Thursday, November 12, 2009

Looking at the Sky on Friday





It was overcast that day but the Coney Island Parachute Jump stood there like a giant.

The Parachute Jump was bought by Edward Tilyou from the 1939 New York World's Fair. The ride was run at the Lifesavers exhibit and opened for the 1941 season. I Although tame by the standards of today's rides, the experience of sitting 250 feet in the air on a small seat was unnerving.

From Wikipedia:

The Parachute Jump is a defunct amusement ride in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, whose iconic open-frame steel structure remains a Brooklyn landmark. 262 feet tall and weighing 170 tons (150 tonnes), it has been called the "Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn". It was built for the 1939 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, and moved to its current site, then part of the Steeplechase Park amusement park, in 1941. It is the only portion of Steeplechase Park still standing today. The ride ceased operations in 1968. The ride was based on functional parachutes which were held open by metal rings throughout the ascent and decent. Twelve cantilevered steel arms sprout from the top of the tower, each of which supported a parachute attached to a lift rope and a set of surrounding guide cables. Riders were belted into a two-person canvas seat hanging below the closed chute, then hoisted to the top, where a release mechanism would drop them, the descent slowed only by the parachute. Shock absorbers at the bottom, consisting of pole-mounted springs, cushioned the landing. Each parachute required three cable operators, keeping labor expenses high.

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15 comments:

Carolyn Ford said...

Wow! I love that red against a white sky! And, I'll say...that is a giant! Beautiful capture!

•°°• IcyBC •°°• said...

That's a beautiful shot, Mary!

Loree said...

Cool. And a great shot.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful Mary. That is as pretty as the red lighthouse. I love it :)

Margaret Gosden said...

Wonderful memories for some, I imagine! Nice, contrast against a dull sky!

Calico Crazy said...

That old ride looks lovely against the pale blue sky. ~ Calico Contemplations

Patti said...

Interesting post about the parachute jump. And the photo is cool. It almost looks like a pen and ink drawing.


(you could have used this for Ruby Tuesday as well)

have a good weekend!

DoanLegacy said...

Beautiful capture!

Ralph said...

The sky offers a dive gray color, which really highlights the Brooklyn attractions - the parachute jump the most obvious. And intriguing! The lacy steel construction is elegant, complex and almost in motion. A shame that summer is gone until next year...

SandyCarlson said...

That is quite a giant!

Anna said...

I like the red against that gray sky.

Putz said...

how come when you do photos everyone semms interested in the colors???????

Nishant said...

I love that red against a white sky! Work from home India

Putz said...

i am interested in the subject matter, not the colors

EG CameraGirl said...

250 feet is unnerving to me NOW, Mary. ;-)