13

THE HAND OF FATE

Hurricanes and Other Disasters

Harrington died in 1918, leaving his family to decide the fate of Rocky Point. His widow, Amelia, leased the park to Paul and Alfred Castiglioni later that year, but like others who had taken over what appeared to be a risk-free opportunity, they would soon learn that events of misfortune occurring at the shore resort were not over. In 1919, the beautiful Mansion House caught fire and burned to the ground.

Despite the setback, it was necessary that Rocky Point continue to evolve if it was going to keep its stellar reputation. A major overhaul took place the following year when a new bathing beach was laid out and $50,000 spent to add a new pavilion.

By that time, the large variety of rides included the Witching Waves, two merry-go-rounds, a midway carousel, a roller coaster, the Whip, the Circle Swing and the Aero Plane. While admission to the park was still free, each ride and most attractions and exhibits now required the purchase of a ticket. Entrance to theater shows cost patrons ten cents. The majority of the rides called for six-cent tickets.

Other enjoyments to be found included the Alligator Farm, the World’s Museum and Leo the Lion, the large cast-iron statue situated at the park’s entrance where many a child climbed atop to have his or her picture taken. The lion was later moved to the beach near the boat landing before vandals destroyed it.

The new wooden Wildcat roller coaster was added in 1926, and in 1931, a bobsled coaster called the Flying Turns was installed on the grounds, both designed by Herbert Schmeck. The Flying Turns resembled a bobsled run with banked curves void of a track. The Tunnel of Love was also introduced for those who wanted a heart-pounding experience of another kind.

A view of Rocky Point Park from Narragansett Bay. Vintage postcard, courtesy Jules Antiques & General Store.

Rocky Point’s dock was busy all day loading and unloading thousands of passengers. Vintage postcard, courtesy Jules Antiques & General Store.

Those who wished to experience the thrill of amusements like coasters and swings gladly handed over their ten cents. Paul S. Haney filled the position of office manager at the time, though he later went on to become employed at Crescent Park.

In August 1930, the park was put in a rather unflattering light when the Afro-American, a newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland, accused Rocky Point’s owner and staff of practicing discrimination. “Rocky Point Amusement Company bars colored people from the bathing beach and swimming pool,” the article read. It went on to explain that the Young Men’s Bible Class of the Ebenezer Baptist Church had held its annual outing there at the park earlier that month. Of the fifteen-member class, two of the men had gone and requested towels and lockers at the bathhouse. It was alleged that the men were told by the attendant there that the management would not allow lockers to be rented to those of African American descent.

“For many years, it’s been the custom of thousands of blacks from New England and New York to gather at Rocky Point on August 1, to celebrate the freedom of West Indian slaves by England,” the article went on. “This year, over five thousand gathered but not a single one was seen in bathing.” It was further alleged that the saltwater pool had been drained dry by the management to avoid having to refuse entrance to African Americans who expressed a desire to swim.

If a reputation for bigotry was not enough, fate had even more in store for Rocky Point. Though the incredible seaside location made for a perfect park setting, it also made the grounds likely to fall victim when severe weather threatened. On September 21, 1938, a massive hurricane that no one was prepared for swept across New England, wreaking havoc with a wind speed of 160 miles per hour. Over six hundred deaths were reported, along with more than $300 million in damages. The erosion of dunes and beaches and the obliteration of hundreds of buildings changed the landscape overnight. New England had never before seen such unimaginable death and destruction.

The majority of the buildings and rides contained within Rocky Point were reduced to splinters and twisted metal fragments by the crashing waves and heavy, violent winds. The Wildcat and the Flying Turns were gone. The midway was gone and the dinner hall swept away. The storm’s ravaging of the property was so severe that Rocky Point was shut down in its entirety.

The previous year, six monkeys had escaped from their confines in the park and were residing in the woods just outside the grounds. Having survived the hurricane, the monkeys continued to be seen for several months, enjoying their freedom as they swung through the trees and perched on branches just beyond the reach of captivity.

Following the devastation, the Castiglionis decided to return their lease to Mrs. Harrington, who then leased the grounds to Thomas F. Wilson of Providence in 1939. It was reopened briefly in 1940 but then closed once again, without Wilson’s completing the restorations.

Mrs. Harrington decided to sell the property in 1941 but had little luck with that endeavor. Interested developers were no longer so eager to purchase the grounds once they discovered the enormous amount of rock that was contained on the property and the expense it would require to blast through it all.

There were, in fact, some very interested buyers in the form of oil companies who wanted to build oil tanks on the property. However, Mrs. Harrington could not stand the thought of the beautiful landscape being destroyed.

