up next on a second look, america's most famous amusement park, cony island and the bay area venue named the coney island of the west. we're going to remember two of the san francisco's major attractions. play baby the beach. and suttro pass. plus, how this fight among the big cats the old marine world changed one man's life for the better. all straight ahead tonight on a

second look. hello everyone i'm san francisco somerville and welcome to a second look. we thought it might be fun to take a trip back in time to some favorite summer destinations. perhaps the most famous of course is coney island in brooklyn. by the time this fill was shot. coney island had been a tourist worker for decades. by the mid-19080 had sprung up. in 195 the first can remember innocent amusement park. sea lion park opened its gate and soon others followed. you could shoot the shoots, take part in a mechanical play.

and climb on board cal -- boardwalk memorials. in this report it was known as the coney island of the midwest. >> reporter: coney island was the undisputed king of them all. amusement parks were on their peal whether there were 00,000 of them just lounging around. so to be acknowledged as the highlight of the praise. that believe it or not was the title bestowed on them tune beach. it had it all.

neptune beach is always forgotted. >> it was open five months of the year from palm sunday until labor day. the career they made a survey of people that were there. the park simple but alluring pleasures began at the entrance where a giant towers left kaoeubgs the tower of jewels which had been the center piece of san francisco's 1915 panama pacific swearal an taoults chicago they are. five-cents for children. they go past verdict have.

getting there was also an expensive way. >> you would take the ferry mall, in 10 minutes you would be at the oakland mall. another 10 minutes you climb on a red cart and it would take you right to the gate to right here at the bear. them tune the times dictated a demise of what had become in such short of time a part of the fabric of bay area life. automobiles would become more of a stable of american life. the amusement park suddenly had already losing plays. >> back then we kwraoulzed to have luck readings. >> it was a sad time when it

closed down, because we enjoyed it so much and we just hated to see it. lose out like it did and you know, the end of an era for us. them tune beach wound up being auctioned off depression air prices brought only pennys on the water. the scenic roadway way limited at $425,000, sold for 250. the buildings were raised and pools filled in and neptune bleach one of the brightest bar bees of the golden gate bridge. >> the beach side afractions that are. with what one man did to

stop this cat fight 24 years ago and how it changed his life.

tonight on second look we're visiting some of the summer destinations of days gone by. in san francisco one of the best was play land at the beach. and 12 years ago, ktvu's george waltson looked back at it history. >> reporter: it's not much of a destination now, a chilly strip of beach out in the edge of san francisco and across the street from it a big and not especially beautiful apartment come -- department area. it was called play land at the beach and amazement park a block wide and quarter mile long, with enough raoáeudz, plain -- with enough cash.

many of us who played there carry unforthable similars on light most particularly this symbol. they called her laughing al. back in south play hostess to several generations of thrill seekers, but the bay was an attraction way before she arrived. ocean beach was just a strip of sand. but 30 years later it was a bustling social scene. the city's prospering city class would arrive. partake of a drink at the elegant sea rock hotel. for those who could afford it the cliff house. a commander victorian pick his on the heat. by 1222 the trip had human

courthouse ae factions and the bod tom -- and the bottom. in the midst of a it all was topsy's roost. featuring dance bands and a pair of slide that carried revelers from the second floor rest down down to the door floor. in 1937, the park got a new owner and a new name. the rides kept works for another decades. the carusel, that extravagant piece of art is alive and well. >> ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please remain seated while the ride is in motion.

thank you. handsomely restored. marvin gold happily runs it on if weekend. runs the ride for the love it. he worked at play land as a teenager and walked met her wife there. running the business. things like that it was just great. in the 60s the crowds began tho thank. it begain to attract juvenile gangs, shops and games were vandalized in many clothes. the innocent home has become sour. and cackles took on a minister qualitity. science. finally in october of 1972, the rusting ride shut down and play

land was headed over to a develop the developer was not -r very, very hard. >> it was very are rstoricaal. we're talking about the sutr, o bath and bob mc -- >> reporter: it's a haunting sight. tourists on the way to the tour house catch a glimpse of it and wonder what it must have been. those who don't bother to find out are missing quite a story. let's go back 100 years. adolph suttro who must have made a fortune decided he wanted to create entertainment to his fellow citizens. when the edison county captured

this scene, people used to be able to reach sa, cra -- able to stroll on the bridge. mr.suttro provided a grand bridge pavilion. on the side apsi. the wealthy played. at the knot end of the clifftous. this feet of engineering and not just for the wealthy. anyone who had 5-cents could walk into the bath inwho was if suttro bag. not since the bans of ancient roam had there been anything to equal it. each a different temperature, the water was drawn directly

