Amusement Park Disasters: Independent Parks

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[01:31] Hey, weirdos, I'm Ash. And I'm Alayna. And you're listening to Morbid Bitch. Whoa, you are, bitch. [01:52] I changed it up, bitch. Let it go. Good morning, good afternoon, good night. You could be driving [02:01] driving to work, home from work, picking up your kid, doing laundry, going to sleep. [02:08] Just chilling. Chilling your nose. Yeah. Farting. [02:11] I hope you're doing all those things simultaneously. Driving to and from work at the same time is crazy. [02:18] Yeah. I sounded like Joush. You did. You know what really rips? Driving to and from work, bro. Honestly, if you're not listening to Joush, it's J-A-W-S-H on TikTok and Instagram. I think you can find him. But we love Joush. We love Joush. We love Joush. We love his hottest homie. We changed our husband's contacts to my hottest homie because of Joush and his hottest homie. [02:45] Um, he's, he's delightful. I love him. And he will tell you what really rips. Yeah. He's just literally the most positive person. And he's always just telling you what rips in life. So if you're looking for something that just rips and to, he will show you to romanticize the small room moments of life. Truly. Because he's doing nothing but. Yeah. He's just, everything rips. Today, what ripped for him and for us is that it's fucking Friday the 13th. Hell yeah. Hell yeah.

[03:15] is valentine's day yeah what a fucking weekend we have ahead of us what a one-two punch i'm going to see chicago this weekend that's fun and i'm gonna lose my head i'm gonna lose my i'm gonna lose my head i've never seen chicago first of all that's gonna be great um and i'm going to see whitney from secret lives and mormon wives she's playing roxy and i'm so fucking excited i'm excited for you thank you what are you doing this weekend going to the science museum in boston okay kids [03:45] in New York City for the weekend and you're like, I'm going to the science museum with my children. Yep. I love that. [03:52] this will come out after so don't worry nobody will nobody will find us nobody will find us you never know you never want to say your location right when you're there no that's what we are here to teach you yeah a little tip from me to you i don't post about shit until after i finished it yep and you should too all of you listening yep um because the world is really fucking crazy yeah right now it's the world is um probably burning a little bit yeah i think it's what i am hoping [04:22] burning because fire is cleansing. Agree. And we're going to start anew. I love it. I think we're going to burn it all down. We're going to start with way less pedophiles. That'd be dope. And way more chill motherfuckers who want to protect kids and don't want to be shitheads to each other and hateful and divisive. Those are my top two things that I want in the new life. Yeah, that's all I'm looking for. In this new world. Those are my New Year's resolutions.

[04:52] that there's less pedophiles and more cool people who want to protect kids. Yep. [04:56] That's it. I'm for that. It's so simple. Honestly, that should be... And I know... [05:02] People will argue with us. There's going to be people that are angry at us for saying that, but I can't fathom how you can find something wrong with that. How could you want the system to burn right now? It's been in place since 1776. No. How could you want less pedophiles? That's something we should all be able to agree on. I think that's the least controversial thing I have ever said in my life is we should have less pedophiles. Somehow people will find controversy. But here's the thing. Our listeners? No. Our listeners? No. [05:32] The bots will find out. Yeah, for sure. Oh my God. But you guys listening, you get it. I'm probably not the first person to ever say this, but God, I hope I am. It's the bots and the ops. [05:44] There you go. That came to me. That came to you. That came to me up here in this noggin. Well, you know what? Tell me. In the... [05:51] In the spirit of being crazy, being kooky. [05:56] Let's talk about amusement park disasters. You're gonna ruin my fucking life like that? You would. This honestly would ruin my life. You would ruin my idea. Dave, our beloved Dave, beloved Dobbin, had this idea and I said, hell yeah, brother. It's a great idea. Yeah. Except I thought, here's the thing about this show. One of us sitting on one of these couches despises amusement parks with her entire thing. I bet you can't decide. The other one of us would literally

[06:26] to be amused. Oh, [06:27] That sounds horrible. Wow, so you really let them in on that. We didn't even give that one second to land. I mean, I think people know. No, I know. I'm kidding. I think people know by now. We're going to be talking, well, we have two of these. Okay. Today we're going to be talking about independent parks. Okay. So we're not going to be talking about... [06:43] The big ones. The biggies. My faves. We're going to be talking about some independent parks. And this is all just things that happened. Like this isn't, you know, us having opinions on like how they're run or anything like that. I don't even know how they're run. These are just things that have happened that have been reported on. And let's let's let's start. [07:01] In the way back. Shall we? So this first one, I'm going to do my absolute best to not butcher the pronunciation. But when we get there, we get there and we're going to see what we do. OK, we're going to see how we handle it. OK, so. [07:16] As early as the 14th century. That's a long ass time ago. Long time. People have always loved to attend like big gatherings with other people. They love to combine those gatherings with music, food, performances. Culture. Explicitly for the sake of entertainment and enjoyment. We've all needed that forever. I love entertainment and enjoyment. Yeah. [07:38] For example... [07:40] in and here i go let's do this pronunciation i believe in you lingbu tarbek not sure denmark [07:48] And this is in a place called here comes another one. There's more. Here comes another one. Hold on. [07:55] Dire have spacken.

