Figure Eight Toboggan
| Other Name(s) | Figure Eight Toboggan Figure 8 |
|---|---|
| Type | Roller Coaster Track Rides |
| Park Section | North, West |
| Built | 1902 |
| Opened | 1902 |
| Closed | 1937 (park closure) |
| Materials | Wood |
| Vehicle Type | Car |
The Figure Eight Toboggan was the first track-based roller coaster built at Olentangy Park and the first mechanical ride built after the Dusenbury Brothers bought the park in 1899.[1] It cost $15,000 ($519,788 in 2022) to build.[2] Opening in July 1902,[3] "roller coaster" was a new term for rides where riders coasted on rollers inside their toboggan "cars."[4][5] The ride was in the shape of a figure-eight and was located on the north plateau south of the location of Fair Japan, the original Miniature Railway, and Swimming Pool.[6][7] The ride remained in operation until the park closed in 1937.
Description
The ride had a wooden frame and was described as being a "figure-eight" design and at times, a "three-way figure eight toboggan slide."[7] This was describing how the riders go around the loops three times. The cars would travel freely on a multi-level track and included wooden side rails to keep the cars on track.[8]
The Roller Coaster Database says it was designed by Henry B. Auchy and manufactured by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC).[9] However, PTC wasn't incorporated until two years after the ride was built. The RCDB and other sources often combine the Figure Eight Toboggan with the Forest Toboggan, later the Scenic Coaster/Red Devil.
Injuries
A person fainted on the ride in August 1902, landing the term "roller coaster" in quotation marks in its reporting in the Columbus Evening Dispatch.[4]
On September 21, 1902, Albert Jenkins received several broken ribs and a broken leg on the ride. He was released from the hospital on October 30.[10]
In May 1906, Thomas Callis, a pipe organist and insurance salesman, was spooked by the flashing lights and accidentally stepped off a nearby platform and injured his right ankle bad enough that amputation was considered. He was sent to Grant Hospital for treatment.[11]
References
- ↑ "Olentangy Then and Now." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. 3 May 1914. Pg. 46.
- ↑ Ad. Sunday Columbus Dispatch. 27 July 1902. Pg. 17.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park—Tassin's New Comedy." Friday Columbus Dispatch. 1 August 1902. Pg. 7.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Brevities." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 18 August 1902. Pg. 8.
- ↑ Clay Record. United States: Clay Record Publishing Company, 1903. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Clay_Record/c6pPAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
- ↑ "Geisha Girls are to be Attraction." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 2 January 1905. Pg. 5.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Columbus Railway & Light Co." Street Railway Review. Vol. XVI. No. 2. Pg. 70.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park." Sunday Columbus Dispatch. 10 May 1903. Pg. 6.
- ↑ "Forest Toboggan." Roller Coaster Database. https://rcdb.com/3156.htm
- ↑ "Jenkins Leaves Hospital." Thursday Columbus Dispatch. 30 October 1902. Pg. 6.
- ↑ "Peculiar Accident." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. 20 May 1906. Pg. 6.