Were their any disasters at alcatraz?

Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe were in adjoining solitary confinement cells in cell block B. While there Roe began studying birds. After a few months Roe told his cell mates that he had been visited by a bird who told him that he could fly like a bird. He used his blanket and bed sheets as wings and jumped through the window head first. He did not fly, instead plummeted to the ground breaking both legs and his pelvis. He later recovered and was transferred to the California Asylum for the insane in San Leandro, California.

1938- Blood Bath Massacre

An inmate named James “Dutchy” Lucas tried to escape during the night. The first guard he encountered was guard William Miller, who was killed with several brutal knife blows to his head. Lucas continued to kill three more guards before being subdued. The incident has become known as the “Blood Bath” and is considered to be the bloodiest day in Alcatraz history. Lucas survived and died several years later in another prison.

1946- Murder of Henri Young

Henri Young was a convicted murderer serving time at Alcatraz. Although never proven, it was widely believed that Young was gay. In 1946 Young began to receive numerous death threats. On the evening of September 23rd, 1946 Young was found beaten and strangled to death in his cell. The perpetrators of the crime were never identified.

1946- The Battle of Alcatraz

In May of 1946, six Alcatraz inmates began plotting their escape. The ringleader of the group was Bernard Coy, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment for bank robbery and murder. The escape attempt began on May 2, when the six men began to overpower the guards and take control of the cell blocks. The battle between the inmates and the guards lasted for four hours. One of the guards and two of the inmates were killed. Three of the surviving inmates were tried and found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. The other two inmates were sentenced to life imprisonment.

1956- The Last Alcatraz Escape Attempt

Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers managed to escape from Alcatraz on June 11th, 1962. The three made dummies to put in their beds at night, and carved holes out of the ventilation duct to the shower room next to their cells. They snuck into the showers at night and removed bricks out of the vent duct. They used a raft made out of rubber raincoats to escape across the bay. Although the FBI concluded the escapees died drowning, no bodies were found and many speculate they made it out alive.

1963- Alcatraz Closes

On March 21, 1963, Alcatraz was closed due to high maintenance and operating costs. The prison had held over 1,500 inmates during its 29 years of operation.