2017 -- December 31, 2017

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I wish everyone a happy and peaceful New Year. For this year's summary, I decided to add a photo for each month.

In January, during the heavy rains, northbound Highway One through Pacifica was closed by a mudslide.   Muni received its first of its new Siemens S200 light rail vehicles.  The Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus announced that they were going out of business.  We observed the 100th birthay of Muhammad Ali.  We observed the 100th anniversary of the death of Colonel William F Cody, Buffalo Bill.  We observed the 50th anniversary of the  Human Be-In and the fire that destroyed Apollo One and killed its crew.  Former San Francisco City Librarian and California State Librarian Kevin Starr and Astronaut Gene Cernan died.

An unqualified and unwholesome person became our President.

The Navy had two serious collisions involving destroyers. In June, 7 died on the USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62). In August, 10 died on the USS John S. McCain (DDG-56).

Chicago Day Book, 03-February-1917

In February, I wrote about a book which detailed the first day of the Battle of the Somme.  We marked the 100th anniversary of the US breaking relations with Germany because of the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare and the recording of the first jazz record.  Singer Al Jarreau and Professor Irwin Corey, the World's Foremost Authority, died.  We marked the 75th anniversary of President Roosevelt signing Executive Order 9066, which allowed for the internment of Japanese-Americans.

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In March, I started a new series on the circus, inspired by the imminent demise of the Ringling Brothers Circus.  We observed the 150th birthdays of impresario Flo Ziegfeld, Cy Young, who was both the winningest and losingest pitcher and American inventor Samuel Franklin Cody, who built the first successful airplane in Great Britain.  We observed the 100th birthday of Rufus Thomas, the World's Oldest Teenager.  We observed the 100th anniversary of the death of Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the inventor of the Zeppelin. Blues harpist James Cotton and rock'n'roll master Chuck Berry died.

Washington Herald, 03-April-1917

In April, I made the last entry in the series Killed the First Day of the Somme.  I started a new series of photos of art exhibits dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love.  We observed the 100th anniversary of the US declaring war on Germany and the start of the Battle of Arras.  We marked the 100th anniversary of the death of great American composer Scott Joplin.  We observed the 150th birthday of inventor Wilbur Wright.  We observed the 100th birthday of the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald.

Many cities in the US began to take down monuments dedicated to Civil War traitors.  New Orleans removed three in April.  Naturally, there have been objections from racists in various cities.

In May, Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. the Greatest Show on Earth, gave its final performance. I resumed a series of old baseball photos.  We marked the 100th anniversary of the first appearance of Our Lady to the children in Fatima and the 75th anniversary of the surrender of Corregidor.  We marked the 100th birthday of President John F Kennedy.  Musician Greg Allman and writer Denis Johnson died.  We went to see the Giants beat the Braves 7-1.

Archdiocese of San Francisco

In June, this blog celebrated its tenth anniversary.  We observed 100th anniversary of  a large German daylight bombing raid on London and the death of pioneer aviator Tom Benoist and the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Midway.  We observed the 150th birthday of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the 100th birthday of actor and singer Dean Martin and the 50th anniversary of the Monterey Pop Festival.  Oceanographers confirmed the discovery of the wreck of the Coast Guard Cutter McCulloch, which sank 100 years that month after colliding with a coastwise liner.  John R Quinn, Archbishop Emeritus of San Francisco and comedian Bill Dana died. 

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 in the NBA championship series. This was the Warriors' third straight time in the championship series against Cleveland and their second win.

In July, I published the last installment of the book Over the Top by Arthur Guy Empey.  Canada celebrated the 150th anniversary of confederation.  Byron Cobb won his seventh title at the Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest. We marked the 100th anniversary of the murder of the Russian Imperial Family.  Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel died. I tried to avoid mentioning our so-called president until he disgraced himself and the Boy Scouts of America.

In early August, we took our vacation, but we stayed at home and made day trips.  We went to Sonoma, Fisherman's Wharf and Sacramento.

In August, we saw the first nationwide solar eclipse since 1979.  SMART (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit) had its formal opening.  I haven't ridden it yet. 

Racists had a march and rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Our so-called president disgraced himself again.  Some people feel that images of Lady Liberty are insulting to our so-called president, so I started a new series. Later in the month, White supremacists/Nazis/klansmen/degenerates planned a rally at Crissy Field.  They got frightened off.

I went to Good Shepherd School in Pacifica and talked to Junior High kids about the topic of the current DAR essay contest, inspired by the upcoming centennial of Armistice Day: if you were living at the end of the war, what effect would it have on your life?  I restarted my series about New Orleans with a post about pianist and composer Blind Tom. 

I reran my post from ten years ago when Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run, breaking Hank Aaron's record. We marked the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Guadalcanal.  We celebrated what may have been the 100th birthday of bluesman John Lee Hooker.  Musician Glen Campbell and civil rights advocate Godfrey Cambridge died. 

At the end of August and the beginning of September we had an unusual heat wave.In Houston, Hurricane, later Tropical Storm, Harvey flooded large portions of the city and killed many people. 

In September, the California Street cable line was shut down for a week while part of the driving machinery was replaced.  We marked the 100th anniversary of the disappearance of French flier Georges Guynemer and the death of German pilot Werner Voss.  Matt Cain pitched his last game for the Giants and retired.  Singer Rick Stevens of Tower of Power and boxer Jake Lamotta died. 

