otto-graph: what is THIS?

Week of April 10th 2006

The answer to the last week riddle is:

mainly known for being an infamous prison for most notorious criminals. It is a small rocky island (22 acres) 1.5 miles off shore in San Francisco Bay, condemned place, where there is no, or scarce, life on the rocky soil; a home for the birds Pelicans Alcatraces.

The U.S. bought Alcatraz in 1849; few years later the first lighthouse on the coast of California was built. It housed military garrisons at first; later on it was a designated prison for military and later civil offenders. I gained its fame between the years 1934 – 1963, as the famous prison for the most wanted criminals; Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly among them. The conditions there were extremely hard, very few prisoners ever escaped. There was no confirmed knowledge about their survival; the currents in the Bay are very strong and the waters are infested with sharks.

In 1969 Sioux Indians claimed their right to the island and their occupation of it ended the famous prison’s chapter in 1971. After removing Indians from the island the government incorporated Alcatraz to their Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Today, Alcatraz is a frequently visited tourist attraction supplying visitors with an array of entertainment choices.

There is more about it and some of the options to check out:

Indian perspective A way to Wounded Knee
As usual - send us your answers to otto-graph and we will tell you the story of a great love and its rememberance that inspired creation of this marvelous monument. Next week.