Halloween 2019 -- October 31, 2019

Happy Halloween, everyone. The 01-October-1945 cover of The New Yorker shows a group of ghosts wondering whether they should trick or treat at a spooky-looking house.

Reddy Kilowatt Strikes Again -- October 29,. 2019

PG&E shut down our power at 8:10pm on Saturday.  It came back after 4pm on Monday.  The house was nice and quiet.  Traffic along Highway One was miserable.

New Cat #70 -- October 25, 2019

I took the photo on 11-October-2019.

John Cyril Porte 100 Years -- October 22, 2019

New York Tribune, 28-October-1919

British naval officer John Cyril Porte planned to fly a Curitiss Model H flying boat, America, from the United State to Britain in July, 1914. He was competing for the Daily Mail's ₤10,000 prize for the first non-stop fight across the Atlantic. Sponsored by Rodman Wanamaker, Curtiss and Porte developed the Model H. The attempt was cancelled because of approach of war.

Porte designed many flying boats for Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). He also flew combat patrols so he could learn what was needed.  

Porte was accused of financial improprieties, but was later cleared. He died of tuberculosis 100 years ago today, on 22-October-1919.  

Lieut. Col. John C. Porte,

British Air Pioneer, Dies

Came to America in 1914 to

Help Curtiss Build the America for 'Cross-Sea Trip

BRIGHTON, England, Oct. 27. -- Lieutenant Colonel John Cyril Porte, former wing commander of the Royal Navy Air Service, is dead here of tuberculosis.

Lieutenant Porte came to this country in February, 1914, to cooperate with Glenn H. Curtiss in the construction and navigation of the huge airplane America, which Rodman Wanamaker purposed to send in a transatlantic flight. He returned to England in March, but came back in April with his young wife, announcing his intention of remaining here until he could go across in the airship. He planned to go from Newfoundland by way of the Azores and Spain. The vessel was built at Hammondsport, N. Y.. and was completed by June 20. Two days later it was launched on Keuka Lake, and in trials it more than fulfilled expectations. Delays arose, and at the beginning of August it was announced that Lieutenant Porte was returning to England for army service and that the flight across the Atlantic would be postponed until after the war. A little later the America was purchased by the British government and taken over on a steamship, and with it Porte did noteworthy service over the North Sea.

In the summer of 1915 Porte visited this country in the interest of the British aviation service. In July, 1917, charges of conspiracy and "graft" were preferred against him in England, but the government soon withdrew its case and fully exonerated him. He was at that time suffering from serious lung troubles.

In May last he went to Newfoundland to compete in the transatlantic race for the prize of $50,000 offered by "The Daily Mail" of London, but was recalled by the British Admiralty. He was the inventor of the type of airplane known as the "Felixstowe Fury." The largest aircraft of that type, and indeed the largest airplane of any type, ever built, was about to start from England for Capetown, South Africa, on August 11 last, when on a trial flight off Felixstowe it sideslipped and fell into the sea. The wireless operator was drowned, but the other six passengers were rescued.

Elijah Cummings, RIP -- October 18, 2019

I was sad to learn that Representative Elijah Cummings of Baltimore has died. He fought for voting rights, civil rights and social justice. Many people have commented on his kindness and many have called him a mentor.

He was very impressive when he chaired the Oversight and Government Reform Committee looking into the crimes of our so-called president. I am sorry that Representative Cummings will not be here to participate in the impeachment.

Loma Prieta Earthquake, 30-- October 17, 2019

[H.G. Wilshire, U.S. Geological Survey]

Thirty years ago today, I was at work in an office building at Fourth and Howard.  I usually left for home at 5pm, but I was debugging a series of programs that I was writing, trying to figure out why the output counter on one program did not agree with the input counter on another.  I was anxious to get home  to see the third game of the World Series between the Giants and the Oakland Athletics.  At 5:04pm, the building began to shake.  Several people ran to look out the windows.  I told them to get away from the windows and find some cover. 

The emergency team would not let us leave the floor.  My sister, who worked in the same office, and I were able to get out after a while.  I needed to catch BART to Daly City, but I figured it was down and I wanted to make sure my sister got home safely.  I later learned that my manager was on the crowded platform at the BART station when it went completely dark.  Eventually the emergency lights came on. 