Our so-called president cruelly announced the end of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), harming the economy and the lives of thousands of people who have lived in the US almost their entire lives.  Hurricane Maria severely hurt Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.  Actively hating people of color, our so-called president did as little as possible.

In October, huge fires in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino Counties killed many people and caused huge amounts of damage, particularly in Santa Rosa.  Smoke was heavy in the air, even in San Francisco and Pacifica.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller arrested three of our so-called president's minions, starting the process that may bring down the whole treasonous criminal organization. 

I revived the series about magic.  We observed the 100th birthdays of beautiful human being Dizzy Gillespie and great American composer Thelonious Monk.  Musicians Fats Domino and Tom Petty died.

Our pastor said that our parish might have to combine with the other one in Pacifica. 

In November, the Dodgers lost the World Series.  We went to the second performance of Girls of the Golden West, a new opera by John Adams.  President Robert Mugabe finally got deposed in Zimbabwe.

We remembered the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution.  We marked the 50th anniversary of Rolling Stone magazine.

Della Reese and Jon Hendricks died.

In December, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee died.  Big wildfires burned in Ventura County. The first scheduled Amtrak train over the Point Defiance Bypass derailed.  At least three people died, including two railfans. E Hunter Harrison, the railroad executive mired in attempts to streamline CSX died.

We remembered the 125th anniversary of the death of Jay Gould.  We remembered the 100th anniversary of the Halifax explosion and the death of actor Eric Campbell.  We marked the 50th anniversary of the release of Magical Mystery Tour and the 50th anniversary of the death of Otis Redding.

Singer Keely Smith died.

Actress Rose Marie died.

Author Sue Grafton died.

In the later part of the year, sexual assault and harassment became an important item in many areas, including politics, news and entertainment.  It's about time. The Republicans nominated an accused child molester for an open Senate seat in Alabama.  The Democrat won, but many people supported the accused child molester.

The Giants did poorly this year, but I was happy to see the Astros defeat the Dodgers in the World Series.   In December, the Giants signed third baseman Evan Longoria.

Actress Marion Byron was often called "Peanut" because of her towering height.  She was Buster Keaton's co-star in Steamboat Bill, Jr and appeared in many silent Hal Roach productions.

Sue Grafton, RIP -- December 30, 2017

I was sad to learn that Sue Grafton has died.  We were at Bay Books in Half Moon Bay many years ago and the owner recommended the first book of a new series, A is for Alibi.  I bought it for my wife.  We wondered what would happen when the author got Z.  I suggested AA is for Aardvark.  I bought her each volume as Grafton published it.  This year I bought my wife Y is for Yesterday.  Grafton did not finish Z is for Zero.

Grafton refused to sell film and television rights, and told her kids, and I presume her husband, that she would haunt them if they sold the rights after she died.

Be "Car-Wise" and See the New 1918 Model Elcar Before You Buy -- December 29, 2017

Wheeling Intelligencer, 12-January-1918

The Elcar was manufactured by the Elkhart Carriage Company from 1915 to 1931. "The Elcar" sounds redundant. Should be "El Car."

Rose Marie, RIP -- December 28, 2017

What's on the Air, June, 1930

I first knew about Rose Marie from reruns of The Dick Van Dyke Show.  Later I learned that she started out as Baby Rose Marie.  She had a radio show and made her first movie, a Vitaphone short, at the age of five.  She appeared in International House with WC Fields, Burns and Allen, Cab Calloway and Stoopnagle and Bud.  Rose Marie died at age of 94.

In Circulation -- World of Sports -- December 27, 2017

The San Francisco Arts Commission (http://www.sfartscommission.org/) has set up a series of posters by artist Sarah Hotchkiss called In Circulation, showing what was going on in local newspapers and other publications during the Summer of Love.  World of Sports shows how papers large and small reported on Muhammad Ali, golf, skiing and bowling.

New Cat #49 -- December 26, 2017

I took the photo on 30-December-2016.  She stayed out of the tree until that day.

Merry Christmas, 2017 -- December 25, 2017

Tulsa Daily World, 25-December-1917

Merry Christmas, everyone. Peace on Earth and goodwill to men (women, and children).

A cartoon from the 25-December-1917 Tulsa Daily World shows a soldier on the Western Front opening a package from home and his family thinking of him.  

If the Baby Jesus Came to Earth Today -- December 24, 2017

Ogden Standard, 25-December-1917

Is this sacrilegious?  It says that if Jesus was born in 1917, a German aviator would be dropping bombs on the holy family.

Happy Christmas Eve, everyone.

Oh Christmas! -- December 23, 2017

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Judge was an American humor magazine published from 1891 to 1947.  Ruth Eastman drew this cover for the 17-December-1927 issue, showing a young lady mulling over her long Christmas shopping list, which appears to have only two items checked off.

1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Coupe -- December 21, 2017

We visited the Blackhawk Museum in June, 2013 to drool over their collection of classic autos.

