DARTMOUTH, Mass. — Thrill-seekers in southeastern Massachusetts are in mourning.
Demolition crews on Wednesday started tearing down the crumbling roller coaster known as the Comet, which was a centerpiece of the long-closed Lincoln Park in Dartmouth.
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Spectators included the nostalgic fans who grew up riding the Comet and other attractions at the amusement park that closed in 1987 after a century in business.
Rita Pieper, 67, of Fall River, said she met her husband decades ago while roller skating at the amusement park and felt she had to watch the demolition.
“This is the end of it,” she told The Standard-Times newspaper of New Bedford.
The amusement park opened in 1894 by the Union Street Railway Co.
The 3,000-foot-long wooden coaster was built in the 1940s, had a top speed of 55 miles per hour and went as high as 65 feet.
The site is being cleared for a development that includes single-family homes, apartments and commercial space.
The fir wood used for the coaster will be used to make Adirondack chairs that will be sold for charity.
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