what was then the most devastating hurricane to hit the upper East Coast, killing nearly 700 people. 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. *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. Glover/Barton VT to be precise. 22 (Evening special edition). 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. Of course, I knew your zoo history background already, so I was delighted to see your additions to this beautiful story. Photo courtesy Archives and Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries. 1938 hurricane giraffes . It is history that deserves your help! When, finally, I can bear the silence no longer, I let him know that I must have news. It destroyed cemeteries, slammed boats into shore, uprooted entire orchards and smashed structures into splinters. The dead filled funeral homes. Please send suggestions for future episodes: Suggestions@TheHistoryGuy.net.
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