New-York daily tribune., 1866-01-08
rmK SKATING SEASON.
Glerfsas spePs-The Psnds Of New-Ysrk
and Breeklyn-ecenes as the Fifth.
Avenue Posd-steel.Shod Benuties asd
Divfpities I'm Red Pettieoats.


snd Breeklyn-scenes as the Rifsh.
Avenue Posd-sssei.Shed beauties ssd
DivfBities In He'd Pestieoass.
The skating season Of New.York, that was
fairly and handsomely inaueurated Saturday morn.
ing in continuance to-day. and bids fair TO last almost
long as the lovers Of this heahfl and exhileratng
amusement can desire. The hard frost Of Friday and
Friday night respread the ponds with silver sheets,
locked the runnes and small streams with keys Of
crystal and even the broad bosoms OF the seward,
flowing rivers burdened with floating islands OF
lee as Jack Frost breathed upon them In the steang
panses OF his onward fight
But upon the smooth ponds ami lagunes Of the vcin
ty the chilling genjns OF the Winter cold bestowed his
most careful manipulation. sware that his task II
well completed, would be rewarded by the merriest OF
praises from the merriest OF lips. by Saturday morn.
yn finally covered with gittering sheets Of ice.
The hsw OF the week before had been complete that
the frosty atmosphere bad nothing but clear. smooth
sheets of water deal With, resulting in splendid
sheets Of ice almost everywhere.
CtETRAL PARK PONDS.
The large ponds or lakes" Of Central Park though
smoothly sheeed. were not deemed sufficiently hrm BY
the Commissioners, and these popular aid democratic
skating grounds were therefore, not thrown open te
the public on Saturday morning. Hundreds OF Skaters
Of both sexes repaired to the Park scarcely doubte
from the intense cold that they would have access to
the ponds. ana great disappointment was felt upon
learning that the broad e6eds OF the Park st
forbidden grounds.
But unless there should be an unprecedented change
from cold to mild there will surely We skating the
lakes to-day. The SupernteBdents ofthe Park are IN
derstOod TO bsvc made ample preparations for long
plentuiy stocked while the small houses around the
lakes have been fitted up with due regard for the
comfort OF ysors For tho fashionable portion Of those
who were disappointed however, all ample compeEsa-
ton presented by the appeararcc of
THE TIFTI-AVENUE POND.
This broad. rcOmy sheet OF water, 30 temptney rs'
posing at the most fashionable entrance 10 the Paik-
corner filth.avp. and FIiiy-ainthst.1as long been
considered the ayorie ground oi that class Of
muuity of skaters who prefer secuson to numerous
promScgou.ntNs; and Major Oa.msn, the proprietor.
and 30 may be regarded the pioneer Of fashionable
skating this section OF country Is always most earnest
in bis ondeavOr 10 afford the public tie best possible
accommodations. Accordingly, on Friday last, the
Major anticipating change OF weather TO long speI.
OF isosness mad his pond well flooded and on Satur
day morning wss able present 10 his patrons four or
i've acres OF about firm, clear smooth. fawless ice
~ can be found between Battery Point aad BalIn's
Bav.
As early ns o'clock in the morning visitors Of both
seyes began 70 arrive at the Park. 1t is not generally
known but IL nevertheless true. that many OF our
fsshionabes the habit Of skating before breaAft
10 Winter for the same purpose that tAey seee .ne s
die in Summer; and at early hour ia the morning
last Saturday morning 1t be seen the peas
iue scene of upward Of 100 pretty elrs With genie
men CON pan0ns skimmDg over tic Ice whose M ldrp
srnoothuess still uncut by the becs Of gliding th'
sands CLEANED in the rising sun Use FURNISHED sH'eM -
though the Snow Queen vas abroad witl al her in-
ing court keeping time with cntin1 casiaIes o. tf
and merry cymbas of frosted WINDS.
Asthe day grew old the skalcgs increased. Dnui at
sbont three O'clock in the afternoon. when the pu3u
was thickly thronged with ertceiny gliding ions 81
men and women. AZ the Fifth Avennc Poud Is 10"
main resort ior the lady portion oi rAeters az cat'
while the Lake, of tie Central PARK are closed 1t
the best representative scene Of the plstme Of skating
Here the persons seen are not only DoIe worth seeng
hat the skates used are OF tho most improved patterns
ah.,.t asatG nt N a. "a n
tons are the most superb. II viii, therefore le.ha
be the best 10 consider
THE FEMININE SKATES
,,h mart ,uar attention. We naturally led 10 con
p yerious captions such rs the styles OF skates nscd
the stye of skating pIaeLced, tue skiilh5 cosIuh"
wOrp and tie various modes OF Pas sing over the ic"
which are most IN vogue.
. .nerslly Young always blooming and mostly lovely
There fen children who have learned to SAP an"
peg about ON irons 80 as not 10 bieax th,is heS!s
There l. also occasionally 10 be pale Invalid
,ssted in a chair csmp stool on iron runners AMI
enjoying the ramare u speed wilhout the satisfaction
of mental c1erion; Int most o tie ladies are 'resh
yoarg ec,.tiiul and blooming.
IHE COSTUMES
,rc v,-iors lie tiln.htti2g. dark cloak, Trimmed
deeply vith far very much in vogue and many OK
the ladies' also fur caps 1hc eieet is knssian or
p,ish ard Is very beautiful wltla not only iIoh ils
noyelty hut from its appropriateness as we'll Bat in
he upuer portion Of the dress there is little room Tor
noyelty There is portion, however IN which every
variety taste IL ul5piNcu, WHICH iS
of such display and which prob1blv far less expel-
sye than any other outlay prominently displayed
IL is hardly necessary 10 state that we refer TO pcti
coats. -
THE STYLE 0r SKATING
Of course uore varied than anything else. by ar ife
largest numbers skate entirely aone-the gentlemen
awlys DO unless accompanied by ladies.
Among the ladies' II - aveiy common practice ior
two OF them TO skate together. Hand clasped IN heni
their feet keeping time VITA each other their brghi
sl rts waving from side - side in concert there is
scarcely ANYTHING beautiful than TO see two ladies'
thus Hying bird.hke across the smooth surface OF
frozen lake together Sometimes one member 81 tho
coup,e is gentleman and then the scene is even more
inasmuch as while the gliding stride Of the
gentleman /, 10 be easily marked IN the motion OF his
VIGOROUS limbs the soft sweep OF those members which
are supposed 10 exist beneath the dainty skirts is par
tialy lett TO the chsse imagination Of the observer
Sometimes the pleasing spectacle Is afforded OF three
and even four skaters moving in linked array across tho
shining field and OF one time On Saturday we saw sir
ladies' all abreas, moving across the field together Ihe
skating was not only kept up throughout she day Out
THE OTHER P0SDs
will probably all afford excellent sport to-day and, II
the weather holds good, fer many days to come
The Central Park Lakes stouid be well aud hrmly
covered with ice. The Excelsior Pond. opposite the
Finn Avenue Pond afforded good skating on Sasur-
day and there will probably be more Of 1t to-day.
Among the ponds in Brooklyn good skating will 10
presented BY the Capitoline Lake. the Union Pond.
Chichesters Morris's and the Washington Ponds
while ,he Morris Canal and the creeks Of the owands
back Of Jersey City will give broad field to JerssJm
IA friu fha