It was presented to Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Emperor of Germany, in 1902 as a gift. The El Dorado was carved in Leipzig, Germany, by Hugo Haase in 1902. It was an assortment of fun and slap-stick and sometimes risqué.Īt the end of the 1911 season, George Tilyou purchased the greatest carousel in the world, the El Dorado, at an exorbitant price of $110,000. The stage was the exit of the Steeplechase Horse Ride. It not only had the flavor of an amusement park, but also of a country club.Īnother famous attraction in 1912 was the “Bow Hole Theater,” also known as the famous Steeplechase stage. With this addition George changed the personality of Steeplechase. (George was inspired by the Sutro Baths, an indoor swimming establishment in San Francisco, CA, that was built in the late 19th century.) Along with the pool was the addition of 1,200 cabana-style lockers, steam rooms, handball courts, ping-pong tables and punching bags. In 1912, George added the worlds largest outdoor salt water swimming pool for the time. Another ride during 1910 was the Traver Air Ships. It had gondola-type chariots that undulated in a circle. I believe the ride was built in Europe, possibly by the Savage Co. In 1910, George purchased the Venetian Gondola ride. After that, they immediately removed the steam engine and replaced it with a safer electric motor. The ride was steam-driven until 1924, when cinders from the steam engine ignited the wooden canopy setting it on fire and completely destroying it. George Tilyou purchased the merry-go-round at a substantial discount, refurbished it and placed the ride in the front of the Pavilion of Fun for the 1911 season. Since it was not in deep waters, it was able to be salvaged. While it was being transported back to America, the ship sank in the North Sea. Shortly after that, the ride returned to Europe where it possibly operated on the carnival grounds in Glasgow untill 1910. The Chanticleer operated in Luna Park in 1907. The merry-go-round was built by Orton Sons & Spooner Ltd. In 1911, George Tilyou added the Chanticleer Chicken Merry-go round. During the years of 1908, 1909, 19, George was constantly changing the design of the track as the park evolved. The Steeplechase Horse Race needed to be adapted to the new building. and Canada in 1897 from William Cawdery of London England). (He had purchased the patent rights for the U.S. Although George never invented the Steeplechase Horse Race, he did perfect them. The “Human Whirl Pool,” “ Hoop-La,” “Human Pool Table,” “Human Roulette Wheel” and the “Panama Slide” were some of George Tilyou’s inventions.įor the time George had a state of the art high pressure sprinkler system installed in the pavilion. Although the pavilion was built out of steel, glass and concrete, the flooring and most of the signature amusement devices that he invented were made out of maple wood. George also wanted to build a fireproof park, since he had just lost the original Steeplechase in July of 1907. Its main purpose was to capitalize on rainy days when Luna Park and Dreamland could not open. The building was constructed out of steel, glass and concrete at a cost of $450,000. George stated that this was his lucky day – not only did Steeplechase open again but his son Frank Tilyou was born. Patrick’s Day, the indoor Pavilion of Fun opened. So he settled on a 2 ½ acre indoor Pavilion of Fun. Originally he envisioned a totally indoor amusement park on his 15-acres however, the cost was too exorbitant. Since he couldn’t build a better park he did the next best thing, he created an indoor amusement park. At that time in 1907 Luna Park and Dreamland were such magnificent amusement parks that George Tilyou could not build a better park. Once the fire was completely out, George Tilyou promised to build a bigger and better Steeplechase.īeing the showman that he was, he immediately started charging 10 cents to see the ruins. It ultimately destroyed most of the park, at an estimated loss of over one million dollars. A fire started in a trash container from a lit cigar under the stairs in the “Cave of the Winds” boat ride attraction at approximately 4 a.m. Tilyou suffered the devastating loss of Steeplechase Park. Special to The Carousel News & Trader, from the June 2008, CNT.īelow is an account of the rise and fall of just one of those world-renowned Coney Island attractions, Steeplechase Park. Steeplechase Park, Once America’s #1 Amusement Park. CONEY ISLAND’S GREATEST PARKS – Part 1 of 3:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |