New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-15
NIMBLE FEET ON THE ICE
THE SKATING SEASON OPENED WE'LL.

VAN coRTLANpT PARK LAKE AND THE ONE IN
cRoroNA PARK READY Now-THE CENTRAL
PARK ICE NOT THICK ENOUGH YET
There has seldom been a more charming day Tor
the opening OF the skating season IMAM yesterday
II was cold but dry. and Keen winu sen, IKE .'hs-
ling through every VEIN Men, women ana chiareh'
with their skates jngling at their sdes' hurried up
n Central Park There they met with disappoint-
neut for none of the lakes was OPEN Ihey iearhed
however. that the twenty-acre axe III van 'or'-
lsndt park was considered safe, and away the
crowds hurried there
AZ early O'Clock the kindly )anitor OF the oiu
Van Cortlandt mansion asked for breakfast
bv two young men, The police were pusy getting
their station in order and ARRANGING ropes nets ana
nIanks in ship-shape order that II any ACCIDENT
occurred not a moment would be LOST III MAXINE
rescue CAPTAIN c. C. Collins. Of the force. was
looking after everything The skating mouse was
comfortably warmed up ana skates ol every sol l.
size and condition were put in order OUTSIDE there
was that quiet silence regning over the iahe tha'
ALWAYS comes with the first freezing over oil sheet
of water A few sparrows. Inches ana greeniets'
NTH an occasional squirrel. gave signs OF life, and
then came man
THE ICE DOTTED WITH SKATERS.
7, was II O'Clock before superintendent Parsons
gave the order that skating would be permitted.
ana in trce the big smooth field OF Ice was dotted
with people whrling hither and thither enjoying
winters greatest treat. The ice was excellent the
tyro moved dscreeiy, but. picking up confluence,
,r,a1 the edge and fell The old hand began on 3.
then a double 9. and then an s, after which one
could see him struggling with the grapevine Crash!
ne s%d en sv Who work at different trades ocke
M as soon as the were closed, for tine news
had got downtown that there was sKaiing up III
Van Cortlandt Park and they thoroughly enjoyed
M Thu lake in Crotona will be open to-day.
wall he d.
until sundown and the Only peo psom VINO YIN,
grumoe % Se be eytrS WORK but they
a need OF praise. for they do 1t In inc kndest way
Element mnglcs with and jostles the crowd no; in
frequently with object OF robbery ,
skating for at least two three days; on the big
lake certainly not for week
DELAY IN GETTING STARTED.
After tho first frost that covered these lakes with
a thin film OF ice there came a thaw that melted
away the ice that had formed along the shores, and
following the thaw came gale or WIND from the
north This churned up the waters and prevented
them freezing over. but Harlem Mere and the
nond at Fifty-ninth-st. now wholly frozen over.
probably with three inches Of Ice increasing every
minute, and whe,. this Is from I'VE TO SIX inches
thick these places will be opened Tor skatlng; l.,
The Park Department has done every thing in
its power to make this skating season success
FOR people TO put on their skates In comfort are
already warm and comfortable. The big mouse ior or
Park will be in shape by tomorrow, ana TINS can
also be said for the house at Harlem Mere. Inc
lower hike AT Fifty-ninth-st. has the boathouse
that supplies all necessary wants
INCIDENTS OF THE DAY.
one accident occurred on the ice yesterday the
inevitable small boy wanted test the ice near the
cave on the big lake. and was having quite good
time Policeman John r. Kelly wished to inter-
fere and forgetting that he weighed nearly two
hundred pounds and the boy probably less than
tool
Kelly sprained his ankle and the boy escaped
Another incident which brought out the good
Samaritan principle came under the reporters no.
tice at the lower lake. Just two little girls and two
wee bits OF boys had all stored up their
skates for over ten months. and wanted to go
skating. They had walked up from some East SIDE
tenement house and were the saddest children on
earth when they found that the Central Park lakes
were still closed All their fun had vanished from
them A man came and gave them a dollar bill to
paw their expenses TO Van Cortlandt Park and tour
sunny faces, wrcathed In smiles. went somewhere
northward for a day OF skating, and with little
pocket money make it the more enjoyable