A Series of Useless Info 3: Alcatraz
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This cache is placed near the AB Park in Welch. I have placed it with permission. *****CONGRATS to The Farrill 4 for FTF*******
This was prepared by me. I used the information on Wikipedia.org.
Alcatraz Island has been featured in countless Movies, TV Shows, Cartoons, books and games. It is now A Historic site opened to visitors who can take one of many tours of the Island and Prison. It is located in the middle of the San Francisco Bay in California.
The island was discovered by Juan Manuel Ayala in 1775. He named it "La Isla de los Alcatraces" which when translated means "The Island of the Pelicans".
In June of 1846 Mexican governor Pio Pico gave it to Julian Workman (this was the Baptismal name of William Workman) with the understanding that Workman would be a lighthouse built there. Workman was a personal friend of Pio Pico.
Later that same year John C. Fremont, in the name of the United States Government, bought the island for $5000. After a legal battle with Fremont, the US Government wrested the island from Fremont.
After California's acquisition bu the US in 1848 the US Army studied the island to see if it was suitable for coastal batteries to protect approaches to the bay.
From 1853 to 1858, under the direction of Zealous B. Tower, the Corps of Engineers began fortifying Alcatraz Island.
The island's first garrison, of about 200 soldiers, arrived towards the end of 1858.
In 1861, when the American Civil War broke out, the island mounted 85 canons (which was increased to 105 by 1866), around it's perimeter in casements, though the garrison's small numbers meant only part of the guns could be used at a time.
Though Alcatraz never fired it's guns offensively it was used to imprison Confederate Sympathizers on the west coast.
Because of it's isolation, Alcatraz was used to house Civil War Prisoners as early as 1861. The Spanish-American War, in 1898, increased the population from 26 to more then 450.
A brick jailhouse was built on the island in 1867 (inmates had been kept in the guardhouse basement before hand), and by 1868 Alcatraz was officially a long-term detention facility for military prisoners.
On March 21, 1907, Alcatraz was designated as the Western US Military Prison, and in 1909 construction started on a huge concrete main cell block (that was designed by Major Reuben Turner). It was finished in 1912 and it remains the island's most dominant feature.
In able to accommodate the cell block a three-story barracks had to be demolished to the first floor (which was actually under ground level). This gave rise to the popular legend of "dungeons" below the main cell block.
After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake civilian prisoners were transferred there for safe confinement.
On October 12, 1933 the United States Disciplinary Barracks on the island was acquired by the US Department of Justice, and it became a Federal Prison in August of 1934.
In the 29 years of operation the jail held such notable criminals as: Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the Bird-man of Alcatraz), Jose Sierra James 'Whitey' Bulger, and Alvin Karpis (who served more time in Alcatraz then any other prisoner).
Alcatraz has never claimed anyone has ever successfully escaped. 36 prisoners were involved in 14 attempts (with two men trying twice). 23 were caught, 6 were shot and killed during their escapes and 2 drowned.
On May 2, 1946 the most violent attempt, by 6 prisoners, led to the so-called "Battle of Alcatraz". Then on June 11, 1962 John and Clarence Anglin carried out, successfully, one of the most intricate escapes ever devised. In Cell Block "B" (where they were interned) was an un-guarded 3foot corridor. They used silver from a dime, soldered to a metal spoon, and an electric drill (improvised by a stolen vacuum cleaner motor) to chisel moister-damaged concrete from around an air vent to the corridor. False walls (with the help of the dark recesses of the cells) covered up their progress from the guards. The noise was disguised by accordions played during the music hour. The route led to a fan vent, that had been replaced by a steel grille, the shaft was large enough for a prisoner to climb through.
They stole a carborundum cord from the prisoner workshop to remove the rivets from the grille and substituted rivets using soap. They also stole several raincoats to use as a raft to get to the mainland.
Using Papier-mache dummies, with hair made from paintbrush bristles, they made their escape. It's been estimated that they reached the San Francisco Bay at about 10pm.
Articles such as parts of the raincoat raft and plywood paddles were found nearby on Angel Island. The official report on the escape states that they drowned in the cold waters of the bay.
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