The 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Coupe was an experimental car known as "The Father of Lightweights."  During a test it ran at 152.5 mph.  "DB" stood for David Brown, the tractor manufacturer who had purchased Aston Martin and Lagonda.  (051/dsc_0172)

Baseball Today -- December 19, 2017

Los Angeles Herald, 05-December-1895

On the sunny west coast, baseball season was not limited to the summer months.  Here the Trilbys played the Seventh Regiment club in Los Angeles.  Fiesta Park was at Grand Avenue and Pico Boulevard.

Keely Smith, RIP -- December 18, 2017

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I was sad to learn that singer Keely Smith has died.  She worked with and was married to Louis Prima for many years.  She was deadpan, he was manic.  It must have been awful being married to  him, but they made some nice music together.  I remember when she made a comeback in the 1980s.

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She appeared in some movies, including Thunder Road with Robert Mitchum.

A Christmas Present? -- December 17, 2017

Seattle Star, 25-December-1917

On 28-December-1917,. the United States Railroad Administration took over operation of all the railroads in the United States because the railroads had shown themselves to be unable to handle the crush of business caused by the entry of the United States into the war. The cartoonist is not optimistic.

Pres. Wilson Confers With R. R. Brotherhood Chiefs

United Press Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25. -- President Wilson summoned the chiefs and legislative agents of the four railroad brotherhoods to a conference at the White House Thursday. The purpose of the conference is not understood.

The president has recently conferred with these men, and his summons came as a surprise.  It is known the president has been making an intensive study of the railroad situation, and the conference probably is to allow him to lay before the railroad men his plans for increasing railroad efficiency. 

Rumors have been current for some time that the government intended taking over the management or the control of the railroads as a war measure. 

No intimation of what President Wilson's sentiments in this regard are has been forthcoming, and an address to congress on the subject, which it is expected he will make soon after the holidays, is being awaited with great interest. 

Swastika on the Statue of Liberty -- December 15, 2017

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MLJ Comics published Pep Comics, which introduced The Shield - G-Man Extraordinary and The Hangman. Here we see them attack a group of Nazis who appear to be preparing to mount a swastika on the Statue of Liberty's torch.  Later, Pep carried the adventures of permanent teenager Archie Andrews. 

Some people seem to feel that images of Lady Liberty are insulting to our so-called president.  I thought having some Nazis who are about to get their comeuppance in the image would be a good touch.  

Christmas Greetings From Thurston, the Magician -- December 13, 2017

Billboard, 22-December-1917

Magician Howard Thurston established himself as a successful vaudeville performer, then joined with Harry Kellar on his farewell tour.  When Kellar retired in 1908, Thurston carried on as his successor.  Thurston continued performing until he suffered a stroke in 1935. 

Mayor Ed Lee, RIP -- December 12, 2017

SFMTA Photo

The clock radio went off at 5:30 this morning and KCBS said that Mayor Ed Lee had died.  He wasn't perfect, but he seemed like a pleasant and honest person.  I didn't like what he did about the  homeless and housing, but he was a good administrator and always put on a smile for people. He was San Francisco's first mayor of Asian descent.  Board of Supervisors President London Breed will be acting mayor.

All transit vehicles including the cable cars stopped for one minute at noon in memory of Mayor Lee.

Two Minds With But a Single Thought -- December 11, 2017

Billboard, 22-December-1917

Julius and Agnes Zancig developed the best mentalist act in show business.  They worked together for 30 years, until Agnes died in 1916.  Julius remarried, but his second wife, Ada, didn't like appearing on stage, so Julius hired a man, called Henry in the act, who left after a short time to join the Army.  Julius hired David Bamberg, a member of the Okito family, who took the name Syko the Psychic.  Syko left in 1919 and Ada rejoined the act.

Red Sky at Night -- December 10, 2017

We were on our way to 5 o'clock mass at Good Shepherd yesterday and my wife pointed out the sunset.  I had to stop to take a photo.  Some of the red may come from the big fires in Ventura County.

Otis Redding, 50 Years -- December 10, 2017

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50 years ago today, on 10-December-1967, Otis Redding, singer, songwriter and producer, died when his plane crashed in Wisconsin. In June, he had appeared at the Monterey Pop Festival.  After the festival, he stayed in a houseboat in Sausalito, where he started to compose "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay."  He recorded it days before the crash.

Batman -- Robin Trims the Tree -- December 9, 2017

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Former circus acrobat Robin the Boy Wonder seems to be falling down and knocking over the Christmas tree while he tries to put the star on top.  From the cover of Batman Number 33.

Magical Mystery Tour 50 -- December 8, 2017

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50 years ago today, on 08-December-1967, the Beatles release Magical Mystery Tour as a double EP in the UK.  It had been released as an LP in the US the month before, on 27-November-1967.  The television film premiered on the BBC on 26-December-1967.  I think I first saw the movie around 2012, but my sister had the album and I often borrowed it and her record player.  I particularly liked "I Am the Walrus."

Pearl Harbor Day, 2017 -- December 7, 2017

76 years ago a sneak attack by forces of the Japanese Empire sank or damaged much of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Empire came to regret doing this.

Dreadnought USS Tennessee (BB-43) was commissioned in 1920.  During the attack on Pearl Harbor, she was hit by two bombs, but both failed to explode properly.  After being repaired and modernized at Puget Sound, she spent the rest of the war supporting the island hopping campaign and the Aleutian campaign.

