Pierre's accident happened at Jungleland. One of our operators, Tex Scarbrough, had the bright idea to add a skyride, and workers formed up massive concrete base pads for the towers supporting the cables from which gondolas would hang. Tex's was not the biggest such ride, but at a then-enormous $90,000, it was the biggest boondoggle the Compound ever had. Since Goebel opened the place to the public, in 1929, there had never been a need for mechanical rides. But Tex was a carny, thus the skyride. Before other rides could be placed, to compete with the major parks in Southern California, this thing died the death of a dog. It was torn down. Pierre was booked in with his break-away sway pole, and set up on one of the pads. His pole was released on the wrong sway, and he came down forwards. He could not pick up his legs to avoid crashing them into the concrete, and he was so badly broken up, everyone knew he would die. His survival was a miracle.
Everyone at Jungleland took note that when his then-wife's expectancy was due, Pierre sent her down to Tijuana so their child would not be born an American. The sway-pole accident came after this, and to be frank, among those at the Compound, his injuries were met with general indifference.
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Wally Ross
A youthful Tommy on the left
These were Tony Diano's elephants
After Tommy was sold to the Felds
he was billed as "King Tusk"
Tommy died in 2002 at age 58
The empress is Ninette Theron
She later married Lester "The Great" Parker
Chic....Didn't Lester "The Great" Parker meet an untimely death on a break away sway pole accident?
Yup Charles he was in his early 40s
Breakaway pole really broke in the
mid 70s on a Fair date somewhere in
South Carolina & he died instantly
leaving his wife Ninette & 2 girls
Jacqueline Zerbini's brother
Pierre Souren had an accident
with his breakaway pole but
was left with only paralysis
of his legs after recovery
Pierre went back to Paris to
become a Bateaux Mouche boat
captain on the Seine where
I saw him a few times
Pierre's accident happened at Jungleland. One of our operators, Tex Scarbrough, had the bright idea to add a skyride, and workers formed up massive concrete base pads for the towers supporting the cables from which gondolas would hang. Tex's was not the biggest such ride, but at a then-enormous $90,000, it was the biggest boondoggle the Compound ever had. Since Goebel opened the place to the public, in 1929, there had never been a need for mechanical rides. But Tex was a carny, thus the skyride. Before other rides could be placed, to compete with the major parks in Southern California, this thing died the death of a dog. It was torn down. Pierre was booked in with his break-away sway pole, and set up on one of the pads. His pole was released on the wrong sway, and he came down forwards. He could not pick up his legs to avoid crashing them into the concrete, and he was so badly broken up, everyone knew he would die. His survival was a miracle.
There's a little more to the story
about the pole's hasty set up with
a shorter lower section due to his
late arrival at the park which he
told me in detail in San Juan with
Jimmy Harrington's date where he
accompanied his sister Jacqueline
Pierre's 1st wife Maya was later
married to Robert Zerbini
Everyone at Jungleland took note that when his then-wife's expectancy was due, Pierre sent her down to Tijuana so their child would not be born an American. The sway-pole accident came after this, and to be frank, among those at the Compound, his injuries were met with general indifference.
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