[07:58] dire haves vacan in denmark sure um that translates dire haves vacan translates to animal park hill [08:05] Oh, it has been entertaining guests for nearly 450 years. Initially, that's insane. Long time. [08:14] Initially with clowns and animal shows and music, then with mechanical rides, and eventually... [08:20] with modern thrill rides and roller coasters, commonly associated with, like, modern-day amusement parks that we think of. And while it's fair to say that, like, amusement parks that we think of now, like modern ones of the last century or so, can trace at least some of their routes to, like, fairs and carnivals of, like, the Middle Ages, their real point of origin can be found in the mid-19th century, quote-unquote, pleasure gardens of London. Not pleasure gardens. Not pleasure gardens. I feel like they should have workshopped that one. [08:50] sprawling parks filled with mechanical rides that we are thinking of. What happens at a pleasure garden? Pleasure gardens provide. And here's the thing. There's like a. [08:59] There's a there's a there's a lead from these to the modern day parks that we're thinking of. But obviously there was a branch off of who they were catering to and what they were catering. But the same idea was there of like being a place that is purely for amusement. Yes. Yes. [09:14] What amusement it is. Pleasure gardens are for something different. They provided a similar kind of escapism through fantasy, entertainment and commercialism that would eventually be the amusement parks we know now. According to British journalist Cath Pound, the pleasure gardens offered, quote, an environment in which societal norms could be cast aside, if only for a few hours. They captivated the public with their heady mix of culture, fashion and vice. Yeah, bitch. That's why I'm wearing Disney ears.

[09:44] also you could also argue that this is kind of like renaissance fairs yeah like that kind of thing yeah you know now during the day the gardens resembled casual albeit like more fantastical types of social experiences one might find at a fair okay that's fun but the real thrills came later in the day when the parks began their quote dark walks these would be led by masked performers whose identities gender and perhaps even intentions were unknown to patrons you had me up until [10:14] You had me until intentions. One thing about me is I want to know a motherfucker's intention. This is so interesting. So these dark walks were tours that began in like well lit areas of the park and eventually made their way into the deliberately unlit areas of the garden. [10:33] This is fucked up. And as the light began to fade, the whimsical and colorful garden gave way. [10:39] to more hedonistic activities. Which what? As sex workers would emerge to offer their services in dark corners of the garden. Okay, that's a fun intention. So historian Jonathan Conlon said there wasn't necessarily a clear division between light walks and dark walks. It was a question of how far you were prepared to go. Oh, okay. All of this is so like, just, it's so fascinating to me [11:09] People come out. Yeah. [11:12] The real purpose of the Pleasure Garden and its whimsical tone remain the same as modern day parks. The tone of everything, especially during the day. Rather than simply offering an opportunity for hedonistic pleasure, the garden's true purpose was to break down these rigid social and class barriers of the day that were honestly dictating public life at the time. And give the people of London a place to play, engage in fantasy together.

[11:40] Without the stigmas of the outside world kind of bogging them down. It was a place to vibe. And the result, or at least the result that was intended, was increased social cohesion that minimized conflict. Which is nice. Everybody got together. Enjoy some shit together. That doesn't hurt anybody. A more contemporary example of these opportunities for blowing off steam are things like professional sports. A shared interest and activity that kind of transcends... [12:08] what would be like pretty restrictive social constructs like race and class. Like these all kind of when you really look at them that way, you're like, these are much more like tightly held together and like woven together than you would think. Yeah, you're right. Just on the outside. Agreed. Now, eventually, the explicit hedonism of the Pleasure Gardens gave way to the more commercially oriented boardwalks in places like Coney Island, New York and Santa Barbara, California. [12:38] games, performances, and what were then known as freak shows. Mm-hmm. [12:43] in which real and manufactured medical anomalies were put on display for entertainment and amusement. I've seen AHS. Yeah, exactly. By the end of the decade, the mechanical and technological inventions that were unveiled at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, where H.H. Holmes was busy, they had begun to make their way onto the boardwalks and small amusement parks around the world. These mechanized rides quickly replaced the animal shows with carousels, Ferris wheels and roller coasters.

[13:13] And that's when the amusement park thrill rides were born. Let's fucking go. So by the early 20th century, entrepreneurs in North America and Europe started building parks around the mechanical rides that drew from the boardwalks and pleasure gardens of the past, including vendors, fantasy inspired landscapes and even mascots. [13:34] In the early 1940s, Indiana businessman Louis Koch developed 260 acres of land in Santa Claus, Indiana into Santa Claus land. Fun. That was the nation's first theme park. Wait, that's actually iconic. Isn't that crazy? Santa Claus. Yeah, I'm obsessed. Opening in 1946, Santa Claus land offered a, quote, dreamy alpine village with a toy shop, rides designed just for children and daily appearances from fucking Santa himself. [14:04] Y'all let's go. That sounds fun. Yeah. Santa Claus Land would go on to inspire other entrepreneurs to develop their own properties, including Walt Disney, whose own Disneyland opened in 1955, modeled in part by Santa Claus Land. I didn't know that. Unfortunately, an increase in popularity meant an increase in patrons. And with each new person that arrived and each new day that passed, the more likely it became that something could go wrong. [14:34] how they became a thing. No, it's called morbid. [14:37] So although the rides were generally considered safe, I can't imagine, like 1940s, 1950s, I'm like, uh-oh. Generally, they're considered safe. Imagine you get on the ride and you ask and they're like, yeah, generally. Generally, it feels like this might be safe. I'm not going to go on this. Yeah, when it comes to something like amusement park safety, the likelihood of an accident is a matter of probability, to be quite honest. It is. In simple turns, each time a Ferris wheel was put into motion, it was a matter of probability.

