Pier. In addition, patrons frequently received minor injuries such as friction burns, though some people were thrown or fell from rides, and one child died after falling off the Steeplechase Horses in 1935. A conflagration in September 1939 caused $200,000 in damage and injured 18 people. The concessions on the boardwalk were destroyed, as was the entrance to the park from the boardwalk, and several attractions within the park itself. The following year, a new brick concession structure was built on the site of the old concessions, and an Express Train ride was erected in front of the pavilion. The 1939 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, several miles to the northeast of Coney Island, had created competition for Coney Island amusement parks, which saw sharply reduced attendance. Steeplechase's situation was exacerbated by the September 1939 fire, which had destroyed many of the larger attractions, including Flying Turns. After the World's Fair closed in 1940, the Tilyous purchased the fair's Parachute Jump, a parachute tower ride, and moved it to the former site of Flying Turns. The ride, inspired by a training device for paratroopers, opened in 1941 and contained 12 parachutes descending from a tower. The Parachute Jump's installation was part of a reconstruction of an stretch of the Riegelmann Boardwalk. Other rides were added at Steeplechase in 1941, including rocket cars, a Whip ride, and the Silver Streak. However, the draft during World War II resulted in a shortage of qualified staff, and in 1945, Onorato closed the Pavilion of Fun until the end of the war due to the staff shortage. That year, only 70 people worked at Steeplechase, as opposed to the 300 staff in a normal operating year. The park returned to normal staffing levels in 1946, with Onorato vetting all employees two months before the park opened each year. 1940s and 1950s: downfall Despite the park's popularity with New Yorkers, many factors after the end of World War II would eventually lead to its decline, including frequent fires, low patronage, and white flight. Steeplechase's closest competitor, Luna Park, was heavily damaged by a pair of fires in 1944. Luna Park closed in 1946, leaving Steeplechase as the only major amusement park on Coney Island. Moreover, after Edward Tilyou died in 1944, control of the park was transferred to his siblings George Jr., Frank, Marie, and Eileen, who each owned a quarter share