My sister and I walked to the East Bay Terminal.  We saw a lot of broken glass.  We got on a 38 Geary.  It wasn't dark yet, so we saw damaged stores and terrible traffic.  We got off at Geary and Park Presidio.  I walked with her down to California Street, hoping to catch a 28-Nineteenth Avenue to the Daly City BART station.  I saw that traffic on Park Presidio was virtually stopped, so I decided that the bus was not coming soon. 

I walked out California Street.  It was starting to get dark and lots of people had candles on their stairways.  All lights were out.  The weather was warm and the air had a nice smell.  I walked up to my parents' house.  I knocked and then opened the door with my key.  I said "It's me."  "Who?" said my mother.  I explained.  Their house was not damaged, except for  some glasses leaning against the door of the china hutch.  I tried to call home and couldn't get through.  I asked if I could borrow their car.  I asked my mother to keep trying the phone.  She got through later. 

I drove carefully to the beach because the traffic lights were out.  I drove along the Great Highway, Skyline and Highway One.  The lights were out all the way.  When I got home to Pacifica, the lights had just come on.  My wife and daughter were ok and the house was not damaged.

They had been watching the game and saw the famous interruption before the power went out. 

I don't remember much of that night.  I called my parents to let them know I had made it home. 

The next morning I called my manager and he said we were supposed to stay home.  This was before we had remote access.  We drove to Daly City BART to get my car, then on to my parents' house.  We returned their car and checked to see if they were ok.  My wife was able to rescue most of the glasses leaning against the inside of the china hutch door. 

On Thursday, they let some of us volunteer to clean up the office.  We had to wear hard hats.  The building had big X-shaped beams in the windows.  Huge bolts had popped out of them and were lying on the floor.  I hadn't noticed on Tuesday, but many of the file cabinet drawers were open, especially the ones that contained heavy listings of programs.  I don't remember how long we stayed or what we did. 

On Monday we were able to go back to work, but in cubicles on the other side of the floor.  Many people were nervous about the bolts which had popped out.  I found the answer to my counter problem right away.  All of our batch processes, running in a data center on Fifth Street, had run without problems.  I later learned that the only system that had gone down was an Atalla device that fell over. 

After a few days, Wells Fargo said we were moving out.  Many people speculated that Wells wanted to break the lease and this was a good excuse.  The building continued to be used for years until it was torn down for Moscone West. 

We moved to the top floor of the data center on Fifth Street.  We worked in a big bullpen.  This required adjustments because we were accustomed to working in cubicles.  We didn't have voicemail.  In February, they moved half the team, including me, to a building in Oakland.  We learned that the previous group had moved out because of asbestos  contamination.  The other half of the team moved to a building at Third and Howard. 

Two years later, I transferred to another group in the building at Third and Howard.  I stayed there till 2012, when we moved to a building on Fremont.  This year we moved to a building on Market.

The photo, from the US Geological Survey, shows the collapsed Cypress Structure in Oakland.  One of my coworkers lost his partner there. 

Happy Columbus Day, 2019 -- October 12, 2019

Happy Columbus Day to those of you who still remember it.

Fires and Power Outages -- October 11, 2019

PG&E did a poorly managed power shutdown this week to try to cut down on wildfires during high-wind periods. I would like to see them spend some money on tree trimming and modernizing their infrastructure.

There are some large fires in Southern California because of the Santa Ana winds.

Ginger Baker, RIP -- October 6, 2019

www.listal.com

Ginger Baker, drummer for Cream, Blind Faith and other groups, has died. He was influenced by jazz drummers.  He had a bad temper; he once tried to stab Jack Bruce during a performance.

Feast of Saint Francis, 2019 -- October 4, 2019

Today is the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. I took the photo at Saint Veronica's parish in South San Francisco on 24-February-2019.

"Lord make me an instrument of your peace;
Where there is hatred let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

"O divine master grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And its in dying that we are born to eternal life."

