Loop-the-Loop
| Type | Roller Coaster Track ride |
|---|---|
| Park Section | Center |
| Opened | 1908 |
| Closed | 1913 |
| Designer | Lina Beecher |
| Materials | Steel, Wood |
| Vehicle Type | Car |
| Number of Vehicles | 1 |
| Riders per Vehicle | 4 |
| Inversions | 1 |
The Loop-the-Loop, was a looping steel[1] roller coaster installed at Olentangy Park in 1908.[2] Designed by inventor Lina Beecher[1][3][4] in 1904, up to four riders would ride on a single track down a slope fast enough to do a single inversion (upside-down loop).[1] It was one of the first operating looping coasters in North America and its teardrop shape was adapted from a shape pioneered by Edwin Prescott.[3] The shape helped lower the excessive g-forces it put on its riders in comparison to past versions like the Flip Flap Railway, but the ride still caused many neck injuries and repeat riders were rare.[5] The ride remained in operation until at least 1913.
It was built near the Circle Swing and the Dancing Pavilion.[6]
This steel ride was built after a few successful similarly named Loop-the-Loop bicycle stunts done by Diavolo (played by either Conn Baker or G.F. Matthiessen) and Leaping-the-Gap.[7] After its run, the term "Loop-the-Loop" often referred to doing loops with airplanes or in motor vehicle stunts.
The Famous Bickett Family gave open-air performances within the circle of the Loop-the-Loop the week of July 6, 1908.[8]
Injuries
The ride caused many neck and back injuries. In July 1908, when the ride was new, Luther Liggett rode the Loop-the-Loop during a Methodist picnic and suffered neck injuries that lead to over a week of a swollen neck with fears of a serious injury.[2][9] A visitor from 1908 saying, "Myself and two others went around the Loop-the-Loop. Once was enough."[3] Dewey Oberlin, 10, described the ride as "the neck-breaker" in 1913.[10]
Gallery
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Vintage postcard (c. 1908-1910) showing the Loop-the-Loop.
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Vintage postcard (c. 1908-1910) showing the Loop-the-Loop.[11]
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Vintage postcard (c. 1908-1911) showing the Circle Swing and the Loop-the-Loop at Olentangy Park.
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Panoramic photo (c. 1908-1910) of the Circle Swing and Loop-the-Loop.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Loop the Loop." Roller Coaster Database. https://rcdb.com/3159.htm Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Neck was Injured." The Union County Journal (Marysville, OH). 23 July 1908. Pg. 2. Retrieved from Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80090314/neck-was-injured-on-loop-the-loop-in/
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Francis, David W., and Diane DeMali Francis. "The Roller Coaster's Early Years 1884-1909." In The Golden Age of Roller Coasters: In Vintage Postcards, 27. Arcadia, 2003.
- ↑ "American Pioneers of Amusement, Part 2." Off the Leash. Published 10 July 2016. Accessed 5 May 2024. https://offtheleash.net/2016/07/10/american-pioneers-of-amusement-part-2/.
- ↑ Francis, David W.; Francis, Diane DeMali (2003). The Golden Age of Roller Coasters. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738523380.
- ↑ Francis, David W.; Francis, Diane DeMali (2002). Ohio's Amusement Parks in Vintage Postcards. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738519979.
- ↑ "How bicycle daredevil Diavolo looped the loop back in the early 1900s." Click America. https://clickamericana.com/topics/culture-and-lifestyle/entertainment-culture-and-lifestyle/bicycle-daredevil-diavolo-loops-the-loops-1902-1905
- ↑ The Columbus Evening Dispatch. 7 July 1908. Pg. 14.
- ↑ Barrett, Richard E. (2002). Columbus Ohio 1898-1950 in Vintage Postcards. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738519626.
- ↑ Oberlin, Dewey. "Dewey Oberlin Aged Ten Tells of Seeing State Fair." The Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, OH). 8 September 1913. Pg. 14. Retrieved from Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80089842/dewey-oberlin-calls-the-loop-the-loop/
- ↑ Barrett, Richard E. (2002). Columbus Ohio 1898-1950 in Vintage Postcards. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738519626.