Diving Bell Photos

[sixmnms]

One of my favorite childhood memories of SDC took place in the Diving Bell, probably about 1979 or so. There was a problem with the film partway through, but almost without missing a beat the characters, with the help of audience "volunteers" , provided hilarious entertainment until the film was working again.  They turned a technical difficulty into one of the highlights of our day!  I remember my parents talking about how impressed they were by that, and how well trained the staff must be to be able to pull something like that off.  I wish my kids could have experienced the Diving Bell!

[Ozark Outlaw]

I wish I had the chance to experience the Diving Bell as well! Thanks to the pictures, and videos, and the many memories shared here, this attraction has truly been brought back to life.

However, I have always been curious to know if any piece of the Diving Bell set still exist on a storage lot somewhere today, or has it been completely destroyed?

This attraction proved that do you not need modern, high tech, sophisticated equipment to experience pure excitement, and fun. Rider imagination, and simple ingenuity made the Diving Bell a success.

[Junior]

Believe it or not, at the time, the diving bell WAS the most modern, up to date, high tech thing to do on park! I admit though, if you look at the picture on Flickr of the diving bell control room, today that that WHOLE ROOM FULL of computers would be reduced to a lap top, probably. I remember the company that supplied computers to SDC went out of business about a year later, making it hard for the park to find some replacement parts. Remember, in the late 70s there were dozens of computer companies that opened and closed. simulation rides were a new application for technology.   

[Junior]

One of the current park insiders will have to answer the question about if any of the old diving bell ride pieces were saved or not. I have been to the park as a guest several times since 1984, and have NEVER seen anything that was on display on park from the diving bell days, other than the Lost River itself. If you look closely, you can see parts of the building have been left close to the same from the diving bell days. Remains of the Wharf area, children's playground, the old maintainance area, and some of the old diving bell "tunnels" used to take guests to and from capsules are visible.

[Junior]

I do remember someone telling me that when Lost River was built, they pretty much gutted the diving bell and most of it wound up in a dumpster. They may have saved some atmosphere pieces and put them in storage. When I worked there the park had a big metal building called "The atmosphere barn" where antiques, props, and other pieces used to dress and decorate locations on the park were kept. I only got to go in there a few times around 1981 or 82 but there was a lot of interesting stuff inside. Just across from the atmosphere barn was a deep gully...filled with junk stripped from the park and tossed away. I remember a full flooded mine dummy in convict uniform was tossed in there. I bet they have had to clean that gully up. It would be illegal to dump like that now. How I wish I could have been given permission to dig through there and pull stuff out! But, as a 20 something year old kid, I was more interested in chasing girls and cracking open a cold one.

[History Buff]

That kind of stuff would do well on eBay.  Especially with some of your guys bidding.

[Junior]

History Buff: Regarding Noel: "I'm guessing not too many people knew who whe was in GG. Is that the case?"
                 On page one of this thread he responds: I'd walk around "Geyser Gulch" (right by "Lake Silver") and talk to people who "knew" me from may name badge about going to get Eli Tolts and and how I was still tryin' to blast that submergable out from the bottom of the lake." Lots of people often said, "you're Rube Dugan?! Aren't you a little young to be Rube Dugan?" and I'd answer, "No...it's still the 1880s ain't it?"

Sixmnms: About problems with the film and guests being entertained. This happened from time to time. Usually, since I was the Junior who led the group from the waiting line all the way to the capsule, I knew what kind of line entertainment they had been exposed to, and while waiting for the film loop to recue, I'd just go over jokes and line activities about the diving bell that they were not exposed to, so it all was new to the group. However, since we had to inform maintanence about what was going on, we had to break character to some degree as we accessed a phone hidden behind a panel by the control area and call them. We would tell them what was going on, then recycle the film. It took about ten minutes for the "recycle" so we Juniors had plenty of time to do ad-lib entertainment. Sometimes we would do a pass the lifering drill...one or two liferings to be shared by 75 people! Terry Sanders was very creative in entertaining people ad-lib in these situations...he was in his first year at SDC and had just graduated from SMS (Now Missouri State) in Springfield. Terry had gone through the drama department there...some of the same professors that taught him had about five or six years earlier taught John Goodman, Kathleen Turner, and Tess Harper. So Terry was pretty good at coming up with stuff in these situations. One fellow we worked with was a singer, and totally broke character and sang Broadway show tunes for the group. Our Maintenance guy, Kerry Chester, said that the guy, (his name was John) did a fabulous job, and in fact, the show tunes were better than the ride!

[Junior]

HB: Regarding this stuff would do well on e-bay...You're probably right! But the few items I have are things I will never part with. I don't know if anyone else connected to the ride was as sentimental about it as me. Like I said earlier in this thread, most of the diving bell (unfortunately) probably wound up in the dumpster. Being in our late teens and early 20s, most of us Juniors were interested in chasing girls and drinking a cold one after work. Although I really didn't realize at the time that the diving bell was an unusual and special attraction for it's time, I did realize working at SDC was not the average summer job that kids in most areas of the country had. When I lived in my early teens in southeast Missouri, most kids worked at a fast food place, the city swimming pool as a lifeguard, at their mom and dad's small businesses, or, since it was a farming community, as a farmhand or at a farm supply or feed store. The first two summers at SDC I ran into some teachers and some kids I went to school with in southeast Missouri, and they were really taken back that it was really me! I was VERY SHY in my early teens, never did any extra-curricular activities in school. So when they showed up on park and it was me that entertained them at the one-mule swing, or as the loud mouthed, know it all Junior Dugan at the diving bell, they didn't know what to say! They acted as if they had been hit with a stun gun!

[Junior]

The Burl Ives' America TV special may be found under this thread on page two under Noel Green's postings...He's the fellow with the Star Wars Stormtrooper on his postings...well worth the half  hour the special length, the diving bell is comic subplot to the show, shot in spring 1978 at SDC!

[Junior]

As I announced on my "flashback" threads, I plan to "purge" my Flickr site in about two weeks of most of the material posted from the 2010 season. However, due to the ongoing interest in the diving bell and float trip attractions I worked at way back then, I will leave most of that material on the site. Thanks, all!

[sanddunerider]

Junior, thanks for all the pics.. looking forward to this year. I'm not going to post on all your flashbacks.  Just wanted to make sure you saw this,...

[Junior]

Hey, as always, I appreciate everyone's comments about the old stuff I've posted. I kept that stuff locked up in a filing cabinet for over 25 years. The 50th anniversary year was the perfect time to share my memories with everyone. I'm glad to see there are many SDC fans out there crazy about the place as I have always been!

[mhguy77]

Thank you for the pics, I hope you dig out some more and are as willing to share as you have been this year.
I love your trips down memory lane.

[Junior]

I went ahead and "purged" my Flickr site today of much of the stuff posted during the 2010 season, but kept the diving bell and float trip stuff on it, as well as the Hee Haw Theater photos. I look forward to presenting new photos and other items on the Flickr site in the coming 2011 season that is about to start. 

[sanddunerider]

And as always we will patiently wait for you to let us know when something has been added.

THANKS again for all the pics, the info and the time it takes to post and respond to our comments/questions.