Halifax Explosion Kills 2000 -- December 6, 2017

New York Sun, 07-December-1917

100 years ago today, on 06-December-1917, two ships, one loaded with ammunition, collided in the harbor Halifax, Nova Scotia.  The French ammunition ship caught fight, then exploded.  2000 people may have died and damage was extensive.  Help poured in from all over Canada and the United States.  Nova Scotia sends a Christmas tree to Boston every year to acknowledge their help.

HALIFAX EXPLOSION KILLS 2,000;

CRASH BLOWS UP MUNITION SHIP;

2 SQUARE MILES OF CITY WRECKED

Thousands More Injured, Shipping Is Destroyed and Millions of Dollars Property Damage Done in British Naval Base

DARTMOUTH, N. S., ALMOST GONE; FIRE SWEEPS DEVASTATED AREA

Relief Being Sent to Stricken City From All Parts of Canada and From United States -- Utter Darkness Prevails

Special Despatch to The SUN.

HALIFAX, Dec. 6. -- Confused whistle signals exchanged between the French munition ship Mont Blanc and the Norwegian steamship Imo, resulted this morning in a collision that caused an explosion which killed more than 2,000 persons, injured thousands and destroyed millions of dollars worth of property.

Five thousand tons of high explosives on board the Frenchman blew up with terrific force. Two square miles of the town of Halifax and the suburb of Richmond were shaken and devastated and a fire that followed completed the havoc that had already been begun. Ships in the harbor, among them the Canadian cruiser Niobe, were-damaged. Two of the crew of the Niobe were killed and many more injured.

The French steamship was coming into port and was headed for Pier 8, one of the new piers constructed along the northern end of the water front. The Norwegian ship was outward bound. The Mont Blanc signaled that she was going to starboard. The Norwegian did not get the signal correctly and rammed the munition ship.

There came at first a minor explosion and fire on board the Frenchman. Her crew took to the boats and escaped. Seventeen minutes after the first shock the entire 5,000 tons of high explosives in her hold exploded. There is no shipping record of the Norwegian vessel by which she can be accurately identified.

---

HALIFAX, N. S., Dec. 6 -- The estimate of the dead, which grew from 800 to 1,000 and then to 2,000, was made by Chief of Police Hanrahan after twenty-five wagons loaded with bodies had reached one morgue. All during the afternoon and night these wagons of the dead continued their journeys.

It was not possible, in the demoralization and in the dark, to get accurate statements an to either the total number of killed or injured. By the uncertain light of lanterns rescue parties are hourly bringing new bodies from the ruins and are finding new cases of injury.

Bodies of sailors are being taken from the water Relief parties are working in wrecked buildings and darkened streets, and above all of the destruction and damage by explosion the menace of fire came to sweep the afflicted area and to put the finishing touches upon the work of destruction.

Relief Is on the Way.

From the North street railway station to Africville, to the northwest, the line of devastation threads its blackened path. Richmond, at the extreme northern point of the jutting landscape that marks the position of Halifax on the map, has suffered most. From all sides the people of Canada and of the United States, spurred on by the War Departments of both countries, are rushing to the relief of the stricken people.

Nova Scotia stands out at the eastern end of Canada like a huge pair of geographical brass knuckles, offering an offensive and defensive front out to the world. At the centre of the knuckles sits Halifax, a city of 50,000 famed as a shipping point and protected by a landlocked harbor. Here It was that the British stopped all oversea traffic bound for the danger zone before it was allowed to proceed. Here it was inspected and searched for such things as might make (Cut off here - JT)

Along the water front of the town, starting at a point somewhat to the north and east of Sackvllle street, the piers begin and run their numbered way north, bending slightly back to the west to conform to the coast line. Pier 8 lay well to the north of the town's centre of gravity.

How Disaster Occurred.

It was into Pier 8 at 9 o'clock this morning that the Mont Blanc made her way, laden to the limit with high explosives that had been prepared for the campaign on the western front. The ship came to an Atlantic port in the United States November 9. There she loaded, and as is usual in such cases there the story of her being for the time ended. She was the property of the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique, built in Middlesboro in l899, and boasting a gross tonnage of 3,l2l and 320 feet of length over all.

There came at the same time the relief ship. What happened one may never know The pilot of the Mont Blanc says that there was a confusion of whistle signals. At any rate then came a direct, straight blow of the relief ship amidships of the munition carrier, and then an explosion and a fire. Before the Mont Blanc escaped. Hardly had they done so when the big mass of high explosives exploded with a roar that assumed the most terrific proportions and the vibrations that followed tumbled buildings as it progressed.

Fire Quickly Follows.

The building which were not demolished by the force of the terrific explosion were destroyed by the fire which followed. Scores of persons were injured by the collapse of the railway station, arena rink, military gymnasium, sugar refinery and elevator.

All business has been suspended. Armed guards of soldiers and sailors are patrolling the city. Not a street car is moving and port of Halifax is in darkness to-night. All hospitals and many private homes are filled with injured. Temporary hospitals and morgues have been opened in school houses in the western section of the city.

The damage along the waterfront cannot yet be estimated. Many of the men comprising the crews of the ships in the harbor were killed and injured. On one steamship, the Piotou, it is reported that thirty-three of the crew of forty-two were killed. Bodies of many seamen have been picked up in the harbor. Rescue parties working among the ruins of buildings are removing the bodies of the dead.

