New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-19
SPORT ON THE LUGE."
n Development of Coasting in
Switzerland.

Caux, Switzerland, March 1.-The American
boy plays at ''coasting'' down hill on any kind
OF . sled, if only shingle. In Canada the sport
first reached the dignity and expense of ''tobog-
gaming" In Switzerland the whole business of
sliding down mountain side is called huge
ing" Everybody 'luges'; the Swiss farmer
plays that way and works that way, and when
there is a great deal of hauling TO be done, such
transporting the entire material for building
hotel on the top of the Schynige Platte, or
for funicuar railway up the Jungfrau. the
contract has the provision that all the hauling
shall be done in the winter Then the men
have only one way to pull They become great
experts. and a sleigh containing thousands Of
pounds Of weight be seen coming down the
celebrated 'Cret d'y BaU" run, at Caux, guided
by a single and travelling at the rate of
twenty miles hour. This run is nine kilo-
metres long, a little over five miles
To coast this on a modern "luge" is the most
CELEBRATING sport in the world and is full OF
strange excitement, not the least affecting Of
which is the splendor of the winter scenery and
the precipitous curves in dazzling stretches This
run has been accomplished at the rate Of 12O
kilometres an hour. There is another great run
at the famous health resort of Leysin, where
Juggling" is so important a feature Of the
cure" that it has developed a popular make of
sled called the T1eysin," which is in general use
all over Switzerland. AS a winter diversion for
tourists the Caux run is the most spectacular of
any in Europe. There is a great run at St
Moritz called the "Cresta' that is three-Quarters
OF mile long and is shot down in seventy
three seconds A very fashionable Juggling
place is Grindlewald
II must not be supposed by those who have
not visited Switzerland that this is all child's
play-it is in fact business so serious that the
participants are mainly grown persons. and
some Of them are old people who are willing to
forget the dignity of a bishopric or a lordship
for the occasion The young women become
singuIarIy expert at it and interesting to
gaze upon. At Caux the 'lugers" come back up
the mountain by the funicuar. but many Of
them climb UP two and three times day.
It is no wonder then that much attention has
been given the '1uge' itself, and there has been
as marked a development in its construction in
recent seasons as there has been in the auto
mobile. OF course. there are various types of
'1uges''; the mOuntaineers' sled the first
and is still existing as a popular form From
this was developed the dirigible, or "bob-sled'',
TO carry several persons And now from this
has come a bob" built Of steel, and from this
the Canadian toboggan is developed, called the
Skeleton a mere steel framework just ar
ranged for a man lying his stomach. who
can thus traverse great lumpy places that would
throw off a person in a sitting posture. The
latest development in hobs is the bob de
Leysin", which has steering gear on the yacht |
principle
There is no reason why Juggling should not
obtain great popularity in America 1t does not
need q Jungfrau-Or even a Caux.