[15:04] The more worn the mechanics became, therefore, the more times a person rode a Ferris wheel, the more safely, the more likely it was that they were going to experience a problem. The more safe rides equal, we're creeping up. We're counting down until an unsafe ride. [15:21] That's actually a horrible way to think about that. It really is. I want to be the person that goes on the ride like two times after the bad thing. Yeah, there you go. I'm sorry. Wow. I'm sorry. [15:34] early amusement parks, rides were typically permitted and expected by the same people who gave out licenses for the other park vendors. That's to say that these individuals rarely understood how the rides worked. [15:47] much less whether they were safe. That's really awesome. So that led to some problems. Yeah, I bet. In 1911, on the Revere Beach Boardwalk, just a few miles outside of Boston, manufacturer Fred Pierce built an early wooden coaster named the Derby Racer. See me? I don't fucks with wooden coasters. And remember, this is before, like, the Santa Claus land of 1940, whatever. Yeah, yeah. [16:10] Among the largest roller coasters of the day, the Derby Racer was a standard two-track coaster where two passenger cars would, quote-unquote, race one another side by side. Within just a couple months of being built, the Derby Racer experienced its first accident. That's when PFC Arthur Lamar, a sailor on the Battleship New Jersey, was thrown from one of the coaster cars, quote, traveling at a speed equaling that of a fast express train. Oh, fuck.

[16:40] Exactly. Lamar was thrown from the car. His body hit the structural beams of the coaster with, quote, terrific force, fracturing his skull, breaking his arm and causing severe internal injuries. Yeah. He was rushed to Frost Hospital in nearby Chelsea. And while he did survive the accident, he was left with lifelong problems as a result. [17:01] A fractured skull will fuck you right up. Just a month later? [17:05] Another accident occurred on the dirty racer. These are bad probabilities. When Oscar Young, the assistant manager of the ride, was thrown from one of the cars. At the time, Young had been accompanying a group of young women on the ride. And according to a press report, at one point, the group, quote, were making so much noise and moving about so actively that Young feared for their safety. [17:35] the car lurched slightly to the side and he was thrown from the ride headfirst oh fuck understandably the party of young women quote became panic stricken and two of the passengers had to be physically prevented from jumping out of the car in terror according to the press quote the wild screams of the passengers during the rest of the ride because they had to finish the ride yeah to the terminal were heard for half a mile and caused intense excitement among the throngs [18:05] stop, attendants were able to reach Oscar and move his body to the office terminal, where he was attended by a local doctor until an ambulance was able to get there an hour later. Jesus Christ. Young was taken to Frost Hospital, where they determined both legs were broken, one so badly it had to be amputated immediately. Oh my God. And he'd suffered severe internal injuries, as well as cuts and lacerations and bruises to his abdomen. Unfortunately, it does appear that he didn't survive his injuries. Oh, that's so sad.

[18:35] Oh, wow. So it was more than just that. [18:57] Those were just the big most egregious. But the Revere Board of Selectmen voted to shut down the coaster for just two weeks before giving them the go ahead to reopen it after the coaster was examined. Did they fix anything? Two weeks. They were like, seems good to me. [19:12] I'm like, I don't know. I think you should put some mechanisms in place to like, make it so people stop flying off. [19:28] Improving your sleep can feel overwhelming. It's like, do I need a new mattress? Do I need to check this tracker that I'm on? Should I be taking this supplement? Oh my God, I think I need blackout curtains. Whoa, it's overwhelming. Upgrade your sleep by upgrading your bedding though, with bowl and branch. It's simple. Signature sateen sheets, breathable pillows, cozy waffle bed blankets. I freaking love a waffle bed blanket. And beautifully crafted comforters [19:57] No new routines, just a bed with bowl and branch bedding that feels softer, more breathable, and way more inviting. Start with the signature sheet set. Then add the comforter or the waffle blanket to finish the bed. I personally love how the waffle blanket looks, and it's so cozy, cozy, cozy. I...

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[21:46] Chilling crime cases are mysterious, but finding coverage shouldn't be. With the State Farm Personal Price Plan, you have options and can personalize your plan to help create an affordable price, so you can get back to cracking all of life's bigger cases. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with the Personal Price Plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Head to statefarm.com to get a quote. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. [22:15] selected by the customer, availability, amount of discounts and savings, and eligibility vary by state. [22:26] Whatever repairs were made to the derby racer do appear to have made it a little safer for riders, but a decade later, the ride's operators found themselves in trouble again. Hey, a decade is pretty solid. Yeah, I guess so. After two passengers were injured on the derby racer. On the afternoon of September 10th, 1922, 25-year-old Frank Francis and his friend Joseph Jason. FF and JJ? FF and JJ. Obsessed. [22:53] Last name Francis, last name Jason. [22:55] Like, what a weird thing. That is weird. Like first name, last name. They visited the Revere Beach boardwalk and Francis decided he wanted to start their day at the beach with a ride on the derby coaster. But his friend opted to watch from the platform. Oh, fuck. The ride was well underway when for reasons unknown, it came to a lurching halt. And Francis and the passenger where that he was sharing the car with were thrown from the ride and fell about six feet to the ground below.

[23:25] was largely unhurt. Frank himself, though, sustained severe lacerations to one side of his body and serious internal injuries. So he survived his injuries. But less than a year later, 23-year-old Alice Bluen and her boyfriend Leland Back were thrown from the derby racer. [23:43] Pretty much under similar circumstances. Alice suffered a fractured skull and back was badly cut and bruised, but otherwise was okay. In the years that followed that, the operators installed a leather harness to each car, as well as a safety bar that riders could grab hold of. I'm sorry. [24:01] what was there before nothing they're like hey i think a bar could like push people you know like keep them in there also a leather harness they're like [24:12] What do you guys think about a seatbelt? Jesus! But then again, it's like people were just like plopping newborns in the back of their seat at this point. Seriously. Well, I mean, this was what, like around the early to mid-1900s? Yeah, this is like, well, this is in the late 20s. Yeah, that's nuts. Yeah. These safety measures like definitely lowered the risk level, but not entirely. In late May 1929, 27-year-old J.N. Clark was thrown from his car when the leather belt, quote, seemed to slide through his hands. [24:42] And he was thrown from the car and suffered severe cuts all over his body. So the seatbelt was just like, nah. It didn't do a lot. The accident in 1929 resulted in a lawsuit that made its way to the state Supreme Court in 1935. Surprised it took that long for a lawsuit. Yeah, and the court ruled against the ride operators, Ocean View Amusements, who were required to pay a big penalty. Yeah, I would think. The next year, the Derby Racer was shut down for good and a new coaster was built on the site in 1937. Really?

