New-York tribune., 1884-12-20
PREPARING FOR THE SKATERS.

PREPARING FOX The SkAlEhS.
WHAT Is BEING DONE FOR THEM IN CENTRAL PARK
NEW SKATE HOUSES BrISd BUILT.
Since the trees in Central Park began TO shed
their autumn foliage the authorities have been making
preparations for tho winter season Most OF the f"rR
undergocs a complct transformation Tender plants are
sheltered from the nippng frosts; the swans disappear
from the lakes. and the animals uDacc'st0med 10 'ho cou
stabbed In cosy winter-Quarters.
"1be great Of the winter, SAID superintendent
Jones' IS of course the lakes Skating never seems 10
become old and stale many people As soon rs there
has slight oIch OF cold will scores oi Do!
and grown people drawn toward the lakes hthoug"
they haven't the least idea there Will be skim "i co
around the edges No. bless you roller-skatihg
doesn't have any effect IN essenng the number OF those
who the Park TO skate. II may be pleasant 10
skate on wheels but there's something in gliding around
on the Ice in the keen air that can't I've counterieed
have never seen the time when the Ice III CONDITION
for SIX sters that it wanted patronage"
" How early does skating usually begin y
swell It generally comes pretty close upon Christmas
aud the Park Board likes to have the poi is opened on
Christmas Day IL possible But the weather has not been
so favorable for hs OF recent years The cir is cold
enough but 81 be getting warnoi as the city
builds up around the Park"
"what ARRANGEMENTS do you make for the skating
season :"
There not mach 20 he done eXceIt 20 get the skate
houses Ia readness-thcre Is to BE huildng this
Is always drawn down. because It freezes more
quickly when it is shallow. Then theponds are SAFER
the water being an average not more hnn Tour leeI
deep Ocour-e there are nunner OF noeS eS. & Ul Yen y,
freeze over II takes pretty sharp ar Tor at es WuA
age thickness OF about six inches When it has reached
that we lut a hOrse and sclarer and go over tho
rngh uSces i n is ali latsfac,or5 The ban GOES up
The street take tho signal ana the Park Is opened Tor
There have never been any serious accidents on the
wnf same one skn,3 into hoc md gets cpld duck,
Ing bnt ne voYf i3 shnlov yth np gqnent 70 lGsai
ha,e to krer cose watch on r,ow,d days yhep 'hefr
ag otiyh ,ehs s. h@sans ot pcopg o. GE E gc % t,f
aglcil't rs lhb Y managpS ihE skaters .s. ,,
sSg i Ssg sfhsF M & sYZss Z S ss FA FAisa i G@%A y @ % 9' NV
,sGS. NEo WIN. aN4,rTSgNz lsae@ IA @SsSNpets'W
CMisiNve ~ NN, ,letiApg ihb VA MlW'F6 YhNh Ns
r{NR. " nv GgB AMsW Ne t3'h sM MN ts ,5 5@,EE,i
ir,spat IgoWtdse QW ha hkeW ~ ket ihtW Nhi ee
tweg W9W geAt,gs Nes gn 'hg gAsy,n S ESeSs So,n, a
NIl ho Hf feet ia lepeh and at the west end o a. MA
FA Ss , sas sSeaS asssaci si%o6 io ~ ns aas
Whlch has, h0Wt'er, VtA cost espHn hfGNh Nlh
teuded 70 loo taken down IN the sprin. AMI pacScd away
uulil ttl ana win TINS Wow tue architect Ni' uuN
system ~ sockets shoes 'ad tv1esos 10y WHICH 'uo Mi4e
structure can bo taken apart aud pu together again hG
eweat bcds'ead Every panel ana section !. ouerf, m
AMI mas is own place, and after tut skahg Is over III
tho rlng tho building may ho aLon down IN M dhJ
lnd arranged IN an OfitrA nlo Tor
sor,atory lake will probably he sci apart for the curling
clubs. as usual house win he placed on the lar"ln
Nero for the skaters 10 whom that pond rs moro cohNeh
eni than the lower lakes.
small ponds in the upper part OF the city were frozen
hard Yesterday morning and dotted with boys IN
The afternoon making their lrs trials with skates Tor tc
winter. The Central Park Mkcs al showed h"HN}
coating Of ice at the edges but the waves Ia tie centre
stlll curlcd and rlpplcd under the cold wind,
"Toulght will sottle them" said Park policeman
ond II this Kind Of weather lasts three days longer No
have skating lor Chri -iMa-,'
me cold wave has been received with Joyous shoutsby
the Brooklyn lovers ca knlug All the ponds nHd lakcs
in th, suburbs are over and the lee to-day VIII bc
sufficiently thick fn nkating The Ice ttk enough
ul the ponds except whore the water very deep TOT
skatiu. Yesterday. The new rink Ht The linin'burg
Athletic Club grounds VIII probably be thrown open to
dly. The Nashiugou Park grounds wiz not nc turned
into riuh this winter ad south brooklyn skaters wiz
be compelled 10 80 to Prospect Park Some Of the
smaller lakes there frozen over yesterday, but The
lakes Will hardly thrown open to the pubic pc"rc
Monday Tuesday Every convenience mas Dcon pre-
pared for Tie skaters The water j. deep IN the larger
ako gu1 the wLd hgs such clean sweep there That IL
viii take several days mako thc icc safe for me hou
sands who viii flock to the park &s soon as the BAH Is
lspI