The sun., 1881-01-23
SLIDING DUUN HIIL.
The Lively Contcst. with Doubio R,ppers
they are mnvIna In Connecticut.

INlnpern
they unvina In Connecticut.
NORWICH, Jan. 2O.-Norwlch ls the coast
ing paradise OF New England. 1t has more hills
than old Rome. and mos, OF them are twice as
steep. 1t is impossible to 20 twenty rods In al
most any direction In the old town without
climbing. Since tho snowfall OF Christmas
week the city has boen surrendered ON every
evening soon aftor nightfall to the coasters.
After dark 1t has been perilous to walk tho
streets. and thcro havo been accidents to men.
women. boys. and horses without number In
tho centre OF the city Broadway hill has been
tho most generally used. On the wcet sdo
Elizabeth and High streets have been the favor
ite dcscents; on the south side Whitaker hill.
bordered by woods. and abrupt rs tho roof
OF Gothic cottage. has been a resort .
while up town" nnd Groenville. subur-
ban villages. have onch widely used Slides"
On tho various hills around Norwich q
spectator counted ono evening last week nearly
1000 sleds Of every description. from the long
pickere double ripper to the small boys
tp-up and tho homemade miniature rip
per-" AT tho foot OF Broadway hill is a large
square. haukod by public buildings. Six
streets open upon this square. and three OF tho
streets are procipitous hills. Down these de-
scents dashed for hours from one to three hum
dred sleds. All passed. across the square ut
lightning speed. and few pedestrians were bold
enough to face them. taking roundabout ave-
nues to reach their homes. At length the police
forbade the sliding. and officers were stationed
at the top and foot OF the hills.
But tho boys importuned Mayor Osgood who
gave the coasters permission TO continue their
sliding after 8 O'Clock. Some OF tho large sleds
passed through four or five strcets on their
swift course before losing their momentum.
On Boswell avenue. famous hill on tho east OF
tho town. the double rippers covered milo
before coming to halt
and female, participated. Aged men and gray
haired nlatrons were often seen carecring ut
railroad speed on the oak plank OF tho ripper
or the resplendent upholstered cushion OF the
expensive double slod.
Young America. but is familiar to country peo-
pie. Its relation to tho ordinary sled is that OF
the ice boat to the skate in point OF speed. It Is
and joining them with u narrow oaken plank.
The pilot sits on the Prov OF tho plank. and
per is made large or small to suit the plan OF
hsvlp s pr9pntetoTi n riod NoEWleh ana Now LONDON
GnG vi'a @ Sn1 hey look
upon the coastinR men OF the west of New Eng
land as simply nmateurs. In the course OF tho
into sport rs distinctive as that OF yachting or
horse racing. They have their peculiar mod
els Tor building and their peculiar terms TO de-
scribe features OF the sport. They have IN;
doubtedly attained rates OF speed unequal led
anyTnere else. and ,t.nElessly take risks that
| sends her liveIiest double ripper and her ia
vorite riders to Nor giai on January evening
70 compete for the Championship oil the season
The sleds that are used in these matches are
great structures. that Will scat eighteen to
thirty men. The place chosen for the contest is
Fox's Hill. in Preston populous suburban
village Just across tho Shetucket River. Its
summit ls mile distant from tho river. II ls
| Taunton Hin. along the Connecticut scaboard.
1t is q Titan among the, other eminenees
cause the old tavern OF Mr.. Fox. who.
fifty years ago. entertained charcoal burners
from Voluntown. still stands on its brow. From
| the summit tho village of Preston is seen far
below. and in the distance the vyo looks down
| on the housetops and steeples OF Norwich. The
summit ls in the country. The tavern is the
only structure near. A gnarlod oak, that throws
its branches half across the road. Is the starting
quarters OF mile long. and when the icy track
| Is unusually smooth and solid the best double
| city. The usual stopping point is au old water
| ing trough. "A quarter OF mile from the bridge,
Fox's Hill has been thronged with coasters all
this season. and some lair time has been made.
doublo ripper, which for, three years has been
| timed by two timekeepers, one at the foot and
tho other at the top Of the hill, with accurate
es seS S' boro
men. with Mr. Fiske,, who is tho most expert
steerer in eastern Connecticut. at the front.
less than As seconds. on tho double
epfr from R The 100. sappors s along the plank
Is enjoined to keep perfectly still as the slight
eat movement OF u PASSENGER when sled Is
| disaster. Disaster means mutilation. and per-
| haps death. SO perfect is Mr. Fiske in the art
hairs breadth OF a line. and he avows that with
| single movement he can upset the sled in an
every passenger is in danger Of being killed in
| case Mr.. Fiske npsets his sled when going
G Els sS; not
| tho passengers on the trial trip. on Wednesday
evening. said to the writer that it was his first
poriectly still night" said he The hill de-
scends steep YOU know. at llrst. for about fifteen
seemed to be floating in tho air. There
was no sound, We moved SO softly:
didn't think that we were going fast
blowing; the road was white mist there was
| q constant buzz in my ears. | couldn't breathe
which begins at the foot OF the first descent, by
| the wall that was on one side OF the road. That
white mist / meyer expected to reach the foo,
| OF tho hill alive. In second almost. we began
70 slow up and in another / got on the sled for
.Mr, Fiske is about 25 years OF age. slight and
athletic and is the son OF well known ply
and he brought II with him when he moved
| hero three or four years ago. Its great speed
easd s. pa of sT @
| meeting plank is OF three-inch seasoned white
oak II Is strong enough TO SUPPORT Ave tons
cost was about $50. 1t is the sled that was USED
In disastrous contest with the double ripper
| OF New London about this time OF tho month In
| 1877 and which was described at length In fHF
| SUN. Air. Fiske steered his sled at that time
| aud won the race without accident. Tho Now
| London party. pilotcd by Mr.. Fred Allen. were
| unlucky. From tho start nearly to the silk mill
| which ID about half way down tho course, the
| Norwich sled. whicn had started behind. stead.
| ily gained. At the mill the seds were neck and
| neck. and here Mr.. Allen, confused by tho ter
| RHO speed or on account OF his unfamiliarty
| with the way. made a wrong movement with his
| foot and the next instant the sled and its occu
| pants were hurled against II lamp post and oyei
| the ground All were picked UP unconscious
| Some Of them lay at the point Of death for days
| some were crippled for life. One man was par
| tally dissmbowelled. and the leg OF another
| was broken in two places.