[25:12] a new coaster on that site is a bad omen, I feel. [25:17] All of the accidents on the Derby Racer and coasters like it just highlighted the fact that if nothing else, additional safety measures were necessary to ensure safety. [25:27] That riders lived through the ride. Yes, important. That said, 20 years after the first death on the Derby Racer, another accident occurred that called into question the safety of roller coasters altogether. The afternoon of July 24th, 1930, it was like any other summer day at Omaha's Krug Park. All afternoon, tons of patrons lined up one after another to ride the park's most popular attraction, which was, of course, a large wooden roller coaster called the Big Dipper. Not the wooden roller coasters. [25:57] Like many coasters around the country, the Big Dipper was routinely inspected by a city inspector. [26:02] who was more accustomed to inspecting buildings than amusement park rides. A little different. And he deemed it safe for public use. Looks good to me. All righty. He said, I don't know. [26:11] It's not a building. I guess it's fine. I don't know. Standing. He said maybe you could live in it if it was stationary. [26:19] Maybe maybe you could. Despite that approval, however, just weeks earlier, one park worker predicted there would be, quote, a terrible accident on the coaster any day. Oh, he said worker. And he said it was due to its constant use, but lack of regular maintenance. He was like, this is just going to happen.

[26:41] 730 that night, 23 people boarded the train on Big Dipper, separated into four connected cars. As the train of cars began climbing the first 75-foot hill, [26:51] The group of teenagers braced themselves for the anticipated rapid descent. My favorite. Yeah. Unfortunately, none of them noticed the bolt sitting on the track several feet ahead of them. As the car began its rapid descents down the track, the first car hit the bolt, tearing loose the brake shoe and lifting the car off the rail, sending it through the guardrail and over the side of the coaster. Holy shit. [27:21] edge of the coaster threatening to fall any second. [27:25] Oh, my God. So 17 year old Walter Bazis said, I could see it happening before our car left the rails. [27:33] That was the worst part of all. We knew we were going to be killed or badly injured, and all we could do was sit there helplessly trusting in God. I can't even think about that. The first car plunged over the edge, slowly dragging the others with it, plunging 30 feet to the ground below. Holy God. Walter Bazis recalled, I was unable to move for a moment. So were the others. Seconds passed by in dead silence. Then somebody screamed, and it seemed to awaken everybody to their danger. [28:03] edge, several of the passengers desperately tried to free themselves from the seats, but being panicked and having no time to act, there was [28:11] not a lot any of them could do, according to 16-year-old Antis Uzdannis, who was in one of the rear cars. They said, as the first car went over, people in the second, the other three screamed and muttered short prayers while tugging desperately at their safety belts. This is so scary. The first car hit the ground just seconds after it went over the edge, with all the passengers still strapped into the wooden seats. Now, it's,

[28:36] And Dave found this. [28:39] The first car was dubbed Fred. [28:41] And it was named after the former park manager friend Ingersoll, who killed himself a few years earlier. And this car went plunging over the side. Yeah, that's haunting. Isn't that just like haunting? Yeah, that is. Absolutely. Now, since all the cars were connected, the second, third and fourth cars fell in quick succession. Fortunately, the cars landed in a U formation with the first and fourth cars landing on the tracks and the second and third hitting the ground. Had they landed on top of one another... [29:10] It would have been far more devastating than it already was, which was devastating. Yeah. Omaha firefighter Bren Meister was at the park that day and could see the rail infrastructure crumble as the train went over the edge. He told a reporter the cars dropped straight down on the east side of the structure. Some of them overturned and landed top down. [29:30] with the passengers imprisoned by safety belts and unable to throw themselves free. [29:35] To make matters worse, the weight of the cars hanging over the edge before they fell caused the scaffolding in the part of the coaster to tilt slightly. Oh, my God. So ride operator Eugene Lewis said I heard wood splintering and saw the first car going over the east. I jumped for the switch and shut the power off. I thought the other three cars would hold the first track car on the track.

[30:05] on the victims below now with the power switched off the second train car which was a ways behind the one that went over was stopped entirely and rescuers were able to reach the passengers and get them all to safety other park workers in the area jumped into action with several running to call for emergency services and way more climbing or tearing down the fencing to get to the victims wow which is like [30:30] a moment of humanity that I'm glad is in here. It's rare to see. The four passengers in the first car received the worst of the injuries. Of course, yeah. As the first to hit the ground in a car that was overturned, C.H. Stout, Ruth Farrell, Tony Politica, and Gladys Lundgren were all pinned under the car and trapped by rubble. Although two managed to survive the initial fall, they died later that afternoon from their injuries. The others were luckier and managed to survive with [30:58] terrible injuries. Tony's 16-year-old sister, Mary, who was sitting in the car behind her brother, sustained a fractured skull and was... [31:06] scalped. Oh my god, fuck! Because... [31:11] Her head hit a piece of scaffolding on the way down. Oh my God. I don't think I'm ever riding a roller coaster again. Yeah. [31:19] To be scalped by a rollercoaster crash is unthinkable. That's happened a few times. Don't you dare. That happened recently. What? Yeah. [31:31] Oh, in fact, hold on. I'm going to look. [31:34] She's doing cautionary tales.