The collision which resulted in probably the worst disaster in the history of the Dominion occurred near pier 3, in the narrows leading from the harbor to Bedford Basin. The munitions ship was hound from New York for Bedford Basin when the relief ship Imo, bound for sea, crashed into her.

The Mont Blanc was pierced on the port side almost to the engine room. The other ship. which was only slightly damaged, backed away, for when flames burst out on the munitions ship, and it was abandoned by the crew the captain of the Mont Blanc also ordered his crew to the boats as he realized an explosion was inevitable. The men reached shore safely before the tremendous blast seventeen minutes later, which blew the ship to pieces and wrecked a large part of the city.

The business life of the city had just begun for the day when the town was shaken to its foundations by the explosion. Persons In the streets were locked up bodily and hurled to the ground. Occupants of office buildings cowered under a shower of falling glass and plaster. Houses In the Richmond section crumpled up and collapsed, burying their tenants.

In the main part of the city, where the buildings are chiefly of stone or concrete, the damage was confined to the shattering of windows, and most of the casualties in this section were caused by flying glass.

In the west and northwest ends the damage was more extensive and there the walls of many houses were blown to bits. It was in Richmond, however, opposite the scene of the explosion, that the havoc was greatest. Whole blocks of dwellings, mostly of frame construction, being levelled.

Fires Burn Till Exhausted.

Street after street is in ruins and the structures which were left standing by the explosion were destroyed by fires which broke out simultaneously In a score of places and which it was impossible to check until they had burned themselves out. It is believed scores of persons who had been injured by the collapse of their homes perished in the flames, from which they were helpless to flee. The fires in this district, still are smoldering to-night.

Five minutes after the explosion the streets in all parts of Halifax were filled with frenzied, panic stricken throngs striving to reach the outskirts in an effort to escape what they believed was a raid by a German fleet. Hundreds of them had been cut by the shower of glass which followed the explosion.

In the Richmond section the scenes enacted defied description. Seriously injured men and women crawled from the wreckage of their homes and lay in the streets until they were removed in ambulances and automobiles to hospitals. Those less seriously hurt aided those more gravely injured. In the streets piled high with debris were found the shattered bodies of many women and children. Several children were crushed to death when they were hurled against telegraph poles by the force of the explosion.

Many Perish In Flames.

In scores of cases occupants of houses who had escaped without injury or who were only slightly hurt were baffled by the flames in their search for members of their families and were forced to stand by impotent while what once had been their homes became funeral pyres for loved ones.

A government employee named MacDonald, who made all speed to reach his home after the explosion, found that his wife and four children had perished. His two-year-old daughter had been killed while playing in the yard of her home...

---

BOSTON RUSHES AID.

Special Train Carries Supplies and Doctor to Stricken City.

Boston, Dec. 6. -- The State of Massachusetts came promptly to the relief of stricken Halifax and a special train carrying supplies and doctors, with A. C. Ratchesky of the Public Safety Committee in charge, left at 10 o'clock tonight. He carried with him a personal message from Gov. McCall and a force of physicians furnished by the state's National Guard. On board were eleven physicians, ten nurses and two quartermasters, all members of the State guard; five Red Cross workers and a party of newspaper men. The baggage car was filled with medical supplies and hospital cots.

Pulp -- G-8 and His Battle Aces -- December 5, 2017

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I like pulp magazines. It's hard to top a cover like this. G-8 was a World War One aviator/spy. As far as I know, he didn't have a name other than G-8.

Arrival of the Dashing Wave After a Smart Passage From Tacoma -- December 3, 2017

San Francisco Call, 24-June-1896

The drawing is from the 24-June-1896 San Francisco Call. William A Coulter did many maritime drawings for the newspaper.

ALONG THE WATER FRONT

Arrival of the Dashing Wave After a Smart Passage From Tacoma

The Southeaster on the Bay Was Heavy, but Very Little Damage Was Done.

One of the prettiest sights on the bay for a long time was the arrival of the ship Dashing Wave yesterday from Tacoma. The wind was blowing in strong squalls from the southeast and the vessel sailed in. One of the red stack tugboats attempted to speak her but whenever a squall came, the ship would run away from the steamer and the latter would have to wait for a lull in the gale before she could catch up. Finally off Goat Island the Dashing Wave had to take in sail and the tug towed her to a safe anchorage.

It was very rough on the bay yesterday, but contrary to expectation very little damage was done. There was a considerable swell along the seawall and in consequence no attempt was made to pump out the steam schooner Point Arena. The latter has a hole in the hull forward and another aft, but as both have been patched over with canvas, Captain Whitelaw does not anticipate any difficulty in pumping the vessel and docking her on the Spreckels drydock.

Jay Gould is Dead -- December 2, 2017

New York Evening World, 02-December-1892

Gilded Age predatory capitalist and railroad developer Jay Gould died of tuberculosis 125 years ago today, on 02-December-1892.  This article is from the New York Evening World, 02-December-1892

EXTRA.

JAY GOULD IS DEAD.

The Great Financier Passed Away at 9.15 To-Day.

CONSCIOUS TO THE LAST.

End Came Peacefully In the Room Where His Wife Died.

All the Members of His Family Received His Farewell Glance and Smile.