In 1945, the property was purchased by the Studley Land Company and, two years later, transferred to Rocky Point Incorporated, a partnership between Frederick Hilton, Joseph Trillo and Providence businessman Vincent Ferla. Along with his friends and family, Ferla put the park back in motion. The efforts took massive amounts of time and money. Aside from the basic cleanup of the park, it was necessary to rebuild structures that had been destroyed. A new Shore Dinner Hall was constructed and run by head chef John Gomes and a staff of two hundred. Measuring 260 feet by 80 feet, the all-wood building was set 30 feet farther out over the sea than the previous hall had been. Solidly built and set on nearly two hundred concrete piers, it was believed the structure could withstand almost any surge of water or gust of wind. To be on the safe side, however, hurricane insurance was taken out on the building.

The saltwater swimming pool, which had sustained damage, was renovated, and a new dance hall called the Palladium was constructed. However, despite all the rebuilding and renovations, when Rocky Point was opened once again to the public, it did not garner as much success as it had in times past. The country’s economic hardships had brought about a decline in people spending money on such frivolous things as rides and games of chance. In April 1953, the park advertised that it was selling the Rocket ride and the Whip together for $17,500. The shining light that had once been Rocky Point seemed as if it were starting to dim.

Though local newspapers no longer carried large, exciting advertisements for the once prosperous summer playground, they occasionally mentioned the park in other news. In August, a trio of men who were out boating in the bay had been fishing near Prudence Island when suddenly their outboard motorboat banged up against something in the water. Immediately, they spotted a twelve-foot practice missile for which the navy had been looking for the past four days. The men towed the missile to the dock at Rocky Point, and navy officials in Newport were contacted. Soon, a boat carrying ten enlisted men arrived, and the men hoisted the missile aboard to bring it back to Newport. The usual payout for the return of a missile was $100.

One year later, Ferla and his partners would find themselves the next unfortunate victims of Rocky Point’s regularly unexpected tragedies. On August 31, 1954, Hurricane Carol crashed into the East Coast with ninety-mile-per-hour winds. Again, many of the park’s rides were almost completely destroyed, as was the newly built Shore Dinner Hall.

The owners of the park sustained over $25,000 in losses and charged the J.L. Campbell Insurance Company with forcing them to simply endure the situation. Vincent Ferla claimed that he had instructed the insurance company to place $82,000 worth of insurance with the Guaranty Fire & Marine Insurance Company and to supplement it with insurance from other companies. Ferla charged that the company had failed to follow those instructions.

The devastation came on the heels of yet another lawsuit, this one brought against the park owners by the owner of the Gowell Amusement Company, which owned the Tumblebug ride operated at Rocky Point. He testified that he had originally purchased the ride in Pennsylvania for $13,000 and that he brought it to Rocky Point in 1928, where he operated it for many years under the agreement that he was to give the owners of the park 25 percent of the gross income he earned giving rides to patrons.

The Tumblebug, which was a machine holding six cars that rotated on a circular wooden track around a center spindle, was put up for sale in 1938 by the City of Warwick when the owner became delinquent in his company’s property taxes. The owner repurchased the ride, created by the Traver Engineering Company, from the city with the intention of continuing its operation at Rocky Point, but then the park closed down.

To keep the motors safe, the ride owner placed them in storage at a local machine company but left the remainder of the ride on the park grounds. In 1947, when the park changed hands again, all property, including land and buildings became that of a new owner. Some of the rides and concessions were privately owned, and they were listed on the agreement as being such, not part of the property transferal. The Tumblebug, however, was not listed.

The bug ride at Rocky Point. Vintage postcard, courtesy Jules Antiques & General Store.

The owner of the ride was notified to come remove it from the park, but he expressed his wish to return to its operation under the same agreement he had followed previously. Frederick Hilton was not agreeable to that and stated that he wanted a flat $3,000 yearly fee. When no agreement could be reached, Hilton had repairs made to the ride and sold it for $8,500. The new owner agreed to let the ride remain at the park and pay Hilton’s desired $3,000 annual fee.

The previous owner claimed in court that the ride belonged to him and, before repairs, had been worth a little over $6,000. Hilton claimed its actual worth had been more like $500. The court ruled in favor of the ride’s previous owner and awarded him $3,500. Hilton’s appeal for a new trial was denied.

Then came the hurricane and, with it, stark reality for those now faced with the seemingly never-ending task of putting Rocky Point back together. But Ferla took on the job, cleaning the mess, repairing the damage and rebuilding the dinner hall. This time, the hall was constructed directly across from where it had stood before, farther away from the water and made of steel and cement to withstand heavy winds. At a cost of over a quarter of a million dollars, the new structure was over three hundred feet long and one hundred feet wide and able to seat almost four thousand guests. Situated on a solid ledge foundation, its floor was raised twenty feet higher than that of the previous hall, to protect it from potential tidal waves. It was alleged that the new building could safely withstand winds up to two hundred miles per hour.

