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80 mph across the Rock River: NBD #TBT

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Throwback Thursday.” WQAD has teamed up with the folks at Retro Quad Cities to give you a glimpse of the pa...
80 mph across the Rock River: NBD #TBT
80 mph across the Rock River: NBD #TBT
80 mph across the Rock River: NBD #TBT
80 mph across the Rock River: NBD #TBT

Finally, we've shared photos from the actual "chute" at Watch Tower Amusement Park in Rock Island, Illinois. This is a photo of the actual boat! The "Shoot the Chutes" ride was invented in 1888 and the very first was built where Black Hawk State Park sits today. A long wooden ramp angled upwards from the Rock River to the top of the bluff (a half block west of the current inn). Flat-bottomed boats filled with thrill seekers sliced down the greased track at speeds up to 80 miles per hour. At the bottom of the chute, the boats bounced across the surface of the Rock River. To return, the boat was pushed back to the ramp where an electric cable winched the boat back to the top.

 

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