Morbid Podcast: "Amusement Park Disasters: Independent Parks"

Hosts: Ash Kelley & Alaina Urquhart
Air Date: February 19, 2026

Episode Overview

In this true crime-meets-history episode, Ash and Alaina take “weirdos” on a wild ride through the history of independent amusement parks—highlighting their evolution into the thrill-seeking destinations we know today, and the chilling disasters that have marked these fun factories along the way. With a generous dose of dark humor and empathy, the hosts explore notorious accidents, the lack of safety standards in the early days, and the human stories behind catastrophic roller coaster crashes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Strange Origins of Amusement Parks

[07:19 – 12:45]

• People have sought communal entertainment for centuries, with early examples seen in the 14th century in Denmark and the “pleasure gardens” of 19th-century London.
• Pleasure Gardens: Far from today's family amusement parks, pleasure gardens were places where social norms could be relaxed, sometimes verged into hedonism, and even included “dark walks” led by masked performers and, at night, sex workers ([09:13]).
• Notable Quote:
  “They captivated the public with their heady mix of culture, fashion, and vice.” — Ash quoting Kath Pound, [09:14]

2. From Boardwalks and Fairs to Modern Theme Parks

[12:45 – 14:35]

• The transition from pleasure gardens to amusement parks included the rise of boardwalks like Coney Island, featuring games and freak shows.
• Mechanical rides—carousels, Ferris wheels, and roller coasters—replaced animal shows, becoming the signature attractions.
• The first U.S. theme park was Santa Claus Land, Indiana, opened in 1946, even inspiring Disney ([13:46]).
• Notable Moment: Ash’s sheer surprise at Santa Claus Land’s existence — “Wait, that’s actually iconic!” ([13:48])

3. The Dark Underside: Safety and Disasters Begin

[14:18 – 16:38]

• With popularity came an inevitable rise in accidents. Early safety standards were practically nonexistent.
• Mechanical rides were inspected by officials with little knowledge of ride engineering ([15:29]).
• Notable Quote:
  “Imagine you get on the ride and ask, and they're like…generally it’s considered safe.” — Alaina, [14:47]

4. ACCIDENTS & INFAMY: The Derby Racer (Revere Beach, MA)

[16:02 – 25:31]

The Disaster Timeline

• 1911: Pfc. Arthur Lamar was thrown from the wooden coaster and suffered severe injuries but survived.
• A month later: Oscar Young (ride manager), thrown from the coaster while trying to warn riders, suffered devastating injuries and died. Two women nearly jumped from the car in panic ([17:40]).
• Multiple accidents in rapid succession (broken limbs, deaths), but the ride was only closed for two weeks ([18:55]).
• Safety “improvements”: A leather harness and safety bar were added—but still inadequate; more accidents occurred, including severe injuries to Jan Clark in 1929 ([24:20]).
• The coaster was ultimately shut down in 1936 after a lawsuit forced operators to pay damages.

Notable Quotes:

• “So the seat belt was just like...nah, it didn’t do a lot.” — Ash, [25:07]
• “I feel like you guys could have figured that out before this happened.” — Alaina, [38:53]

5. The Big Dipper Catastrophes

a. Krug Park, Omaha, NE (1930)

[25:50 – 44:39]

• 23 people boarded the Big Dipper. A simple bolt on the tracks caused the coaster to jump the guardrail.
• The front car dangled before plummeting 30 feet, dragging other cars with it. Several were killed and many others suffered life-altering injuries—including scalping, amputations, and psychological trauma ([31:34]).
• Despite the carnage, the park continued operating that night until city officials forced closure.
• Lawsuits followed, but insurance payouts were meager or lost in bank failures; the park suffered fires, robberies, and closed in 1939.

Memorable Quotes:

• “To be scalped by a roller coaster crash...is unthinkable.” — Alaina, [31:43]
• “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.” — City Safety Commissioner John Hopkins, [39:00]

b. Battersea Fun Fair, London (1972)

[45:19 – 53:09]

• Teen Liz Hay Grieve and friend Allison rode the Big Dipper for Liz’s 15th birthday. The cable hauling the train broke, and the train rolled backward at high speed.
• Brakeman’s desperate attempts to slow it failed. The cars crashed, ejecting and trapping riders. Allison died weeks later; five children died in total, and over a dozen more were injured.
• Investigators found dozens of easily fixable safety violations. The manager and engineer were acquitted; though the ride briefly reopened, its reputation was destroyed and it shut down permanently in 1974.

Memorable Quotes & Moments:

• “As soon as we started shooting backwards, everything went into slow motion. I turned around and saw the brakeman desperately trying to put the brake on, but it wasn’t working.” — Survivor Carolyn Adamzick, [46:47]
• “The Big Dipper was, quote, quite literally a death trap.” — Prosecuting attorney Henry Ponhill, [52:28]
• Liz Haig Grieve, reflecting:
  “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 little nudge in the ribs that says it’s not like this for everyone.” ([53:09])

6. Reflection & Takeaways

[53:33 – 54:22]

• Ash and Alaina maintain their signature blend of compassion and humor—emphasizing humanity seen in bystanders and indicating how such tragedies, while rare, underscore life’s randomness.
• They stress that learning about these disasters doesn’t mean avoiding fun:
  • “I’m not advocating for people to stop living their lives and stop doing these fun things…it’s like hearing about a plane crash. Just be informed.” — Ash, [37:21]
  • “That's a reminder, like, that life is literally so fragile…It’s a good little nudge in the ribs.” — Alaina, [53:46]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “The world is probably burning a little bit…fire is cleansing, and we’re going to start anew. With way less pedophiles and way more chill motherfuckers who want to protect kids.” — Ash & Alaina, [04:13]
• “What ripped for him and for us is that it's fucking Friday the 13th.” [03:08]
• “Not pleasure gardens. I feel like they should have workshopped that one.” — Alaina, [08:44]
• “There's one foolproof way to tell your ride isn't operating as sound as a dollar—when it crumbles to the ground and a girl gets scalped.” — Ash, [36:03]
• "As soon as she left, [Doug Bradley] just started naming...Did you know a group of pandas is called an embarrassment?" — Ash, [56:35]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [07:19] – The pleasure gardens and early amusement park history
• [16:02] – Derby Racer crashes begin
• [25:50] – Krug Park/Big Dipper disaster
• [45:19] – Battersea Fun Fair, London (Big Dipper catastrophe)
• [53:33] – Reflection and listener takeaways
• [55:10] – Fun fact segment (pandas and pugs naming, Doug Bradley anecdote)

Tone and Style

• True to Morbid's DNA, the episode balances heavy research with irreverent banter and dark humor; Ash is openly wary of amusement parks, while Alaina is more upbeat but equally horrified by some events.
• Both hosts consistently bring empathy to victim stories and highlight human moments—whether in survivors, rescuers, or friends.

Fun Fact Moment

• A group of pandas is called an embarrassment; a group of pugs, a grumble ([55:21]).
• Anecdote about Doug Bradley (Pinhead from Hellraiser) sharing animal group trivia during lunch in Salem ([56:08]).

Listener Advice

• The hosts advise listeners to be cautious but not unduly fearful:
  “Go to amusement parks, have your fun…just look at the tracks. Be aware, that’s all.” ([57:42])
• They reinforce that knowledge is empowering, not paralyzing.

Closing

This episode is a true “lighthearted nightmare”—offering history, humor, and haunting reminders of the importance of safety and the fragile line between fun and disaster.