[31:37] Yeah, it was in 2016. She was 11 years old. Oh, where? King's Crown. [31:43] In Omaha, Nebraska. [31:45] Also happened in the UK in 2025. 18-year-old woman in a fun house ride. Oh my god. [31:53] Yeah. [31:54] I feel like I'm going to throw up. 2021, too. It happened. So many people scalped by roller coasters. Yeah. [32:02] And this is just... I'm not trying to tell anybody what to do. Yes, she is. Because, again, these... [32:09] you know, they get checks. A thrill ride is a thrill ride. It's a thrill ride because you're out of control. It's just the way... You're supposed to be thrilled by the end. You are absolutely supposed to be safe. And thrilled. But, you know... [32:22] This would not thrill me. This would not thrill me. And again, this is... [32:27] The early days... [32:28] Of thrill rides. You better keep it there, sister. And obviously I've given you some modern... [32:34] Yeah. [32:36] examples of this but but like this i'm sorry [32:41] She's sorry. I'm sorry. She's sorry. She's sorry. It's like, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. So that's terrible. Walter Bazis, who we quoted before, suffered a broken collarbone. Oh, that's so painful. In addition to severe cuts and bruises to his face. [32:57] 14-year-old Robert Lindstrom, who was visiting the park with his family that day and riding in the third car, suffered a broken arm and surgeons had to amputate one of his fingers because the crush injuries were too impossible to repair. Wow. Other passengers managed to escape with relatively minor injuries like...

[33:15] considering considering walter bazas's brother 20 year old andrew for example had superficial cuts and bruises and a severe sunburn from laying trapped beneath the debris for an extended period of time while rescuers tended to the most hurt people you get through all of that and you get like you get like severe burns that's horrific even some who weren't on the ride that afternoon were not free of the harm of this tragic event upon seeing the cars go over the edge and plummet [33:45] woman fainted and subsequently went into shock. Oh, wow. She was taken to the hospital along with the other victims and released several hours later. Similarly, sisters Leona and Mary Brundy, 12 and 10 years old, survived the accident with minor injuries. But later that night, it was determined that the accident had been so psychologically traumatizing that both girls needed to be taken back to the hospital for treatment. Absolutely. That's yeah. You can [34:15] person and what that would do to your brain because you're not supposed to see people in real life in these insanely violent situations and just seeing you can you can picture it in your head but it wouldn't be what you would actually that's what i'm saying you know what i mean like you you can't conceive of disaster in that way yeah it's like seeing like you think you could see it like you're like oh i've seen final destination i've seen weird shit like that happen but not in real

[34:45] as though nothing had happened. [34:47] Were it not for the mountain of debris and wreckage, [34:50] One would assumed it was just another night at the park. [34:54] Just kept on moving. They didn't shut down the park? Nope. According to one reporter, once the firefighters and ambulance were gone, quote, the concessionaries hawked their wares, sightseers took themselves to other rides, and the orchestra struck up. [35:07] It's like the Titanic. Yeah. Hello? It was only after Omaha Safety Commissioner John Hopkins arrived a little before 11 p.m. that the park shut down for the night. Are you kidding me? Yeah, that's nuts. How could you just be like, well, I guess I'm going to go on the Tilt-A-Whirl now. Like, what do you mean? [35:24] What the fuck? People just died. [35:25] Upon viewing the scene at the park, several of the ride's usual attendants were baffled as to what the fuck could have caused this accident. As Gene Lewis, who was a Big Dipper operator, said, as far as I know, it's still as sound as a dollar. [35:39] I don't think it is because there's a big crumbling mess where it was. I have one foolproof way to tell that your ride is not operating as sound as a dollar. A girl with scalped. When it crumbles to the ground. Yeah. [35:51] And a girl loses her scalp. That's fucking joking. That'll tell you it's not running tip-top. [35:57] Wow. It was only after the debris had been cleared and the structure formally evaluated that they realized a bolt had come loose in the structure and fallen onto the tracks, which to me, that's the scariest part about this because... [36:10] How innocuous. That's so innocuous. Yeah. Yeah. [36:13] that could just happen. Yeah, easily. Like, that skips the shit out of me. Because a bolt is so small. It's just human. Yeah. Like, that's just human shit. I know. Like, we can only tighten a bolt so much. I know they use, like, machines to do that now, but it's like...

[36:26] I don't know. Error happens. That just freaks me out. Well, especially like this is just my opinion, especially with a wooden coaster. Oh, especially. Yeah. There's there's too much at risk. Yeah. And I know like that's just like that. I'm always terrified of these kind of things, because like as like I'm sure that like there's a small subsection of listeners who are like Elena's the most paranoid person ever. How annoying. [36:51] Yeah. [36:52] I know sometimes it pays to be paranoid sometimes it pays to be paranoid I'm probably I'll still go on some rides but like I'm gonna I'm gonna check gonna keep the [37:02] Keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open. That's the thing. I'm not I'm not advocating for people to like just stop living their lives and stop doing these fun things because this shit can happen. Just be informed. Just be informed of it. That's all. So you're a little more aware. Maybe a little more. Knowledge is indeed power. Maybe don't do the wooden ones. Yeah. And it's like if you want to. [37:25] I just think you need to be... [37:27] Be careful. And you just got to, again. [37:29] Have the knowledge going in so you can be better. [37:32] Prepared and listen to the safety protocols. Enjoy your thrill rides. Yes. I mean, maybe if it's really going to affect how you go about an amusement park ride, this isn't the episode for you. But... [37:44] Just know that nobody's advocating for no amusement parks or rides here. Just make sure you're informed. I could never advocate for that. It's like hearing about a plane crash. It's not that you shouldn't get on a plane ever again. It's just like you're informed now of what can happen. You're aware of the statistics. Exactly.

