Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-18
THE SKATING CARNIVAL,
An Interesting Feature of Winter
Life I'm Holland.

IN Feature winter
Life I'm Holland.
George Wharton Edwards in Harpcr's Weekly.
In. Holland a winter seldom passes with
out good skating, which being not only a
pastime with the Dutch, but a serious and
ordinary mode of travel, the ice on the
canals and ''grachts' is kept in good con-
dition, and it is common to- see a small
army Of sweeping peasants putting the ice
in order for the day. There is a skating
club in every town in Holland, and all these
clubs belong to the Dutch Skating Associa-
ton. The largest clubs are probably the
Amsterdam and Rotterdam Ice Clubs, and
in the season many excursions are made by
these associations to the surrounding towns
-for example, from Amsterdam to Leyden
via Vogelenzang and Haarlem; from Am
Steruam to Monnikendam, Edam, Hoorn,
E,nkhuyzen, Alkmaar, and even across the
Zuyder Zee, when it will bear to Marker,
and even Crk. The way the whole country
is moated by canals, with huge windmills
overlooking the ice like levathan imple-
ments Of ordnance, is calculated to appeal
to the lover of the picturesque. Then there
are the graceful light sleighs, propelled by
skillful skaterSand containing red-cheeked,
brlght-eyed peasant girls in immense lace
caps and dangling temple ornaments, flying
over the ice at great speed. On the Mas.
rev miles east of Rotterdam, lies a ia
nous skating resort known as Siikkerveer.
ana brought into notoriety in recent years
by the international skating contests which
are held there. Any one fond of that most
exhllarating form of exercise can hardly
find more interesting experience than is to
be had during winter trip to Holland. In
the season the boat leaves the Rhine sta
ton pier for sail up the Mas. The
steamer ploughs her way through the float
ing ice, and at length leaves you at a high
pier on huge dixie which separates the
river from the low-iying country. A short
walk brings you to a large inclosed ex-
panse of ice, obtained by artificially flood
ing a large area. Here a huge horseshoe
course is marked out for the racers. And
on either side of this stretches the free por-
ton, for the onlookers and those who wish
to practise the eXhilarating art. Fashion
is beginning to drive out the picturesque
costumes OF the peasants, who are becom-
ing ashamed of their distinctive dress. So
year by year there is to be seen less and
less of the lovely, quaint and sometimes
bizarre headdresses, and the queer coats
and breeches of the men and boys.
There is little fancy skating to be SEEN
The great length of the runners of the
Dutch skates, and the way in which they
turn back in huge curves over the toe, are
etectual checks upon all tigure-skating in
Volying sudden or short turns. An attempt
to do the outside edge backward would in
wife disaster. The Dutchman can go quick
err over long stretches upon his skates than
Tie EnglShman, because of his extra long
runners. 1t is charming sight to see the
long string of skaters sailing along with
swing that reminds one of the flight and
dip of the swallows. Sometimes, too they
use sort of sail, with which, by clever
handling, they can make hea1way close up
In the wind. The most usual figure seen is
what is styled the Dutch rcIl, in which
long lines OF skaters throw themselves off
upon the right and left foot alternately, in
curves OF twenty-five to thirty feet, at an in
credible speed. There is much shouting and
boisterousness, and some of the byplay is
rot in the best taste, but the whole the
scene is most interesting and entirely
unique.