Efforts to return the park to its former status were in full force. Engagements were sought, exhibitions planned and events staged with gusto. In the summer of 1955, a call went out for all Rhode Island female co-eds between the ages of seventeen and twenty-four to enter the state’s annual College Queen Beauty Contest. Information was available at Rocky Point’s administration building, and the pageant would be held there at the park on August 25. The winner would go on to the national competition to be held at Ashbury Park, New Jersey, on September 9 and take a chance at winning $5,000 in prizes and scholarships, including an all-expenses-paid tour of Europe.

Time went on with the future unknown. In June 1959, the park’s fortuneteller, Madam Tina, discovered that some thieving patron had stolen her crystal ball. The newspapers of the time joked that she probably didn’t foresee the event.

The Shore Dinner Hall opened for business at noon, serving its famous chowder, clam cakes, watermelon and more until eight o’clock at night. The hall was carefully overseen by a host of waiters. In 1961, the all-you-can-eat chowder and clam cakes cost $1.10 for adults and $0.55 cents for children under the age of twelve.

Advertisements announcing “one hundred acres of fun” reached their intended audience. Rocky Point devotees returned to their beloved park, bringing new generations of thrill-seekers with them. The dimming light occasionally hinted at a new spark.

There were, however, bumps in the road. The park found its bingo license revoked in June 1961, when the Rhode Island Board of Public Safety decided to crack down on those who refused to follow the laws concerning a $700 limit on prizes. Rocky Point had been featuring games sponsored by a variety of different organizations, and it was discovered the park had given out twice the prize limit allowed. Park authorities argued that there was no way the games would maintain their popularity on a prize limit of $700. The Palladium, which could hold five thousand patrons, maintained its own license for holding bingo. Because the rules were followed within that building, their games, which were held three times a week, were allowed to go on.

Many organizations continued to use the park as the site for reunions, celebrations and recreation. One day that September, the grounds were reserved exclusively for the Palestine Temple Shriners, an ancient Arabic order.

With the addition of the Windjammer in 1966, famous bands and vocalists came to put on performances that drew an even greater number of visitors to Rocky Point. Band leader and violinist Guy Lombardo, bestselling female artist of the decade Patti Page and Frankie Lane of “Mule Train” fame were just a few of the big stars who traveled to Rhode Island to appear on the Rocky Point stage.

Still, the unexpected continued to occur. The park’s Labor Day tradition was ruined that year when, at the beginning of August, vandals came into the park and torched the pile of debris that had been saved up for a bonfire.

Moving further into the twentieth century, the seaside resort had succeeded in regaining its reputation as the most tantalizing and titillating recreation destination in New England. The dinner hall, now the largest in the world, began filling to its capacity once more as visitors enjoyed the traditional fare along with baked sausage, broiled lobster and Indian pudding. So popular were the clam cakes and chowder that visitors begged in earnest for the recipe, which was kept a strict secret. John Balbina was among the new cooks at the park who worked hard at serving up edible perfection.

However, not everyone to visit Rocky Point gained the experience of a perfect outing. The gigantic swimming pool, which had been a major attraction since its construction in the 1930s, glistened with clear, cool salt water that was filtered in from the sea, and it was regularly crowded with folks of all ages, dipping in to cool off or projecting themselves from the diving boards that stood high above the pool. A terrible accident occurred in July 1967 when twenty-four-year-old Dale Kitchings of New York City was drowned on a Sunday afternoon after diving from one of the boards. He had been a member of the Play and Save Social Club, which had traveled to the park aboard seven busses to enjoy the day.

History continued to be made when famed classical composer Ron Nelson vacationed at the park that summer. He had been commissioned by Frank Bencriscutto to write a musical piece for an upcoming tour of Russia. Inspired by his seaside surroundings, Nelson composed a piece that he titled “Rocky Point Holiday.”

In March 1969, Ferla sold Rocky Point to Budco Associates of New York. Later that year, New York resident Alvin H. Cohen purchased the park for $1.2 million, a far cry from the $1,200 sea captain William Winslow had paid for the property back in the previous century when it was merely a picturesque plot of land.

Cohen ended an annual tradition in 1970 that brought sadness to some but respect and gratitude from the chief of the Division of Air Pollution. The chief had previously criticized the annual bonfire that took place on the grounds each Fourth of July. Cohen understood the concern and said he was more than willing to help contribute to cleaner air by ceasing the bonfires at Rocky Point. There would be just one more, he explained, as debris for the event had been stacked up for months, and there was nowhere to dispose of the fifteen-foot-tall pile that covered three-fourths of an acre of parkland.

