The sun., 1884-02-24
ALL AMOUR ToBosoANING.
The Costly Modern siides--TNe Sensations OF
Thirty seconds-The Danger ON the Way.


MONTREAL, Feb. 2o.-Tobogganlng Is
studied like n science. Originally. any hill
with a straight road and good slant would do
for the sport; next the toboggancrs began to
build big mounds Of snow on top OF the hila.
upon which to give their boards strong and
swift start. But all that Is too old fashioned
for 1884. The rich snowshoc clubs now go into
tobogganing regardless Of expense. Having
selected n good hillside. with straight road.
way quarter Of a milo long. they build long.
slantirg scafroids at the tor OF tho hill. ffty
feet to seventy feet from the ground nt the up
per end OF the incline. and with standing room
at the top for scores Of tobcGgancrs and ladies'
The inclined front OF each OF those scafrolds Is
boarded down to the point at which it meets
the earth. 1ts surface is then divided into
three. four. or Ave slides by ridges OF snow. and
these ridges are continued down tho hillside.
But snow is not good enough for tho modern
tobogganer to slide upon. 1t Is only used for
these ridges which serve to keep the tohoggnns
apart. and to prevent them from running into
one another. The slides themselves are now
coated coated with ice made by pourlng or snrinsl,nG ,,
hillside is also wet and frozen so that tho whole
| quarter of a mile OF hillside is n sheet Of ice,
| from the path up tho hill ani along this pat
| tho men drag their queer seds while the
tim" they elm Climb tho iii and thS night, Of easy
steps up the scafyold they feel fresber and
more eager for the sport than ON the previous
| journey. Once on top of tho scailold, ,hc to-
| boegancr puts his toboggan j wn upon the Hat
platform. with it, curved front end Just over
| the edge. The girl who il 10 make the journey
| either puts her inet or her knncs under Ih'
| dashboard, according to how many nra going
down and how much room there IS hs Ihs
| next passenger, II II girl, sits tailor fashion
behind the first, one; or. il man. puts his
legs on either sido of the forward grl. II tho
riders are we'll acquainted aud are en,husi-
|
panion'ss putting his feet in her hp i is the
is Thin and lies Nat on tho ice. and il badly
managed foot shoul touch the lee ever Sc
lightly. 1t would send the tohogsnn living out o1
| Its course. when al are ready. the passengers
hav ing got firm holds upon rhc little side tai!-
At At the ehgcs 81 ihe slenher hoard ihs stnrrei
that he rests on one hanmch upon it, with one
leg free tp steer with, Tho force OF his move
b"ar nS Ses a@r ii e n soS the ssnI sasod
1t is ike falling from The lg!i Of 'onr-siory
| house. You feel yourself and the strip OF blrcl
veneer beneath you loosnncd from tho eartl
and flying like II meteor toward the BLACK
crowd OF spectators far below you ut the foot o
boggan Ern2cs tho slide makes 1t loss rcas
suring than If it did not touch at ALL There is
| u roar blast of intensely cold wind. IL flash o
the white walls OF snow on either side. ant
then comforting bump and grating as II.
supple board bends beneath its load in obedi
encr to every mndulation and slight h,immocl
II ry s1 saeondl the to- as Sns nS
| slow up the greatest danger is Mt hand. A maj
sei2es its dashboard and ut the same instan
raises the ladies from their places and shout $
Quick! quick TO the right or Jump to tho
left. You haven't a second" for other tobog
gans ure rushing toward YOU on tho same siid'
or are approaching on other slides the rout,
you must take to the side of tho road.
>, Accidents are frequent but not often serious
ToboeGans run into one another. but If boti
are FREQ no harm is done. Frequently the!
lurch into the crowd that always gathers at the
foot OF the hill and ono Slsd Will upset hall {
this year was to n young lady. She was in the
care OF II skiltul steerer. bat when the toboG
gan struck u hi. dog that run out Ia bark a
it, his skill was useless. The tebo.gnu sho
leo and bowlei along it at thirty miles M hour
The young man said that she hal fallen fac.
downward. ana tried to turn her on her bach
but could not Fart If her face WIS skinned
and she will be most horribly acarrcd Tor life.
One snowsioer has got u steel toboggaG bu
ii Is no faster ana not half so SSle rs f!ls hrct
onrs Il would he u terrible engine OF desiruc
ton in case 1t met with an hc.ident. The bes
ries seven persons. which appeared on one o
the slides Just before carnival week. 1t II
faster than {; dr.nm. roborlins Were AWAY,
made by the Indians until very recently lac
Indian toboggans are oven yot considered tn!
| best They cost from 81 Il 70 So and wciRl
less than ten pourns witstfrt TIE ma frt'sse,
that many use. The tohogsnn was or.g!naiil
oyer soft snow. 1t will not sink into snow rs
sled would But il u Yankee boy should brinf
Connecticut tdouble-rlpper up tere and star
down ono OF These artificial glaciers it would e
not stop ri the foot of the Slide but would dai
on through Montreal and out upon the st. Law
renee ut the foo; OF the mountain before /
would begin to slow up.