Little Apparent Effect of His Death in the Stock Market or Wall Street.

Mr. Gould's Fortune Estimated to be Not Less Than One Hundred Million Dollars.

Jay Gould, the famous financier and railroad magnate, died at his home, S79 Fifth avenue, at 9.15 o'clock this morning. Mr. Gould's death was apparently painless, he was conscious at the last, and his bedside was surrounded by all the members of his family.

Mr. Gould died In a room on the second floor of his home, in the extension in the rear of the building, just over the conservatory, the same room in which his wile died. A few moments before the end Mr. Gould expressed a desire to bid his family good-by. Then he looked tenderly into the face of each one, smiled at each and all was over.

Although the event was not unexpected, the public mind having been prepared for the news by the publication in yesterday's Evening World of the facts of his critical illness, the announcement that the end had come created intense excitement among businessmen all over the city.

The direct cause of Mr. Gould's death is said to have been exhaustion caused by hemorrhages from the stomach, of which he is reported to have had three. The first was Thanksgiving pay, the next two days later, and the third last Wednesday. His children abandoned hope of his recovery yesterday afternoon.

That the death of Mr. Gould bad not been looked for so soon by his children and by his physician, Dr. Munn, is evident by the early morning reports given out at the house to the effect that the patient's condition was apparently unchanged.

It was just 9.20 o'clock when Dr. Munn called his wife up on the telephone and notified her that Mr. Gould had just passed away.

About the same time a bulletin announcing the fact of Mr. Gould's death was posted in the Western Union Building.

For fully twenty minutes after this, reporters who called at Mr. Gould's house were refused confirmation of the report.

Undertaker John Main's wagon was driven up to the Gould house at 10.35 this forenoon. It came from 35 West Forty-fourth street.

Main is sexton of Dr. Paxton's church, at which Mr. Gould was an attendant.

The presence of this wagon confirmed beyond doubt the presence of death, and a crowd began to congregate on the street and stare at the curtained windows.

The undertaker's assistants lifted out a large ice-box covered with black cloth and carried, it into the house.

Within half au hour after the death, was announced, District Messenger boys were hurrying in and out of the rear entrance. They had been called to carry the news to the immediate friends of the family.

Then began an almost unending procession of private carriages. The vehicles drew up at the door, the occupants stepped out, and mounting the stops of the mansion, left their cards aud condolences.!

Chauncey Depew passed the house on his way downtown, accompanied by two little girls, abut ten minutes after Mr. Gould's death bad been announced. He stopped and asked a group of reporters if Mr. Gould was stlll alive, and being told that he was dead, passed on without comment, except an ejaculatory "Huh!"

Collis P. Huntington drove up to the house at 9.30 and, alighting at the door, inquired as to the condition of Mr. Gould.

When told that the great financier was dead, he re-entered his carriage. An EVENING WORLD reporter caught him as he was leaving and asked what effect, in his opinion, Mr. Gould's death would have on Wall street affairs. His reply was:

"None whatever. Men are individuals; property doesn't die. Mr. Gould's property is left in just the same shape as it was before his death, and Mr. George Gould is perfectly competent to take up the burden where his father laid it down."

Mr. Edwin Gould lives just back of the Gould mansion, at l East Forty-seventh street. The curtains of this house were drawn immediately after Mr. Edwin Gould entered on leaving his father's house.

The Gould family tomb is in Woodlawn Cemetery and stands in a plot comprising an acre of ground overlooking Woodlawn Lake. It is known as the "Lakeview Plot " and is a circular, gently sloping mound in the finest location of the cemetery. The plot cost Jay Gould $S00,000.

The mausoleum is a copy of tbe Parthenon, and was designed by F. T. Fitz Mahony. It is built throughout of Westerly (R. I.) granite, and its dimensions are: S3 feet wide, 33 feet long and 20 feet high to the apex of the roof.

There are twenty catacombs in the mausoleum. The tomb Itself cost $100,000, and the first member of the family it received was Mrs. Gould, who died Jan. l3 last.

Rev. Dr. Paxton, pastor of tbe church at which Mr. Gould was a worshipper, called at the Gould residence early this morning. When he came out be said to an EVENING WORLD reporter that the death-bed scene was most affecting. He corroborated the statement made by another friend of the family as to Mr. Gould calling his children to his bedside and bidding them each good-by.

"The end was peaceful and painless," said he, "and the children bore up as well as could be expected under their grief."

Rev. Dr. Paxton said, also, that the funeral services will be held at the Gould residence next Monday either at 10 o'clock in the morning or 4 o'clock In the afternoon, as may be decided by George Gould and his sister Helen.

Rev. Dr. Paxton will be assisted in the last rites by Rev. Dr. Chancellor MacCracken, of the University of the city of New York, a close friend of Mr. Gould.

The place of interment, Dr. Paxton said, had not been decided upon yet, but he will probably be burled beside his wife In Woodlawn cemetery.

It was this afternoon definitely settled that in the funeral service Dr. Paxton and Chancellor MacCracken will no assisted by Rev. Roderick Terry, of 169 Madison avenue. The choir from Dr. Paxton's church will also be present and render the singing.

Dr. Munn remained in the house throughout the forenoon. Around 12 o'clock the callers were very numerous. Col. Hain remained downstairs conducting some of the ladies who were intimate friends of the family to Miss Helen Gould's apartments, upstairs. None of the callers remained over a few minutes, and the great majority simply left their cards at the door.