[38:00] But I just wanted to be clear about that, that I'm not being like, see, I told you that abuse and boxers. No. Like, this is just, you know, a little subsection of it. Yeah. So, yeah, they noticed the bolts. Had the entire structure been firm and sound, the guardrail probably could have withstood the impact. You would think. And kept the car from going over the edge. But when it was inspected after the accident, safety inspectors found that, quote, for 20 feet, the left rail was splintered and torn away. [38:30] rotted it could be crumbled in their fingers see i feel like you guys could have figured that out before this happened absolutely they should i feel like you should probably just check it every night human error yeah um now at a press conference the next day john hopkins told reporters after this accident i wouldn't permit another roller coaster to be built of steel if a loose nut can throw the whole tracks off course we're not going to have any more roller coasters [38:55] well he was wrong he said that he's me well he's like you know what fuck this he's like one time no more yeah you know what no [39:15] Do you know that feeling when working out finally clicks? When you finally feel like you get in a routine, when you can see the results, not just physically, but also like emotionally, mentally, honestly? [39:27] All of it. I don't know. Tell me about it. I'm going to tell you about it because finally when it clicks for me is when I get that clear headed feeling. I can I actually look forward to my workouts because I feel like they're kind of like a reset for me. Oh, heck yeah. Heck yeah. It's honestly it's worth it. You're it's worth it. It's an investment in yourself in every way that it can be. So I'm telling you, one way you can do this is with Peloton. Peloton helps you unlock all the

[39:57] gets through movement with the Peloton Cross Training Tread Plus powered by Peloton IQ. Peloton IQ builds a workout roadmap that's completely yours. So you can stop overthinking and just move, which is the hardest part. Peloton IQ provides intelligent strength coaching so you can stay in the moment. You can track every single rep, you can read every movement, and guiding form in real time. So there's no second guessing because that's always my thing is I'm like, [40:27] right and they're like no you're not this is how you do it don't second guess yourself girl don't do it so spin the swivel screen too and feel what's possible moving from running to strength seamlessly without breaking any flow because we don't want to break that flow reach your flow state they're honestly the clarity that comes when you stop negotiating with yourself i'll just do it tomorrow i'll start it next week maybe if i get in this routine i'll feel better don't talk about it [40:57] I'm the person who will continue negotiating with myself until I'm 80 years old that I've yet to step on any single exercise equipment. So finally, when I stopped and I just got on my Peloton, I'm telling you, it's an investment. It's a worthwhile investment in yourself. So let yourself run, lift, fail, try and go. [41:22] Period. [41:24] Thank you. [41:25] Sling is the live TV service that puts viewers in charge of their entertainment at an unmatched value. Streaming live sports, shows, and movies starts at just $4.99 and everything works instantly across your favorite devices. The best part? Total control over the channel lineup. No paying for tons of channels that never get watched or local channels that are already free. And there's also no long-term contract. Live TV is available when it's wanted with flexible options like monthly subscriptions or one-day, three-day, or seven-day passes.

[41:55] Subscriptions can be paused at any time and entertainment doesn't stop. Over 600 free channels stay available even after pausing. One thing that I love about Sling is they have this thing called the Cloud DVR and it includes 50 hours of storage but you can also upgrade that to 200 hours. I love that. That's awesome because I love to record my shows and watch them later and then fast forward through the commercials. [42:16] Choose and customize your favorite channel lineup or pause and watch for free. Sling lets you do that. Visit sling.com to learn more. [42:24] This is a paid ad by BetterHelp. There have been times in my life where I have been work, work, work, and nothing else, but that simply doesn't work for me. So I feel like the older I've gotten, I've really gotten much better at taking a step back, being able to prioritize a work-life balance that works for me. Not everybody thrives when life gets busy. You might catch yourself feeling drained even during things that you usually enjoy or realize that you've been pushing yourself more than you need to. It's important to take care of yourself when things get busy by resting, [42:54] and saying no when you need to. [42:56] Therapy can also be a great way to get out of autopilot and get a solid reset. Therapy with BetterHelp may help you understand your needs, feel more confident setting boundaries, and create a rhythm that feels sustainable. BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform. Just take a short questionnaire to identify your needs and preferences, and BetterHelp will handle the initial therapist matching work for you. You can also feel confident knowing that BetterHelp therapists work

[43:26] Take a pause with therapy. BetterHelp can help life feel manageable again. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com slash morbid. That's betterhelp.com slash morbid. [43:44] In fact, Hopkins and Omaha Mayor Richard Metcalf responded to the entire tragedy by swearing they would introduce city ordinances banning all roller coasters in Omaha. Which, like, I get why they went that hard. Absolutely. That was tragic. Yeah, and it affected. Those are teenagers. A girl got scalped. It affected so many people and so many people, too, who weren't even on the ride. Yeah, it's like, you know. [44:10] those that's the other thing yeah suiting for days in one case 20 year old andrew holman sued for twenty thousand dollars while 18 year old joseph zywick just sued for ten thousand dollars several more suits were after that and ultimately the park's 35 000 insurance policy was split up between many of the survivors two of the largest payouts went to 14 year old helen kazaji seven [44:40] $4,800, whose injuries were significant. Tragically, Mary's payout was lost entirely just a few years later when the bank went under as a result of the Great Depression. Oh, that is such bullshit. Now, after the accident, the Big Dipper was torn down entirely. And thanks to the ordinances put in place by Hopkins and Mayor Metcalf, nothing was built in its place. The owners of Krug Park spent years trying to get the ban lifted so they could rebuild their most popular attraction.

