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. -moz-box-shadow: none; Inaccurate weather forecasts left residents unprepared. It's 1938. At 8:15 pm electric power went out and with it the fire . But was he proud of the two beautiful animals! Sold! vertical-align: middle; Another awesome animal book! She had red curls all over her head, a fiery halo of raging waves she surely battled into submission every morning, and she was wearing trousersthe first woman Id ever seen doing so in real life. Just when Woody thought this crazy girl had stopped following them, the green Packard would come roaring into view. HURRICANE GIRAFFES TO QUARANTINE. . The crate containing the female giraffe rolled and rolled until it shattered to pieces. But by 1925 there were reportedly only five giraffes in the entire country. Use of the image requires written permission from the staff of the Collections Division. West with Giraffes is an endearing, and also heart-rending piece of historical fiction. The director of the zoo tells Old Man, Any friend of Mrs. Benchley is welcome here.. Imagine waves so severe that a rhino is tossed overboard. 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. This is original content based on research by The History Guy. font-weight: 600; Few paid attention to the stormbarreling up the coast. Aftermath of the Great 1938 Hurricane in Hartford, Conn. Photo licensed under public domain by Wikipedia Commons. 1923 campaign for safe and sane driving in San Diego urged citizen vigilance in reporting traffic violations. Erosion from the Great 1938 hurricane. The stormblew down so many trees that paper mills processed them for nine years. Photo courtesy Archives and Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries. 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. One of those books that make you not want to even start another cuz. Above, the steamship Monhegansits at a pier in Providence after sinking during the hurricane. [], [] Sailing master Joseph Kemp compared the Portland Gale to the Great Hurricane of 1938. The user is responsible for all issues of copyright. I hope to die there, I do. 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. 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. 1938 hurricane giraffes . Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. 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. 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. .pf-button-img { color: #3AAA11 !important; The storm soaked an unknown number of pants. The main produce from that farm was Maple Sap and Dairy. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. September 22, 1938. Lofty and Patches. San Diego Zoo: 100 Years. [] department store employees could be fiercely loyal. https://thehistoryguyguild.locals.com/. Without warning, a powerful Category 3 hurricane slams into Long Island and southern New England, causing 600 deaths and devastating coastal cities and towns. 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. On board the ship were some unique passengers: two Giraffes. Giraffes Proud Parents at the San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (August 28, 1952): 15. Benchley preferred to transport the giraffes by vehicle so that they could stop as deemed necessary to nourish and rest the animals. Glover/Barton VT to be precise. 100 Years of the San Diego Zoo. text-decoration: none; Smith lured him with an acacia branch. The youngest child, just turned 2, was with her and a tree limb fell and gave him a bad cut on his head. Write by: . Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. .printfriendly a, .printfriendly a:link, .printfriendly a:visited, .printfriendly a:hover, .printfriendly a:active { 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. Giraffe. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. } As they neared the eastern coast of the U.S., the ship was thrashed about in a hurricane, tumbling their crates and washing all their food overboard! Lofty and Patches lived at the San Diego Zoo for nearly 30 years. Use the links below to plan your visit to the Society's Archives. I was 7 yrs old and I remember getting out of school late afternoon. Two giraffes (later to be called Lofty and Patches) travelled to New York surviving a hurricane at sea. Two-thirds of the boats in New Bedford Harbor sank. 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 Parts of downtown Providence were under 14 feet of water, with people sheltering on the second and third floors of buildings. And in Vermont, the storm caused a train derailment and uprooted maple trees and apple orchards. Her fictional account follows the giraffe truck across the Lee Highway and illustrates the scenes of America in 1938. Non censuram.Please send suggestions for future episodes: Suggestions@TheHistoryGuy.netThe History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered is the place to find short snippets of forgotten history from five to fifteen minutes long. 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. When they finally were in their new house, a picturesque building that resembles a fairy-tale illustration, every connected with the job was ready to fall apart except Mr. and Mrs. In 1938, the San Diego Zoo acquired two giraffes from east Africa. 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. > waynesville, mo police reports > 1938 hurricane giraffes. 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. 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