Category:
Disasters

Earthquake Tower

From Remco. It was released in 1976, following the success of the 1974 movies The Towering Inferno and Earthquake. Kids were meant to destroy the skyscraper and then rescue its occupants using the helicopter, firetruck, and team of plastic rescue workers that came with the toy.

"Turn a real disaster into hours of imaginative, exciting play... comes with a disaster sound effect record to help add exciting sound to the play."

More info: Design You Trust

Detroit Free Press - Oct 14, 1976



Posted By: Alex - Tue Nov 09, 2021 - Comments (3)
Category: Disasters, Toys, 1970s

The Reid Flying Submarine



More pix and article here.

It wasn't a high-tech machine, despite its abilities. In the air it was powered by a 65 horsepower four-cylinder Lycoming engine. While underwater a 1-horsepower electric motor provided propulsion. Conversion from aircraft to submarine was a clumsy affair. The pilot first had to remove the propeller, and then cover the engine pylon with a rubber diving bell to keep the engine dry. The pilot used an aqualung to breathe. Maximum depth was roughly 10 to 12 ft (3.5 metres).


From THE SATURDAY EVENING POST for January 1, 1966.



Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 21, 2021 - Comments (1)
Category: Death, Disasters, Inventions, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Air Travel and Airlines, 1960s

Balloonfest ‘86

From Wikipedia:

Balloonfest '86 was a 1986 event in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, in which the local chapter of United Way set a world record by releasing almost one-and-a-half million balloons.[2] The event was intended to be a harmless fundraising publicity stunt, but the balloons drifted back over the city, Lake Erie, and landed in the surrounding area, causing problems for traffic and a nearby airport. The event also interfered with a United States Coast Guard search for two boaters who were later found drowned.[1] In consequence, the organizers and the city faced lawsuits seeking millions of dollars in damages,[1] and cost overruns put the event at a net loss.







Posted By: Paul - Sun Jul 18, 2021 - Comments (4)
Category: Charities and Philanthropy, Disasters, Noises and Other Public Disturbances of the Peace, Urban Life, Air Travel and Airlines, 1980s

The Crash at Crush

Sep 15, 1896: Over 30,000 spectators watched as two locomotives were deliberately collided head-on. The event was a publicity stunt staged in Texas, about midway between Waco and Hillsboro. It was named the "Crash at Crush" after the railroad agent William George Crush, who had dreamed up the spectacle.

The event didn't exactly go as planned. The boilers of the locomotives exploded upon impact, despite the earlier assurances of engineers that this wouldn't happen, sending shrapnel into the crowd. Several were killed. Many more were injured. According to TexasEscapes.com:

The [railroad] did have some claims by irate relatives of the victims, but refunds, cash payments and lifetime passes took care of them. A lifetime railroad pass in the 1890s was like winning the lottery.

There's now a historical marker at the site of the collision.

More info: Farm Collector





source: Baylor University

Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 28, 2021 - Comments (4)
Category: Disasters, Nineteenth Century, Trains

The Frank Landslide



The Wikipedia page.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Oct 20, 2019 - Comments (1)
Category: Death, Destruction, Disasters, Nature, 1900s, North America

Follies of the Madmen #393

Our soft drink is equivalent to a life-endangering catastrophic event.





Source of B&W ad here (scroll right).

Posted By: Paul - Sat Nov 03, 2018 - Comments (1)
Category: Business, Advertising, Disasters, Soda, Pop, Soft Drinks and other Non-Alcoholic Beverages, 1960s, Weather

The Encyclopedia of World Problems

Do you not have enough problems in your life? Do the internet and other media fail to bring world problems to your attention? If this is your dilemma, rest easy! A solution is at hand! Simply visit THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WORLD PROBLEMS. There, you can choose from thousands of problems to worry about. Maybe you want something concrete, such as VIOLENT CRIME. Or maybe you'd like to focus on something more numinous, like UNMEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS TO PLACE. Whatever your worrying needs, you can rely on THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WORLD PROBLEMS to provide grist for your anxieties.

Here is a picture and review of the first (print) edition from 1976.





Source of article.

Posted By: Paul - Thu May 31, 2018 - Comments (2)
Category: Addictions, Annoying Things, Armageddon and Apocalypses, Destruction, Disasters, Emotions, Moral Panics and Public Hysteria, Excess, Overkill, Hyperbole and Too Much Is Not Enough, 1970s

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Alex Boese
Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

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