Water Toboggan: Difference between revisions
Updated links |
mNo edit summary |
||
| (5 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 12: | Line 12: | ||
}} | }} | ||
Built in the ravine, across from the boat dock, the [[Bathing Pavilion]] and [[Water Toboggan]] were installed at Olentangy Park in 1900. The bathhouse was 100 by 13 feet and 9 feet tall. The slide was 50 feet wide, coming off a tower that was 12 by 13 feet, with the platform 30 feet above the bathhouse roof, making the length around 100 feet long. Since the ground was about 3 feet above the water, the tower was estimated to be 46 feet above the water. Invented by J. W. Pickens, the | Built in the ravine, across from the boat dock, the [[Bathing Pavilion]] and [[Water Toboggan]] were installed at Olentangy Park in 1900. The bathhouse was 100 by 13 feet and 9 feet tall. The slide was 50 feet wide, coming off a tower that was 12 by 13 feet, with the platform 30 feet above the bathhouse roof, making the length around 100 feet long. Since the ground was about 3 feet above the water, the tower was estimated to be 46 feet above the water. Invented by J. W. Pickens, the excursion manager for Olentangy Park<ref name="excursion">''[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-zanesville-signal-j-w-pickens-beco/184598729/ The Zanesville Signal (Zanesville, Ohio)].'' April 11, 1900. Page 2. Accessed through Newspapers.com.</ref><ref name="excursion2">''[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-recorder-excursion-agent/184599150/ The Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio)].'' April 11, 1900. Page 4. Accessed through Newspapers.com.</ref> and the Columbus Railway Company<ref>''[https://archive.org/details/streetrailwayrev10amer/mode/2up The Street Railway Review].'' Vol. 10. No. 6. Page 350. June 15, 1900.</ref><ref>The Columbus Railway Company. "Park Excursion Arrangements." ''[https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/public/gdcmassbookdig/columbusohio190000colu/columbusohio190000colu.pdf Columbus, Ohio, 1900 Illustrated Guide to the City and Pleasure Resorts with Map and Street Railway Directions].'' 1900. Accessed through the Library of Congress.</ref> since 1899, the slide was seen as a low-cost ride to build and maintain at parks with water features. It was built of 2-by-4-inch lumber. Access to the platform came from a central office at the bottom of the tower and up 3-foot-wide stairs.<ref name="toboggan">"[https://archive.org/details/streetrailwayrev11amer/mode/2up Toboggan Slide for Pleasure Parks]." ''The Street Railway Review.'' Vol. 11. No. 2. Page 89. Feb. 15, 1901. Accessed through the Internet Archive.</ref> | ||
Riders using standard ice slide toboggans (16 inches wide and varying from 3 to 6 feet long) faced a 40-foot drop followed by a second 15-foot drop, ending in water two feet deep at the end of the slide and 10 feet deep 30 feet away. The average slope was about 2.5 horizontal to 1 vertical, with the lower end tangent to the water and two horizontal portions joined by the two reverse curves. The ride was 40.5 feet wide, divided into two parts, 18 inches wide by 1.5-by-6-inch pieces rounded on top to avoid sharp corners. The left-hand part (slide proper) was not floored. The right-hand side was floored, allowing riders to make their way back up with a railing. The stringers on the slide were 2 by 4 inches, supported on posts, and held together by half-inch tie-rods spaced 18 inches apart. The slide had iron rollers 1.5 inches in diameter and 18 inches long, spaced 18 inches apart. They were placed between the tie-rods, leaving holes in the "floor" only 9 inches wide. Gravel was dumped in the water to make a "clean and more agreeable bottom" instead of the existing mud.<ref name="toboggan" /> | Riders using standard ice slide toboggans (16 inches wide and varying from 3 to 6 feet long) faced a 40-foot drop followed by a second 15-foot drop, ending in water two feet deep at the end of the slide and 10 feet deep 30 feet away. The average slope was about 2.5 horizontal to 1 vertical, with the lower end tangent to the water and two horizontal portions joined by the two reverse curves. The ride was 40.5 feet wide, divided into two parts, 18 inches wide by 1.5-by-6-inch pieces, rounded on top to avoid sharp corners. The left-hand part (slide proper) was not floored. The right-hand side was floored, allowing riders to make their way back up with a railing. The stringers on the slide were 2 by 4 inches, supported on posts, and held together by half-inch tie-rods spaced 18 inches apart. The slide had iron rollers 1.5 inches in diameter and 18 inches long, spaced 18 inches apart. They were placed between the tie-rods, leaving holes in the "floor" only 9 inches wide. Gravel was dumped in the water to make a "clean and more agreeable bottom" instead of the existing mud.<ref name="toboggan" /> | ||
