Is this the worst roller coaster accident in history????
Robert OGrosky
Omaha's first amusement park opened to much fanfare at the turn of the
20th century, and closed 40 years later after tragedy struck the park.
Charles Tietz started the park, but died in 1903 and Fred Krug took it
over. It was called Krug Park after that.
Krug had big plans for the park. As soon as he controlled it, he began a
series of expansions to make it, what he called, "a complete amusement
park." Advertisements referred to Krug Park as "Omaha's Polite Resort,"
and it included a tunnel of love, an ice cream parlor, a dance pavilion,
beer gardens and a hot air balloon.
In 1918, a swimming pool was completed along with a two-story bathhouse
and a waterfall and wave machine. The water amusements complemented the
park and the whole business thrived. Dancers were at the park nightly in
the dance pavilion.
Then tragedy struck. On July 24, 1930, the park was hosting an event
swarming with neighborhood kids. The Cudahy family had paid for a free
day at Krug Park, according to people who were there that day. After 6
p.m., a bolt worked loose on the park's roller coaster and four cars
full of children and teenagers plunged to the ground. Four people were
killed and 17 were injured. Soon after, the City Council passed an
ordinance banning roller coasters in the city of Omaha.
In 1940 the park was closed and the rides were dismantled.
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John Bojarski
of Wolrd Records as having happened at Battersea park in England. It mentions
4 fatalities and 7 injuries. The acident was also mentioned in the BBC coaster
special Coastermania.
This Omaha accident sound worse, with 10 more injuries.
What can we say about this post. Other than wood/steel relationships can work,
I think it just wants togetherness. Until next time, take care of yourselves,
and each other.
-Bojangles
Charles Nungester
Charles Nungester
Coaster Count 249
Olov Lundell
Olov
"Charles Nungester" <coaster...@aol.comnospam> skrev i meddelandet
news:20040719153101...@mb-m22.aol.com...
Austerea
burned with people on it, forget how many fatalities there were.
~me.
Shawn Mamros
>Actually, the worst coaster accident in history is labeled in the Guinness Book
>of Wolrd Records as having happened at Battersea park in England. It mentions
>4 fatalities and 7 injuries. The acident was also mentioned in the BBC coaster
>special Coastermania.
>
>This Omaha accident sound worse, with 10 more injuries.
The numbers I've seen on the Battersea incident are five dead and
13 injured. The Omaha incident involved more people, but one less
fatality.
-Shawn Mamros
E-mail to: mamros -at- mit dot edu
Coastin Steve
I discovered this one when I was doing research on a favorite subject
of mine, Willow Grove Park (Phila subs, closed in the 70's)
The exact dates are not recalled to my memory
but the horrors of the coaster accident are burned there forever.
In the early 1920's WGP built a coaster called "Chase Thru the
Clouds" (may have been Race instead of Chase) It was a racing
coaster that could hold 24 passengers per train.
One particular Sat night, in the coaster's second or third season
of operation, 2 trains left the loading barn for their race,.......
but only one came back. 8-(
The second train had left the track on the turn around of this out
and back racer.
The turn was 28 ft off the ground.
16 killed, 8 seriously injured.
The coaster never ran again and was torn down several months later.
( a John Miller Wildcat was built on it's spot but only lasted 2
years before fire destroyed it)
Because of the finanical loss of the 2 coasters, and the
depression, that spot would remain empty til Ed Vettel built the
Thunderbolt on that spot in the mid 30's
It would remain there til the park closed in the 70's
Coastin Steve
selo hauf
Nungester) wrote:
I was just thinking the same thing............
Wolf
> burned with people on it, forget how many fatalities there were.
> ~me.
You thinking the fire at Phantasialand?
We lost two Schwarzkopfs in that, didn't we?
--
|\-/|
<0 0>
=(o)=
-Wolf
Wolf
>
> I discovered this one when I was doing research on a favorite subject
> of mine, Willow Grove Park (Phila subs, closed in the 70's)
> The exact dates are not recalled to my memory
> but the horrors of the coaster accident are burned there forever.
>
> In the early 1920's WGP built a coaster called "Chase Thru the
> Clouds" (may have been Race instead of Chase) It was a racing
> coaster that could hold 24 passengers per train.
> One particular Sat night, in the coaster's second or third season
> of operation, 2 trains left the loading barn for their race,.......
> but only one came back. 8-(
> The second train had left the track on the turn around of this out
> and back racer.
> The turn was 28 ft off the ground.
> 16 killed, 8 seriously injured.
> The coaster never ran again and was torn down several months later.
This would have been in 1927, although I don't have a date.
Do you remember which paper reported it?
Coastin Steve
This would have been in 1927, although I don't have a date.
Do you remember which paper reported it?
--
|\-/|
<0 0>
=(o)=
-Wolf
******************************rrc
I researched it in 2 local libraries (one is actually across the
street from the WGP property) I'm not sure if I was looking at the
micro films of the local paper "The Times Chronicle", or one of the
Phila papers of the time "The Bulliten" or "The Inquirer"
You would be right on the '27 date as I researched a few mins ago
that the Baker & Miller Wildcat coaster was there for '28 and '29
before fire took it and the CTtC was right before that
Coastin Steve