With a Big List to Port -- October 4, 2019

San Francisco Call, 19-November-1896

This drawing is from the 19-November-1896 San Francisco Call. William A Coulter did many maritime drawings for the newspaper.

THE AMARAPOORA

IS IN TROUBLE

Although Now on an Even

Keel No One Will

Insure Her.

What will be done with the British tramp steamer Amarapoora is still a matter of doubt. The underwriters refuse to insure her and in consequence the owners of the cargo aboard will not allow the vessel to sail. That the Amarapoora is top heavy there can be no doubt.

All of Monday she lay in the stream with a list to port. Yesterday with the transfer of several tons of cargo from port to starboard she straightened up and is now on an even keel. Every inch of space on the steamer has been utilized and a schooner has been chartered to take away the freight left on Lombard-street wharf which she could not carry. All day she lay with steam up, but no satisfactory understanding could be reached, so the Amarapoora had to remain at anchor. She is one of the longest vessels in port for her beam, being 350 feet long and only 20 feet broad, while her depth of hold is 11 feet. The chances are still that the captain will have to dock her again and take off some of the deck load.

Jessye Norman, RIP -- October 1, 2019

I was sad to learn that soprano Jessye Norman has died.  She had a distinctive voice.

October, 2019 Version of the Cable Car Home Page -- October 1, 2019

I just put the October, 2019 version of my Cable Car Home Page on the server:
http://www.cable-car-guy.com/


It includes some new items:
1. Picture of the Month: A 1918 view of the Court Flight in Los Angeles (Source: Security Pacific National Bank Photo Collection).
2. On the Los Angeles area funiculars page: Ten and twenty year updates about Court Flight, including some newspaper items and a postcard of the Santa Catalina Island Incline Railway
3. Added News item about the return of the cable cars after the Cable Car Gearbox Rehabilitation project.


Ten years ago this month (October, 2009):
1. Picture of the Month: A circa-1930 view of Court Flight, showing the sandwich shop which provided additional revenue to the line.
2. On the Los Angeles area funiculars page: More about the Court Flight including a photo of Court Flight, an entry from a WPA guide, and some contemporary newspaper articles:
- Court Flight Delayed by Rain (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, January 1, 1905)
- Court Flight Real Estate Ad (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, January 8, 1905)
- Court Flight Fights A Competitor (Los Angeles Herald, Saturday, January 14, 1905)
- Court Flight Approved (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, August 13, 1905)
- Court Flight In Progress (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, August 27, 1905)
- Court Flight to Open Monday (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, September 24, 1905)
- Court Flight a Success (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, October 15, 1905)
- Court Flight Tax Plea (Los Angeles Herald, Tuesday, June 26, 1906)
- Court Flight Inspires Hotel (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, October 21, 1906) Court Flight Losing Money (Los Angeles Herald, Friday, February 8, 1907)
3. Also on the Los Angeles area funiculars page: Another postcard of the Santa Catalina Island Incline Railway
4. Added News item about two new cable car videos, one for kids and one about the bell ringing contest. Created a new section on these and other Cable Car Videos on the San Francisco detail page
5. Also News and Bibliography items about a collision at Washington and Mason


Twenty years ago this month (October, 1999):
1. Picture of the Month: Powell and Mason, 1880's
2. Roll out More Ferries and Cliff House Pictures page
3. Roll out Los Angeles area funiculars/Court Flight and Catalina on the Other California Cities page
4. Add RR Extra to links
5. Add news item and bibliography item about a loose strand
6. Updated SF Roster page

Coming in November, 2019: On the Los Angeles area funiculars page: A ten and twenty year update about the Los Angeles and Mount Washington Railway

The Cable Car Home Page now has a Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/CableCarHomePage/

Joe Thompson
The Cable Car Home Page (updated 01-October-2019)
http://www.cable-car-guy.com/
San Francisco Bay Ferryboats (updated 31-January-2019)
http://www.cable-car-guy.com/ferry/
Park Trains and Tourist Trains (updated 31-July-2019)
http://www.cable-car-guy.com/ptrain/
The Pneumatic Rolling-Sphere Carrier Delusion (updated spasmodically)
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com
The Big V Riot Squad (new blog)
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/