The large number of rides and amusements that now filled the resort included the new forty-five-foot-high flume, which carried passengers over a half mile of track; the castle of terror; bumper cars; a mini golf course; kiddy land; and a petting zoo. Over one hundred attractions and rides were available for enjoyment, and $3.00 got one a ticket to ride all day from noon to closing. The saltwater pool opened daily at ten o’clock in the morning, and the all-you-can-eat shore dinners were available for just $1.50 for adults and $0.80 for children. Entrance to the park was $0.50 per person.

The number of deaths at Rocky Point, unfortunately, continued to rise. In September of that year, an accident occurred that killed a navy Seabee. Thirty-two-year-old Edwin Walker was with the Twenty-first Naval Construction Regiment and living in Davisville, Rhode Island. After serving two terms in Vietnam, he was working part time as a maintenance man at the park. While repairing a cable guard pulley on the Skyliner, he stood on the large wheel that pulled the cable. Somehow, the ride started up, and he was pulled between the wheel and the base of the ride.

Rocky Point Park was a playground for adults and children alike. Vintage postcard, courtesy Jules Antiques & General Store.

The park’s boathouses and bathhouses dotted the shore along with the Ladies’ Reception Room, the public water fountain, the flying horses, the bowling alley and the icehouse big enough to hold one thousand tons of ice. The resort continued to grow and prosper. Its life had been threatened and nearly ended on numerous occasions. But it had always been saved, resuscitated and returned to the people, bigger and better than it had been before. Eventually, Rocky Point gained its place in history as the second-oldest American amusement park in existence. A new mascot, in the form of a pirate, began to appear on the grounds. “Captain Rocky” entertained children and invited them to join his fan club. This dramatically costumed role was played for many years by Francis Szklany of Westerly.

In May 1977, Ronald Reagan arrived at Rocky Point on a political mission, speaking to a crowd of over four hundred people at a $100-per-plate fundraiser, and in August, visitors to the park enjoyed a nail-biting performance by Rietta Wallenda, whose family of aerialists was well known as the Flying Wallendas. Balancing on a tightrope 50 feet in the air without a net, the sixteen-year-old girl performed with three other family members at the park. Her famous grandfather Karl had been killed during a circus performance just a few months earlier in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when a strong gust of wind interfered with his balance; he fell 120 feet to his death.

In 1963, two family members had been killed and three others seriously injured during a performance at a Detroit fair. While showing off their famous seven-member pyramid, the high wire snapped and the pyramid collapsed, sending them all falling to the ground. Karl’s forty-three-year-old sister-in-law was one of the two who were killed, and Rietta’s uncle Mario was permanently paralyzed from the waist down with no chance of ever walking again. Later that same year, Yetta Wallenda, who was in her forties, fell to her death while performing at a circus in Omaha, Nebraska. Another family member also fell from the high wire and was killed during a circus performance in Wheeling, West Virginia.

On Thanksgiving Day 1980, a fire destroyed a row of game and concession stands located in the midway. The following year, two park employees were arrested on federal charges and served indictments handed down by a grand jury that charged them with setting the fire and thereby damaging property—which affected interstate commerce by the use of an explosive—as well as conspiracy. Police and fire investigators believed that the stands had been saturated with a flammable liquid before being set on fire. The two men pleaded innocent to the charges. Later, a trial resulted in one of the maintenance men being convicted of arson.

A 1980s map of Rocky Point Park, providing a guided tour of the grounds. Author’s collection.

The year 1982 saw the construction of a new roller coaster, the Corkscrew, purchased for the park at a cost of $2 million. The ride was designed by Arrow Dynamics and provided a dramatic sixty-four-foot drop to those brave enough to climb aboard.

The arrival of the Cyclone, another new roller coaster designed by Arrow, came in 1983. The ride contained three vertical drops and two corkscrew loops, reaching speeds of over fifty miles per hour.

The Freefall, which was not for the faint of heart, was erected on the grounds in 1988, allowing riders the stomach-dropping sensation of quickly descending from a height of twelve and a half stories at fifty-five miles per hour. The ride had initially stood at another amusement park but lost its attraction when four teenagers were injured while riding it, even after new safety features were installed. This would be the last ride ever introduced at Rocky Point Park.

That same decade, it was decided that the Olympic-sized saltwater pool was simply too costly for the owners to keep in operation. The popular attraction that had been the scene of so much laughter and summertime fun was closed down and filled in.

By 1993, quite a bit had changed. The park was under new ownership and, like most things in life, didn’t operate on pennies and dimes anymore. Admission to the grounds, no longer free of charge, required a payment of $2.95 per person. Admission with a ride-all-day ticket was priced at $13.95 for adults and children standing over four and a half feet tall. Those falling under that height paid just $8.95 cents.

The park opened at eleven o’clock in the morning, with the twenty-one rides and ten kiddy rides opening for business at noontime. Little did anyone know that the life support that had always managed to pull the park out of whatever dying state it fell into wouldn’t be there to save it the next time disaster presented itself.