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Roller Coasters

Stuff You Missed in History Class

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The History of the Montagnaruse in France

These amusements were extremely popular in France and they were also known as promenade Ariane or Ariel Walks. There were songs and plays about them and people could buy all kinds of mountains souvenirs. Intense rivalries even inspired a satirical play called the Battle of the Mountains or Bejou Foli. Most of these attractions closed by the end of 1818, sending a wheeled vehicle down a wooden track at high speeds naturally caused a lot of wear and these tracks weren't maintained very well so they eventually broke down. The popularity of the Mont Ragnaruse also plummeted that year after two riders were killed when the car that they were in stopped suddenly.

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