[45:10] bitch they don't care about human beings yeah but luckily they were unsuccessful because it's like yeah it's all about money bitch and they don't care about human beings like that's their attitude but it's like [45:20] you're going to lose all your money. Yeah. Because your insurance, no insurance, especially after your insurance payout was completely maxed out. No fucking insurance company is going to be like, yeah, let's do that again. Let's give it another shot. Guys. The park did struggle significantly in the years after that and had an unusual run of bad luck that included a massive fire and an armed robbery as well. Oh, geez. Finally, after the 1939 summer session, Krug Park closed for good. Yeah. Sounds like that's probably good. [45:50] insurance companies and park owners started taking the health and safety of patrons just a little more seriously. Hey, that's nice. They would put in place, [45:57] better safety measures. They just wanted to lower that risk. That said, it was impossible [46:04] to remove the risk entirely. And that's the problem. And it was only a matter of time before another disaster did occur. And in a rather dark coincidence, the, [46:14] When the next major rollercoaster catastrophe did finally happen, it was on a coaster. [46:19] called the Big Dipper. Shut up. So maybe don't go on a coaster called the Big Dipper. Guys, you heard it here first. Yeah. On the morning of May 30th, 1972, Liz Haygreave arrived at the Fun Fair, an amusement park in London's Battersea district. They were celebrating her 15th birthday. More than any other rides, Liz wanted to ride the Big Dipper. It was a large wooden roller coaster that was built at the park 20 years earlier. The coaster was the main attraction at the park and

[46:49] and although she'd ridden the coaster that day she wanted to ride it again okay liz and her friend allison cummerford waited in line for the big dipper and when their turn came they climbed into one of the cars near the back and buckled their seatbelts as the train reached the first steep incline liz could hear the familiar sound of the struts clicking loudly below the car as the rope pulled the train up the hill we've all heard that when they got to the top of the hill the riders [47:19] train started to roll backwards. At first, Liz and Allison thought the ride's operator was just messing around trying to add a little extra thrill. But when she saw the other people on the ride start to panic, Liz realized something was wrong. Oh, God. In reality, the train only took a few seconds to hurtle back to the bottom of the hill at high speed. Liz recalled, but it felt like a long time. And I had this logical thought process that we're just going to swing up the hill behind us and back again and eventually come to a stop. [47:47] By the time I thought all that, we'd crashed through the bottom of it and were buried in debris. Oh, my God. Because it makes sense, her thinking. Yeah. Well, we're just going to go down and then we're going to swing back up and it's going to be like a metronome and like a pendulum. Eventually, we're going to just kind of stop. Right. Nope. It crashed directly through the bottom. Way too, going way too fast. They were going way too fast. Another passenger, Carolyn Adamczyk, remembered the moment the car started going in the opposite direction. [48:17] shooting backwards, everything went into slow motion. I turned around and saw the brake man desperately trying to put the brake on, but it wasn't working. Imagine seeing the man trying to pull the brake. No.

[48:30] Carolyn wasn't the only one who noticed the panic in that man's face. 13-year-old Susan Smith said, I thought at first he was just trying to frighten us. Then it was his face. It was white and terrified. Oh, that poor guy, too. Just trying his... [48:44] The car shot back down the hill at an unreasonable speed, and when it hit the first turn in the track, the first car shot straight through the guardrail and hung over the edge about 50 feet above the ground. Holy shit. Carolyn's car was relatively undamaged, though they were in a very precarious position on an unstable part of the track. The girl next to her was screaming and trying to get out of the car, and when she leaned on the wooden barrier, it collapsed. Oh, fuck. [49:14] saw her fall to the ground in front of me oh my god carolyn tried to calm everyone down and explained that they needed to be very still and she would get out of the car and walk down the tracks to get help bad bitch alert so carolyn tried to calm everyone down and explained that they needed to be very still and she would get out of the car and walk down the tracks to get help which like always a woman bad bitch who's like on her always a woman it is even the day she said everyone shut up we need to come i got this she carefully climbed out of the car and slowly made [49:44] of the tracks to find the safest route down. But as she started walking, she realized the tracks were slick with blood. [49:53] Oh, fuck. [49:55] This is awful. [49:56] Liz Haygrieve and Allison Comerford had been in the car that went over the edge and eventually plummeted to the tracks below, which were still 30 feet off the ground. Miraculously, Allison was unharmed, and when she managed to pull herself out from under some of the debris, she started moving the larger pieces off the car in an effort to free Liz. When she finally removed all the debris, Liz was in tremendous pain from a broken arm and dislocated shoulder, but she managed to get to her feet.

[50:26] to the small walkway beside the tracks, intending to walk down. But as soon as Allison stepped onto the walkway, the boards beneath her feet cracked and she fell 30 feet down below. [50:37] Despite her severe injuries, Liz was determined to reach her friend and started climbing down the scaffolding with a dislocated shoulder and broken arm. [50:47] She said there was chaos, lots of screaming. Parents had been watching their children on the ride, so they were obviously panicking. After a few minutes, I could hear sirens. When she finally reached the ground, Liz intended to get to Allison, but before she could get there, two adults grabbed her trying to help her. And she said they got hold of me, one on each side, and said we're taking you to first aid. They sort of frog-marched me away from her. When Liz finally managed to find Allison, [51:17] on a grassy area with several other injured riders. Allison was unconscious, but was one of the first to be taken to the hospital. In the days after that, she seemed to be improving, but a couple of weeks later, her condition took a turn and she succumbed and died. Allison Comerford was one of five children who died as a result of the accident. The others were 14-year-old David Sate, 8-year-old Shirley Nash, 13-year-old Thomas Harmer, [51:47] And 13 others suffered non-fatal injuries. Wow. Like, wow. [51:52] tragic. I just can't get past the track being covered in blood. Being covered in blood.