In 1906, the water toboggan was included in the bathing pavilion's price: {{Tooltip |text = 10 cents|tooltip = $3.57 in 2025 dollars}} for children and {{Tooltip |text = 15 cents|tooltip = $5.36 in 2025 dollars}} for adults. This included transport across the river, bathing suits, and dressing rooms.<ref>"Bathing at Olentangy Park." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' June 17, 1906. Page 2.</ref> | In 1906, the water toboggan was included in the bathing pavilion's price: {{Tooltip |text = 10 cents|tooltip = $3.57 in 2025 dollars}} for children and {{Tooltip |text = 15 cents|tooltip = $5.36 in 2025 dollars}} for adults. This included transport across the river, bathing suits, and dressing rooms.<ref>"Bathing at Olentangy Park." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' June 17, 1906. Page 2.</ref> | ||
Latest revision as of 04:59, 9 November 2025
| Other Name(s) | Toboggan Slide |
|---|---|
| Type | Roller Coaster Water ride |
| Park Section | The Grove |
| Built | 1900 |
| Opened | 1900 |
| Closed | After 1910 |
| Designer | J. W. Pickens |
| Vehicle Type | Ice Toboggan |
Built in the ravine, across from the boat dock, the Bathing Pavilion and Water Toboggan were installed at Olentangy Park in 1900. The bathhouse was 100 by 13 feet and 9 feet tall. The slide was 50 feet wide, coming off a tower that was 12 by 13 feet, with the platform 30 feet above the bathhouse roof, making the length around 100 feet long. Since the ground was about 3 feet above the water, the tower was estimated to be 46 feet above the water. Invented by J. W. Pickens, the excursion manager for Olentangy Park[1][2] and the Columbus Railway Company[3][4] since 1899, the slide was seen as a low-cost ride to build and maintain at parks with water features. It was built of 2-by-4-inch lumber. Access to the platform came from a central office at the bottom of the tower and up 3-foot-wide stairs.[5]
Riders using standard ice slide toboggans (16 inches wide and varying from 3 to 6 feet long) faced a 40-foot drop followed by a second 15-foot drop, ending in water two feet deep at the end of the slide and 10 feet deep 30 feet away. The average slope was about 2.5 horizontal to 1 vertical, with the lower end tangent to the water and two horizontal portions joined by the two reverse curves. The ride was 40.5 feet wide, divided into two parts, 18 inches wide by 1.5-by-6-inch pieces, rounded on top to avoid sharp corners. The left-hand part (slide proper) was not floored. The right-hand side was floored, allowing riders to make their way back up with a railing. The stringers on the slide were 2 by 4 inches, supported on posts, and held together by half-inch tie-rods spaced 18 inches apart. The slide had iron rollers 1.5 inches in diameter and 18 inches long, spaced 18 inches apart. They were placed between the tie-rods, leaving holes in the "floor" only 9 inches wide. Gravel was dumped in the water to make a "clean and more agreeable bottom" instead of the existing mud.[5]
In 1906, the water toboggan was included in the bathing pavilion's price: 10 cents$3.57 in 2025 dollars for children and 15 cents$5.36 in 2025 dollars for adults. This included transport across the river, bathing suits, and dressing rooms.[6]
The one at Olentangy Park was the second built. The first was built at the Mt. Vernon Electric Railway in 1896. As of 1901, the slide had not been patented, and no drawings had ever been made showing the details. A description in the Street Railway Review helped carpenters build future slides.[5]
The ride remained popular at the Bathing Pavilion until at least 1910.[7]
Injuries
In 1901, Frank E. Grove and Frank Roddy were injured when the ride broke in two about halfway down. Grove's right foot was caught in the rollers, and three of his toes were broken, his leg was wrenched, and the right side of his body was bruised. Roddy was thrown from the ride and received painful bruises.[8]
Notes
E. Joy Morris is reported to have built a "roller coaster" or "toboggan" at the park by 1903. It is unknown which roller coaster. Morris also built the first Merry-Go-Round.[9]
References
- ↑ The Zanesville Signal (Zanesville, Ohio). April 11, 1900. Page 2. Accessed through Newspapers.com.
- ↑ The Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio). April 11, 1900. Page 4. Accessed through Newspapers.com.
- ↑ The Street Railway Review. Vol. 10. No. 6. Page 350. June 15, 1900.
- ↑ The Columbus Railway Company. "Park Excursion Arrangements." Columbus, Ohio, 1900 Illustrated Guide to the City and Pleasure Resorts with Map and Street Railway Directions. 1900. Accessed through the Library of Congress.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Toboggan Slide for Pleasure Parks." The Street Railway Review. Vol. 11. No. 2. Page 89. Feb. 15, 1901. Accessed through the Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Bathing at Olentangy Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. June 17, 1906. Page 2.
- ↑ F. J. Heer and Company. 1910. Olentangy Park and Theater.
- ↑ "Hurt on Toboggan: Bunch of Accidents at Olentangy Park—Fine Ambulance Run." Columbus Evening Dispatch. July 1, 1901. Page 10.
- ↑ Stafford, Tom. "Coaster Designer Morris A Man of Joy." Springfield News-Sun (Springfield, Ohio). Aug. 16, 2004. Page 14. Accessed through Newspapers.com.