The undertaker put crape on the doorbell at 11 o'clock.

I have no idea who Jay Gould, Jr was.

The Disastrous Zeppelin Raid of October 20 -- December 1, 2017

New  York Tribune, 25-November-1917

The last major Zeppelin raid on Britain took place on the night of October 19-20, 1917.  Thirteen Navy Zeppelins attacked, but because of bad weather, only two bombed their targets in London and Northhampton.  36 people were killed and 55 injured.

In Circulation -- World Report -- November 29, 2017

The San Francisco Arts Commission (http://www.sfartscommission.org/) has set up a series of posters by artist Sarah Hotchkiss called In Circulation, showing what was going on in local newspapers and other publications during the Summer of Love.  World Report shows how papers large and small reported on important topics, like politics and the War in Vietnam.

1955 Alfa Romeo Model 1900 SS, Zagato (SSZ) -- November 27, 2017

We visited the Blackhawk Museum in June, 2013 to drool over their collection of classic autos.

The 1955 Alfa Romeo Model 1900 SS, Zagato (SSZ) had a lightweight body from coachbuilder Zagato.  SS stood for Super Sprint.  I like the front end.  

Girls of the Golden West -- November 26, 2017

Friday night we went to the second performance of John Adams' new opera The Girls of the Golden West. It was nice to have an evening out with my wife. I agreed with her that the first act was episodic, but the second act had a good dramatic arc about the gold miners degenerating into savagery on the Fourth of July and driving out all of the miners who weren't considered good Americans or Europeans.

It concluded with the lynching of Josefa Segovia, who stabbed a miner who tried to rape her.

The singing was excellent. Julia Bullock was Dame Shirley.  Most of her songs came directly from the letters.  Her husband, Fayette Clappe, did not sing.  Ned Peters, the former slave, had a large part in both acts.  Davone Tines had a solo based on Frederick Douglass' "What to a slave is the 4th of July?"  Hya Jung Lee as Ah Sing had a beautiful voice.  Her aria came from poems carved at the Angel Island Immigration Station. J'Nai Bridges had me crying as Josefa Segovia. Joe Cannon, who tried to rape Josefa, did not have a well developed character.  Sometimes it was hard to tell him from other characters.  Paul  Appleby had a good voice.  Ryan McKinney was the narrator/observer/occasional participant.

The prostitutes/dancing girls looked as if they were having a great time.

Lorena Feijóo, who did Lola Montez' Spider Dance used to be with the San Francisco Ballet.

I liked John Adams' music, which set many Gold Rush-era songs and poems to music.  The chorus of gold miners was powerful.  Peter Sellars had fun staging it.  I liked the panorama behind Dame Shirley's wagon ride with Ned Peters.  We could see the woman cranking the scene.  The image had a large, obvious seam in it.  I liked the neon beer signs in the Empire.

My wife didn't like the scene where Dame Shirley described her cabin.  The stage hands carried out each piece, stood there while she sang about it, then took it away.  We both liked the use of the huge stump and slice of redwood tree in the second act.

My wife said that there was a vigorous debate going on in the ladies' room during the intermission.  Some people hated the show.  Others defended it.  Some people, including the couple sitting next to my wife, left after the intermission.   We were happy that we went and we stayed.

Film Daily, 17-March-1938

And, of course, the opera is not to be confused with the David Belasco play The Girl of the Golden West, the Giacomo Puccini opera, La fanciulla del West, or the many movie adaptions.

Battle All Sunday -- November 26, 2017

Bismarck Tribune, 26-November-1917

This action was part of the Battle of Cambrai, which followed the Battle of Passchendaele. 

BRITISH TROOPS BATTLE WEARY IN
POSSESSION OF BOURLON WOOD AND
CITY FOLLOWING A GRUELING CAMPAIGN

BATTLE ALL SUNDAY

Another Intense Struggle Staged at the Little Village of Moeuvres.
10,000 PRISONERS CAPTURED IN DRIVE
Capture of New Positions Gives Allies a Better Chance to Take Camhrai.

London, Nov. 26 -- The Germans have not repeated their attacks on the Bourlon position west of Camhrai, since their failure of yes­terday, Field Marshal Haig report­ed today. The statement says: "On the Camhrai battlefront, the enemy has not repeated his attacks on the Bourlon position, since the failure of his attempt at midday yesterday snd the situa­tion is unchanged.

Northeast of Ypres there was considerable artillery activity on both sides early last night in the
Passchendaele sector, but no infant action developed.

(By Associated Press)

British Army Headquaters in France, Sunday, Nov. 25. -- This morning found the line of battle of the weary but determined British troops stretch­ed in a semi-circle about Boudlon wood, and Burlon village, which nes­tles at the northwestern edge of the forest. It was a line which had been established in the face of dogged re­sistance on the part of the Germans, who have fallen back step by step fighting with the fury or despair.