from the sea, filtered and heated in gigantic meaning. >> inadvertently i think he created a place where people could come and for a dime without being swimming, for a dime they could come in and enjoy the views of the laws and perhaps see a little more of women's shoulders and knees that they normally would on their day-to-day task. by the end of the world war ii su to's winning pack wiz --

in 1966 the suttro band burned down to its foundations. it was made largely of wood, old and dry. and there was no saving it. adolf suttro and his extravagant is bad. >> all the pools are still there under the water and stilt. this was past florence. >> i think you still do. you have a strong talent about his torture. how it was applying it to the landscape. >> when we come back, it wasn't a very long ride but it was one of the bowl in the pay kwrar. how one stopped this fie with

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so we're taking a second look at summertime destinations that are no longer around. a railroad that once carried people to the top of the mountain then boy it gave them a real thrill ride on the way back down. back in 2003, george watson brought us this fascinating story of the mount hamilton railroad. >> the analysts are believed to be 34,000 years old. the maker biased our product. in the prosays he combined this saoeupl ma anything tiff sent rude and the life. it didn't haul iron or coal or steal. it didn't shrink or

revolutionize alcohol -- revolution niced it's run. from the outsit it was an nearing marble. so much so that it came to be called the quickest train we saw. apparently reached an atty taoud of has files miles of 281 times. the run was a little more than 400 teem of straight to make sure the children were not scheduled. once i saw inside there was an elegant resourt. the train carried 23,000 passengers us first year and recorded a profit of the 999 # $9. a resounding can i have --

down in the relevant tan after 85. panama pacific exquestion sis opened. mount san railroad provided that view. >> that same eye people came to the mountain railroad in waolden droves that the railroad never saw it before or sense. some thought the climb was the highlight of the trip. his skwr-b is to help contributors. we will find profine.

could. thanks for putting my brains on the. >> sometimes people weren't all that trusting of the tkpwroáfr forshes and. untrue after 34 years of service. práupbgman also talked about how difficult ryes were down. if they move down toward hear and i rib the break. nobody really thought they were turning on gravity. >> the party was more than that. down the mountain wind blowing bra sue. you were in the clouds not

beneath them. so what happened to this marvelous job? why did it disappear so quickly. fire destroyed the taáfrpblg in 193. the stock market crashed in 20189 and the tourists stayed home. >> the funny thing about america is we've always been a very disposable culture. we can't wait to get on to the next big thing. the railroad was becoming par say over the last four years there were thing things caught bus son. buses were very clean and very knew. >> you couldn't always see the train. you might see a puff of spring as they push their life cargo to the money tin. you could not see it, you would. when we come back on a second look. when big scats turn on each

other. >> i am kind of exploding when i talksome how this fight at the old marin world do. >> benjamin moore was here and here and here and here and and now it's hear.

sometimes a single event can change the entire direction and drama of a life. it all has to do with the lions and tigers at the africa usa. george watson first brought us this story back in 2001. >> reporter: this tranquil settings, are not the plains of africa. this place is a refuge.

it lies on 170 acres of delta land near rio cis the a. has been an annual potential an idealic sanctuary for the animals he so clearly loves. the moment of truth came in 1993 in the africa usa. when the fight broke out the big cats were in the middle of performing. something won had spent years training his cats to perform. what happens to make his highly trained cats go back to their wild, wild ways? >> i had a frisky tiger, his name tycoon took his legs,

period k-l eus picks too with w wok. it's possible to be clinical about it today but you have to ask ron what was he thinking that day? why did he stay in the cage? >> the only way you can really break up a big fight with the cats you have to place yourself in between the adversaries and tip go any. when we see george in the cage trying to man handle these big cats, we have to ask him another another. they have to ask you, why do you train them each -f each we are. >> to get in their face and i

had to reply phapt by hitting, not surge the fight was a attorneying peupbt forron and for the cats. even in were. they were back in the ring performing a couple of hours later things will never be the >> i knew this was the beginning of the end. despite once they guilty into doing that and how they can do it. they had to take some of the lions out and retiring. >> reporter: which was the first step of the retirement home for big cats. since 1985 this has been a safe haven for cats all over the world. the culmination of a lifelong love affair with big cats. and that is it for this week's second look.

i'm frank somerville. we'll see you again next week.