Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-03-05
THE BURLINGTON CARNIVAL.
AS SEEN BYALBANY NEWSPAPER MEN,.

the Adirondacks across the lake last even
ing, and when its golden simmer settled
behind the whitecrested mountains the
Queen city turned on the electric current
and became one vast blaze of lights. The
air resounded with revelry and the streets
were jammed with people. Main street
was fringed with lanterns, looking like
long walls of fire,I and triumphal arches,
built of cotton sheeting and illuminated
and decorated, abounded. Hobart slide,
from dock to breakwater, was crowded
with electric lights, as were also the tow
ers on the ice. The beautiful Vermont
city has given itself up wholly to winter
sports.
The motive power for the scheme of
winter carnival was found in the Burlng-
ton Coasting club, wide-awake organi-
cation composed of 300 of the best people
in the city, who decline to grow old as
the years roll by. With such a power as
this at its back the new plan could not
help succeeding, but the magnitude of its
success surpasses even the clubs widest
dreams. Everybody favored it and the
entire city turned to and worked with a
will, each one doing his share to make the
winter a memorable one to all who had
the good fortune to enter the precincts of
the city during the carnival week. Its
topography itself aided matters material
ly. The city, situated as it is on side
hill, afforded splendid facilities for the
coasters with their traverses, allowing
them straight courses of more thana mile
from the east side of the lake. The lake.
too, comes in fora large share of the honors
its eXpanse of CLASSY surface atfording an
uneXceled field for skating, ice-yachting,
skate-sailing hockey, sleighing and snow
shooting. Hotel keepers came promptly
forward with the rest and welcomed
king carnival with open arms and with
out the customary colossal prices. Indeed.
they seemed to think that the occasion
warranted a gratuitous outlay on their
part and accordingly some principle ones
furnished toboggans and traverses for
the guests free of charge. Last. but not
least. the railroads went so far as to re-
duce rates.
TO appreciate thoroughly traverse one
needs must ride on one. The .IourHdl
representative, after pleasant ride to
the summit in company with Mr.. Herbert
Woodbury. of the executive committee and
a small family party, seated himself ON
the handsomely upholstered seat of his
hosts traverse, the "Pilot." The low.
broad machine, with its elastic seat and
easy grooves for supporting the riders
feet, afforded IA feeling of comfort and
security far different from that expert
enced when perched on the high. stiff seat
of bob. The side rails. too, with COM
Portable reach, afforded ample facilities
, for holding on without having to clasp
your neighbour and depend upon his sta
bility. At the forward end sat the stall
wart Steersman, in fantastic uniform of
gray, spotted with red disks. with red
stockings. sash and tuque, and wearing
, on his left shoulder the handsome cXcCu-
tive badge, with his feet firmly braccd
against crosspiece, having places mol.
lowed to receive them. grasping the ropes
and watching for the signal. 1t came
, quickly enough; the little red flag dipped,
, there was Simultaneous push and the 20
. foot machine slid smoothly and noiseless-
. ly toward the brow of the hill. The
smoothness of its motion gave it an ap-
pearance of slowness that was very de-
ccptive, for in an incredibly short space
of time it reached signal No. | and was on
the heavy grade in Il twinkling. Then
, the fun began: one mOmentary glance.
the only one afforded before the wind
caused the coaster to keep his head down.
, showed the long CLASSY track lined with
+ spectators, another flying traverse far
. down the slope and near the extreme end
of the course. the grand arch with it,
, brilliant decorations. The velocity i'll
creased until it seemed as though the
parties destination was Willsboro. Il
miles distant across the lake. On and on
it flew like Il meteor, but with smooth
gliding motion, devoid of bumps and Jars
until the application of the steersman'
i'pN w lilt bldht llbll, llldCtu luSl DtlON
the seat on one side an d trihe in front OF
, him, brought it to a standstill in front OF
| the piazza of the Van Ness House.
f The harbor along the city front also
= swarms with sightseers visiting the race
: course and rink, and watching number
, of youths indulging in skate sailing, de-
cidedly novel pastime that somewhat re-
q scmbles ice boating, but which is, if pos
q Siblv, even more eXhilerating. When
fully equipped for a trip a skate sailor
| presents the appearance of something
that is cross between an ice boat on
stills and a bird. His feet are shod with
: skates provided with braces to relieve
, the strain upon his ankles and in his hands
he bears 10 foot pole having fastened at
each end damond-shaped sail made of
e heavy cloth. Grasping the spar firmly
in such position that the sails are up-