All day yesterday the opposing forces struggled bitterly at close quarters for possession of the little village from which the British were forced Friday after gaining a footing in the rush that took them through Bourlon wood. Nightfall still found waves of infantry surging back and forth through the streets and among the houses, their crimson bayonets tell­ing the story of the terrible conflict being waged. Gradually the Germans fell back, the British pressing, forward with grim persistence, which the enemy could not withstand, and that hamlet was finally cleared of the ma­jor portion of the German troops.,

Streets Cleared

Today some of the-enemy still re­mained but: all the main streets of Bourlon had been cleared, and it was surrounded by a strong force of British soldiers.

A little to the southwest of here, another intense struggle was being staged in the village of Moeuvres into which the British have battled their way with rifle and bayonet, and push­ed the Germans out of the southern half. Elsewhere, along the Camhrai front, there was no infantry action of importance.

10,000 Prisoners

Prisoners continued to arrive from the front. Nearly ten thousand cap­tives thus far have been counted, in­cluding 200 officers.

In the capture of Bourlon wood and village, the British have acquired pos­session of one of the most important points they have secured since the great drive last Tuesday. This high ground controls a wide sweep of ter­ritory, and its occupation holds out the possibility that the Germans eventually will be forced to withdraw their lines to the Northwest.

A large amount of traffic In the last few days has been pouring out of Cambrai, indicating the probability that the Germans have evacuated the civilian population, and are preparing for eventualities.

Most Spectacular.

The fighting over Bourlon wood has been among the most spectacular of the war, for the occupation of the for­est was due largely to the work of tanks and airmen, who paved the way for the on rushing infantry. A num­ber of iron monitors lead the ad­vance Friday with British planes circling over the enemy, at a height of from 30 to 50 feet and carrying on a vigorous warfare with their machine guns and bombs. It was hard fighting, but the advance was con­tinued successfully until the north­east corner of the wood was reached, where the tanks were held up by a strong force of the enemy.

British airmen, who had been fight­ing close to the ground, deliberately charged down on the enemy infantry with machine guns pumping a steady stream of bullets into the German ranks. The battle was short and de­cisive. The airplanes wheeled and rewheeled over the heads of the Ger­mans and maintained such an intens­ive fire that the defenders were forced to retire from the position af­ter suffering considerable losses. The tanks then pushed on, the conquest of the wood being completed.

Heavy Counter Attack.

Almost immediately the Germans delivered a heavy counter attack on the troops and after a stiff engage­ment forced them to withdraw again to the edge of the wood. The Brit­ish renewed the attack Saturday morning on the village.

It was a battle in which the British troops gloried for it took thent back to the days of other wars, when men struggled in the open.

The period of fighting behind sand­bag parapets was temporarily passed and they were at close grips with the enemy, where they could em­ploy the bayonet, which they know so well how to use.

No more grim tragedy has been en­acted since the war began than was staged among the ruins of Bourlon village last night. Its finish found the shattered German forces outside I the village boundary, but still full of determination. Several times through the night they reformed and swept forward against the village, but each time were hurled back with heavy losses.

Work of Airplanes.

The work of 'British airplanes during the present offensive forms a graphic chapter itself. Despite the vile weather which compelled them to operate within a few feet of the ground, they kept steadily at their task and rendered invaluable assist­ance both in reconnaissances and of­fensive operations.

There have been almost continued battle between German infantry andBritish airmen flying as low as 30 feet above the ground. Never beforehas this kind of warfare been carried out on such a large scale. Pilots have attacked infantry and gun crews indiscriminately wherever they encountered .them and have inflicted heavy casualties on the en­emy, with bombs and machine guns.

The nature of the fighting can be seen from the experience of a Brit­ish pilot, whose machine was literally shot to pieces by rifle and ma­chine gun fire, and who finally crash­ed down behind his own lines with ten bullet holes through his clothing, although he, himself, was unhurt. Another young airman, yesterday, pre­sented himself at headquarters after having keen shot down for the third time within two days. He was delighted with his experience and im­mediately applied for another ma­chine.

One aviator attacked a column of German infantry marching in close formation and hurled two high power bombs directly among them. The troops scattered and as the airman whirled away, he saw two heaps of dead about huge craters which the bombs had torn in the road. There were innumerable cases of airmen successfully bombing airdromes, troop transports and gun crews. A large number of artillery crews have been wiped out either by machine gunfire at close range or by bombs. Natural­ly, many of the airmen had miracul­ous escapes from death. Among the hairbreath escapes reported is that of an aviator whose machine was torn to pieces while fighting German in­fantry with his machine gun. He was caught in the fire and the wings of his machine was shot away. For­tunately he was flying only about 20 feet from the ground. He crashed to earth unhurt, and he immediately came under rifle and machine gun fire, but he found (a - JT) German rifle with some ammunition and engaged the enemy single handed. As he fired he worked his way back until he reached one of his own patrols.

There is not much humor ip fighting of this nature, but one incident occur­red which is making the whole British air service laugh today. One of the youngest British airmen was flying at a low altitude when four enemy ma­chine guns opened on him. He swooped .down and shot 3 of his op­ponents as he swept by. The fourth machine gun kept firing, and the avi­ator in a spirit of boyish mischief leaned over the side of his car and whiggled his fingers in joyous derision at the German. Just as he was in the midst of this interesting perform­ance, his opponent put a bullet spare­ly through the palm of the airman's opened hand. The aviator presented himself at the dressing station, and when querried admitted the truth. His consolation from his wound was a roar of laughter, and to be more polite in the future.