THOUGH IT WAS 50 YEARS younger than its promoters claimed, the 93-year-old “convict ship” SUCCESS certainly had an interesting history, especially as a floating Australian jail. When its tour would stop in Chicago, visitors gaped at its prison cells and posed next to its creepy torture implements for 50 cents a head. But this time, the nearby CENTURY OF PROGRESS was countering with a sky ride and houses of the future and SALLY RAND. How can a dank old relic compete? One wag wrote to the Tribune that featuring real convicts would help sell tickets, and said: “As an added attraction throw in a few political grafters. . . . The visiting public should have the privilege of bombarding the convicts with an unlimited supply of eggs of ancient vintage.”
– Total visitors to the Century of Progress in two years: 48,769,227.
– Typical number of lashes with the cat-o’-nine-tails given to Australian prisoners for minor offenses: 25.
– Silent movie star who filmed on board the Success in 1915: FATTY ARBUCKLE.
– – –
“Woman visitors will find themselves sufficiently interested to get a thrill without being horrified.”
–CAPT. D.H. SMITH DURING SUCCESS’ 1925 STOP IN CHICAGO
