Crowd at White City Sees a Man Hurled to Death on the "New Ride."
Police Not Notified.
Source: Chicago Daily Tribune, 8 June 1911, pg. 1.
The "roller coaster," types of which are now running at top speed in all the amusement parks in Chicago, claimed its first victim of the season last night.
Jacob Hanson, who lived near Decatur, Wis., fell from the "New Ride" at White City and was so badly hurt that he died a short time later at the Washington Park hospital.
The man was rushed to the Washington Park hospital and no report was made to the police.
A crowd of many hundred persons saw the man receive his fatal injuries, but in spite of that fact details of how the accident happened are meager.
Man Falls from Car.
One account says that the machine in which the man was riding was racing high in the air at top speed. It had just arrived at the top of an ascent and was plunging downward into a new "loop" when the man was seen to fly out of the car and plunge to the earth. He was picked up unconscious.
The White City people say that the man was drunk and that the accident was due to his standing up in the car. At the Washington Park hospital it was stated that there was no evidence of the man being drunk that they could see.
Great Excitement in Park.
There was great excitement in the park after the man had been picked up. A large crowd gathered and several women fainted. By the time the taxicab had arrived practically every one in the park at the time was gathered around the scene of the tragedy.
The victim himself could give no account of how the accident occurred. He was unconscious when taken to the hospital and continued in a state of coma until he died. His identity was learned from letters which were found in his pockets.