[51:57] From the perspective of those watching the accident from the ground, the scene was a fucking nightmare. When the train first hit the first curve in the tracks, it seemed like everything exploded. People said some of the riders were like thrown from the cars and landed somewhere on the structure. [52:14] Others remained strapped into the car or were buried under debris. Shirley Nash's father, David, said, I watched the carriage climb up to the first rise and then it just fell back and rolled down, throwing the children out. Oh, oh, God. That sentence alone. Yeah. [52:31] In the months that followed, an investigation determined the accident was initially caused by a break in the rope that pulled the cars. But that that was just the first link in like a chain of problems that led to this tragedy. After the rope broke, the emergency brake to stop the train failed. Yeah. As the train moved, it picked up speed, causing the last car to jump the track when it hit the curve in the track. [53:01] dozens of walkways, handrails, and parts of the track that were unsafe, including the walkway that gave out under Alison Comerford's feet. [53:10] Wow. So that could have been fixed. Yeah. The following year, ride manager and the engineer were put on trial for criminal negligence and manslaughter, among other charges relating to the injuries. As they should be. During his opening statements, prosecuting attorney Henry Pawnhall pointed to the many structural problems and defects with the ride, telling the jury the Big Dipper was, quote, quite literally a death trap.

[53:40] simply a tragic accident, but a matter of ongoing negligence that created an unsafe environment in myriad ways. Despite the evidence and compelling testimony, the jury determined there was not sufficient proof to support the charges, and the two men were cleared. That's shocking. That's bullshit. The Big Dipper was quickly reopened. Are you joking? With a more modern metal coaster. [54:02] But the accident and the trial that followed had done a lot of damage to the representation of the operators and the ride itself. And the ride closed permanently in the fall of 1974. Yeah, that ride should have never been reopened. Thinking back on the accident, Liz Haig-Reeve told a reporter, I always think about Allison and about the randomness of how it's one person and not another. And that's just horrible. It's really easy to take life for granted, but it's a bit of a nudge in the ribs every so often that says it's not like this for everyone. Wow. [54:32] Isn't that like, I got a chill poetic. I was going to say, I just warmed. [54:37] I think that's a good quote to end on. Yeah, that was powerful. Because although all of this is very tragic, I think that is a very... [54:46] That's a really good way of looking at it. Yeah, it's a reminder. Like, that life is literally so fragile. If it's not one person, it's the other. And you can't tell which one is going to have that kind of experience and where tragedy is going to hit. And it's a good little nudge in the ribs. That's a real fucking message, especially right now. Yeah, it really is. But all of these things, I mean, luckily, these rides were torn down.

[55:11] other things were built in their place sometimes not even rides so sometimes people it's nice that sometimes people got payouts yeah and a lot and that it showed like a lot of people came running to these tragedies yeah to help victims it highlighted humanity in a horrible way and in a nice way it really did which is usually what we do here it highlighted both for sure because the ones that were like and then the park just kept operating as nothing happened yeah that's like really guys uh but yeah so we'll we'll be punctuating every once in a while we'll do one [55:41] episodes. [55:44] Every now and again. Every now and then. We do spooky roads, spooky lighthouses. Yeah, which we need to do one of those. We haven't done one of those in a while. Let me tell you, honey, I'm craving a spooky road in particular. I am craving spooky anything. I live every day spooky, but I'm ready for fall. And I know... [56:04] I know. It's not even March. I know. But you know me. I know. You guys know me. I know. You get it. You know, it's in my heart. [56:12] I get it. You got a fun fact for us, please? I do have a fun fact. Hit me up. Is it fun? Your face looks weird. No, it's a fun fact. These are two groupings of animals that I think is really funny what they're named. Tell me. A group of pandas is called an embarrassment. That's not embarrassing. And a group of pugs is a grumble. A grumble! I want a grumble. Just a grumble of pugs. I want a grumble of pugs up in my house.

[56:42] grumble in this house one funny thing that this is just like a funny little like anecdote that i have that i have to say because you guys will get it um you know like what a big fan i am of like pinhead and hellraiser yeah movies uh like a like last summer whenever it was i got to like have lunch with doug bradley and his wife steph who i absolutely fucking adore i know and [57:07] We had lunch in Salem. It was great. And, [57:09] like they're so easy to hang out with like it was a real dream come true moment like i've only met them on zoom but they're so kind a real pinch me moment and steph got up to go to the bathroom and i was just sitting with doug and at the and i was just like for a moment i got like a super like moment of like i'm just sitting here with doug brad like what do i talk to him about yeah even though like steph makes it so easy to talk with anybody yeah and so as soon as she left i'm [57:35] He just started naming people. [57:37] He was like, did you know that groups, this group of animals is called this? I love that. And this group of animals is called this. And immediately I was like. [57:45] oh, we're good. We're good. Like, it was immediately like, oh, you said, I'll survive this. You are one of us. Not only will I survive this, I will thrive in this. Like, it was such a good moment. I was like, [57:57] Of course. Like, that's amazing. Tell me all of the animal groupings. Doug Bradley and his wife are fucking peaches. I love that. I think Steph came back and we just kept naming. [58:08] She just comes back from the table like, and this group of animals. I think he said a group of owls is called the Parliament.

[58:16] Oh, I love that. Is that what it is? I'll check that. [58:19] of Owls called... [58:22] I wish they were just called the Who. That would be funny. That was my little side story with that love. And to let you know that Doug Bradley and his wife, Steph, are... [58:35] Really top notch. She really just gave you many fun facts in our fun fact segment. I really did. How am I going to top that next episode? That's two fun facts for the price of one. The funnest facts. And again... [58:46] Go to amusement parks. Have your fun. Yeah. [58:49] Just look at the tracks. Just be aware. [58:51] That's all. Hey. And you know what else? [58:53] Keep listening. We hope you do. We hope you keep listening. And we hope you keep it weird, but not so weird as, um... Not so weird that if you change the wording of the ending of our show that we've been doing for, like, eight years, even slightly, I fall apart at the seams and cannot respond. I saw that. The slightest change. I saw. I said, I fucked up. I said, Miss... Just the slightest change. [59:23] Thank you.

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