The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-03-17
COasting in COnnecticut-An Exciting,
but Dangerous Sport.

NORWICH, Conn. is the coasting par
adise of New England. 1t has mtra
hills than old Rome, and most of them
are twice as steep. 1t is impossible to
go twenty rods in almost any direction
in the old town without climbing. Since
the snowfall of Christmas week the city
has been surrendered on every evening
soon after nightfau-to the coasters.
After dark it has been perilous to walk
the streets, and there have been aeci-
dents to men, women, boys and horses
without number. On the various hills
around Norwich, spectator counted
one evening last week nearly one thou
sand sleds of every description, from
the long pickerel double-ripper to the
small boys tip-up and the homemade
miniature ripper.
In these sliding matches young and
old, male and female participated.
Aged men and gray-haired matrons were
often seen careering at railroad speed
on the oak plank of the ripper or the
resplendent upholstered cushion of the
expensive double sled.
The double ripper is late invention
of Young America, but is familiar to
country people. Its relation to the or
binary sled is that of the ice-boat TO the
skate in point of speed. 1t is formed
by yoking up two large sleds tandem,
and joining them with narrow oaken
plank. The pilot sits on the prov of
the plank, and steers the front sled with
a foot tiller. The ripper is made large
| or small to suit the plan of its proprie-
tor. Norwich and New London have
long We'd in the development of double
ripper architecture, and they look upon
| the coastiDg men of the west of New
England as simply amateurs. In the
course of the past five winters they have
developed eoasting into sport as dis
tinctive as that of yachting or horse
racing. They have their peculiar mod
els for building and their peculiar terms
to describe features of the sport. They
have undoubtedly attained rates of speed
unequaled anywhere else, and fearlessly
take risks that would appal tyros. Each
winter New London sends her iveliest
double-ripper and her favorite riders
to Norwich on January evening
to compete for the championship of the
season. The sleds that are used in
these matches are great structures that
will seat eighteen to thirty men. The
place chosen for the contest is Fox 8
|
village lust across the Shetucket River.
Its summit is mile distant from the
river. 1t IS the highest point of land,
with the exception OF Taunton Hill,
along the Connecticut seaboard. 1t is
Titan among the other eminences
around Norwich. The slide is three
quarters of mile long, and when the
icy track is unusually smooth and solid
the best double rippers have gone
across the bridge into the city. The
usual stopping point is an old watering
trough, II quarter of mile from the
bridge.
Fox's Hill has been thronged with
, coasters all this season, and some fail
time has been made. On last Wednes
day evening Charles S. Fiske's double
ripper, which for three years has beer
accounted the fastest sled in Connecti
cut, was timed by two timekeepers, ont
, at the foot and the other at the top o
the hill, with accurate chronometers
The track was by no means in first-clas
condition. The sled bore twelve men
with MIR. Fiske, who is the most exper
: steerer in Eastern Connecticut, at tn,
front. The descent to the watering
. trough, three-quarters of mile, wa
made in a fraction less than forty-fy'
seconds. On the double-ripper no on,
h is allowed to move his feet from tn
foot supports along the plank; he is en-
i joined to keep perfectly still, as tn
= slightest movement of "a passenger whel
& sled is making such fearful speed j
4 likely to result in disaster. Dsaste
:, means mutilation, and perhaps death
So perfect is Mr.. Fiske in the art @
u steering that he can run his sled with
p In q hairs breadth of a line, and h
!, avows that with a single movement h
can upset the sled in an instant, if
is necessary TO avoid collision. A
% every passenger is in danger of bein
killed in case Mr.. Fiske upsets his sle
y when going at breakneck speed, he ha
r. not been able to carry his theory int
10 practice. One Of the passengers on tn
trial trip, on Wednesday evening, sal
TO the writer that it was his first exp