Morning journal and courier., 1886-12-29
THE roRoaGAN SLIDE.

Waiting for Snow and Ice-A Look at |
 New Haven's SlIde-The Equal of
 Those at Montreal and Saratoga.
 The toboggan slide framework looms ap against the dusky side of Prospect hill and at it's highest point is nearly on level with the highest ridge of the hill. The level on which it stands is but few feet higher than Whitney avenue. Hence it will be seen that from the landing at the highest point of the toboggan slide fine view spreads out before the spectator. To the northeast looms up East Rock with it's tall soldiers monument looking in the dim, dusky shades of twilight like possible obelisk ages agone. The
 deep, bold, precipitous face of the Rock, the
 long stretch of fields, the college woods with
 their abundance of tall chestnut trees, the
 river winding about the meadows below the
 Rock, the lands and grounds of Massena
 Clark, the northern end of which reach near
 ly to the base of the slide, Gamer street di-
 viding, the grounds of the Whitney res idence
 opposite, and Fair Haven wit it's spires and
 dwellings and Fair Haven Heights dotted
 with it's handsome houses, are all to be
 seen from the top of the slide. On the west
 close by is Prospect hill, with the Davies,
 Winchester, Farnam, Whittelsey and other
 residences apparently so near as to suggest
 that the occupants need only to use tobog-
 gans and slide directly down to the toboggan
 headquarters. The tall hickory trees close
 to the toboggan framework but barely reach
 with their topmost branches above the
 highest point of the framework, and look
 over the railing at the top landing shows
 sheer, abrupt, unbroken descent of many
 feet. At the foot of the framework slide
 stands tall, stalWart colored sentinel,
 whose duty it is to keep intruders and all
 lu1xy iaH nff the premises. Most of yester-
 days daylight hours the sentinel
 was lonely. About twenty persons, mostly
 stockholders on business, were the only per
 sons who broke the stiffness of the scene yes
 terday except few chattering squirrels from
 the neighboring woods, and an enclosed
 building such as is to be erected at once un- der the highest part of the framework will be very acceptable as place of shelter and warmth. The builder who erected the slide was preparing yesterday to erect such building at once, as some of the prophetic tobogganers declared that there was SHOW in the air. Off from the slide all the way to Whitney avenue, across lots, looking at 8 dis tance like telephone cable stretched about ten feet from the ground, runs a line of water pipe supported by props at intervals. The pipe continues to the top of the slide, whence it will be used to flood with water the slide on cold nights that the slide may be thickly coated with glare of ice in the morning. The ascent to the top of the slide is by about fifty wide steps, and parallel with the steps is section of the as- cent, apart from the slide proper, which is the passage way upon which to draw the toboggans to the top. The slide proper is divided into three shutes, each divided from the other so that three tobogganers can start at a time, while the beam line between the shutes keeps the sleds from colliding. At the foot of the n e., 1oIJ being then no line of separation, but 8 clear stretch for hundreds of feet in the open road The slide extends from Gamer street to Highland street, distance of twelve hun dred feet, 50 that the toboggans will stop near the foot of the hill on which stands St. needed now is snow and ice to create lots of sport at the slide, which is fashioned like unto the great slides at Montreal and Saratoga and is the equal of either of these famous slides in length of de- scent and the plane of the declivity. An other slide will be built for next season in case of success this year. The present one faces the north in order to have the exposure as favorable as possible for protecting the surfaces from the sun. If second one is constructed it will face the south and will be 1 so located that the level runs will be parallel, one ending at the beginning of the other so that when the toboggan stops the foot of the | opposite stairway will be close by. By this 1 arrangement the number of slides possible in l a given time will be more than doubled, as l there will be no walking on the level.
 ToBoeGANNING IN BRIDGEPORT.
 Last evenings Bridgeport Farmer says: l stAn indications point to the belief that | will be the sport here this l winter. The new shutes at the Barnum | grounds, on State street extension, were l opened to the public last evening and at | once demonstrated their attractive qualities. | Over seventy people took slide over the | glassy surfaces during the session, and those | who went down once were very desirous of f repeating the trip. P. T. Barnum | was on the spot to see that all | went right, and his grandson, l Clinton H. Seeley, with Miss Nellie Brothwell and Miss Lasher, and o. s. Leet | and wife made formal opening by going | down the two shutes together at o'clock. Before the evening expired the ice had worn to such a smoothness that the length of the | run was about LOO feet. Tonight. if the weather be, favorable. the shutes will be flooded and tomorrow evening the surface will be very smooth indeed. MT. Leet has on hand 100 of the celebrated Star toboggans, which are pronounced by all lovers of that sport to be the best ever made. They were furnished by A. s. Spaulding & Brother, of New York. The grounds were illuminated DIV electric lights /"