Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-01-25
SLIDING DOWN HILL.
Tho Lively Contests with Double Ss;ppers
they are Having in Connecticut.

Tho Lively Contests with Double Ripper.
they are Having in Connecticut.
Norwich is the coasting paradise Of New
England. 1t has more hills than ole
Rome, and most Of them arc twice 4.
steep: 1t is impossible to go twenty rods
in almost any direction in the old towI
without climbing. Since the snowfall o
Christmas week the city has been surren
dered on every evening soon after nightfal
to the coasters. After dark it has beer
perilous to walk the streets. and there
have bean accidents to men, women, boy.
and horses without number. In the cen
tire of the city Broadway hill has beer
the most generally used. On the wes,
side Elizabeth: and High streets have
been the favorite descents on the soutl,
size Whitaker hill, bordered by
woods, and abrupt as the roo
ofa Gothic cottage, has been a resort
while "up town. and Greenville, suburb
an villages, have each widely used ..slides. .
On the various hills around Norwich a
spectator counted one evening last week
nearly 1000 sleds of every description
from the long pickerel double ripper to the
small boys tip-up and the home made
miniature ripper At the foot of Broad
way hill is large square. flanked by pub,
lie buildings. Six streets open upon this
square, and three Of the streets are pre-
cipitous hills. Down these descents dashed
for hours from one to three hundred sleds
All passed across the square at lightning
speed, and few pedestrians were bold
enough to face them, taking roundabout,
avenues to reach their homes. At length
the police forbade the sliding, and officers
were stationed at the top and foot of the
hills.
But the boys importuEcd Mayor Os.
good, who gave the coasters permission to
continue their sliding after Q o'clock.
Some Of the large sleds passed through,
four or five streets on their swift course
before losing their momentum. On Bos,
we'll avenue, i famous hill ON the east of
the town. the double rippcrs covered q
mile before coming to halt
In these sliding matches young and old.
male and female participated. Aged men
and gray haired matrons were often seen
careening ut railroad speed on the oak
plank OF the ripper Or the resplenle,,t up
hOlstered cushion of the expensive double
sled.
The double ri pDer is a late invention of
Young America, but is familiar to coun
try people. Its relation to the ordinary
sled is that Of the ice boat to the skate in
point of speed. 1t is formed by yokins up
two large s!eds tandem, and joining then,
with marrow oaken plank. The pilot
sits on the PROV Of the plank and steers
the front sled with foot tiller. The Zip
per is made large or small to suit the plan
of its proprietor. Norwich and New Lon
don have Ing We'd in the development of
double-ripper architecture, and they look
upon the coasting men of the west Of New
England as simply amateurs. In the
course Of the past five winters they have
developed coasting into sport as distinct
i've as that of yachting or horse racing.
They have their peculiar models for build
ing and their peculiar terms to de-
scribe features Of the sport. They have
undoubtedly attained rates of speed un-
equalled anywhere else, aud fearlessly
take risks that would appal tyros. Eaci,
winter New London sends Eer liveliest
double ripper and her favorite riders
to Norwich on January evening to COM
pete for the championship of the season
The sleds that are used in these matches
| are great structures, that will scat eigh-
teen to thirty men, The place chosen for
the contest is FOx's Hill, in Preston, a
populous suburban village just across the
Shetucket river. 1t is the highest point
Of land. with the exception of Taunton
Hill, along the Connecticut scabord. 1t is
Titan among the other eminences around
Norwich. 1t is called Fox's Hill be-
cause the old tavern Of Dir. Fox, who.
fifty years agO. entertained charcoal
burners from Voluntown, still stands on
its brow. From the summit the village of
Preston is seen far below, and in the dis
tance the eyes look down on the house
tops and steeples of Norwich. The sum-
init is in the country. The tavern is the
only structure near. 4 snarled oak, that
throws its branches half across the road,
is the starting point for the contestants.
The Slide is three quarters of Il 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 water trough, 2
quarter OF a mile from the bridge,
Fox's hill has been thrOnyed with coast
ers all this season, ond some fair time has
been made. On last Wednesday evening
Charles S. Fiske's double ripper, which
for three years has been accounted the
fastest sled in Connecticut, was timed by
two timekeepers, one at til: foot and the
other at the top of the hill, with accurate
chrOnOmeters. The track was by no means
in first class condition. The sled bore
twelve men, with Mr.. Fiske. who is the
most expert Stcerer in eastern Connecticut,
ut the front. The descent to the watering
trough. threc-quarters of 4 nile, was
made in \ fraction less than 45 seconds.
On the double ripper no one is allowed 10
move his feet from the foot supports
along the plank he is enioined to keep
perfectly still, as the slightest movement
OF passenger when a sled is making such
fearful speed is likely to result in disaster.
DisasteD means mutilatiOn. and perhaps !
death. SOperfect is Mr.. Fiskc in the art
of steering that he can run his sled with. |
in hairs breadth Of a line, and he avows
that with single movement he can upset
the sled in AZ instant, if it i necessary to !
avoid collision. AS every passenger is
in danger of being killed in case Mr..
Fiske upsets his sled when going
ut breakneck speed. he has not been able
to carry his theory into practice. One of
the passengers on the trial trip, on We'd
nesday evening, said to the writer that it
was his first experience. and would be his
aSt. SIT was q perfectly still night"
'aid he. "The hill descends steep, you
know, at first, for about fifteen rods. AS
vc began to descend that pitch we seemed
% be floating in the air. There was no
sound, We move: SO softly. l didn't think
hat We were going fast. But in an instant
perfect gale was blowing the road was
white mist there was const mt buzz
n my ears, | couldn't breathe knew
Shen We reached the Preston village, ,
Which begins at the foot of the first de- !
cent, by the wall that was on one side of ,
lie road. That was all I could see the ,
est was all blank, white mist. never ,
expected to reach the foo. of the hill alive. !
q 4 second almost We henan to Slou. ,,n