New-York tribune., 1905-02-12
1RDSLEY TOBOGG4NING.
e.,ift Rush DO1cn the Slide Greatly
Enjoyed by Club Members.

1-Tse distant thunder frequently rise above
:. Trele Of the sleighbells
-sT.at,s that" is the startled query of the
= hearing il for the first time, and the
f.,,or IS hardly asked before its answer comes
- shane of a toboggan loaded with party
,-,s-rvnlalers whizzing out of the mouth Of
nile q. ute and scooting off across the level
=. ,obarean slide at Ardsley is the chief
.-r,-a of club life there this winter. 1t is lib
uv patronizcd by the club members and
= friends especially on fair Saturday and
80, afternoons Starting from the highest
---stion among the hills at the rear of the
g.sbouse. the slide stretches away toward the
g-5son River, crossing deep ravines on trestles
- climbing the crowns Of lesser hills in a
-.,sssion OF bumps sufficient to give the sliders
..as.e Of al phases of the sport
-ra side Is counted one Of the fastest in the
ysta II is called q half mile slide, but the
.-e1 measured distance from start to finish
IS il 10 be four hundred feet over the half
= In order that the tracks may be fast use
made OF every device known to devotees of the
-r- 10 keep the slide frozen solid. Along the
r--r SIDE z high wooden fence or shield has
~ erected in such q manner as TO throw
.,iou over tie track its entire length. This
-Aild is placeE far enough back from the chute
!, render il impossible for any Of the tobog-
,,rsrs 10 be injured by contact with it Though
,4A "sreed" Of the slide varies with the tenn
,s-arrre and condition OF the weather il has a
-asord Of fourteen seconds for the entire dis
-snce. This was made on an exceptionally cold
sav when the track was at its best. The entire
distance Of three thousand feet has frequently
been made il sixteen and seventeen seconds. and
fifteen seconds IS said 10 be a fair average speed
for The half mile Those who have taken the
slide and have seen the tobogganers go down the
rhute can well believe the claim that at least the
f-st steep drop Of about one hundred yards is
e1vered at the rate of a hundred and twenty
niles al hour Standing at the bottom of the
chute one has barely time to mentally record
he push of at the top Of the trestle work
there is q rush OF air, q fash OF color and the
t0boggan with its freight, is well toward the
further end Of the chute The old time saying,
Quicker than one could say Jack Robinson ."
SENS 10 describe II pretty well.
One tresLe crossed is about forty-fve feet
Egh and takes the slide over a guIley about
sEerty-fve feet wide.
he t0b0Eganers say they can find no words
describe the sensation experienced during the
* part u the slide
II remember" said one young woman as
e wiped the tears from her eyes at the finish
The slide, was hearing them say. Hold
-g1t and All ready I shut my eyes and
g-9pe5 hard Look there" and she showed nail
;-i1-s IN the palms of her hands. Next felt
,he t0b0ggaL move a little. Then we began TO
crop, down. down; II seemed as II we never
would step. 7 tried 10 scream, but my heart
jumped Up in my throat and I could not utter
s3uld When 1 opened my eyes the trees
were EhZZing past rs up the hill and the next
instant re cane TO Z stop cut here in the snow.
B1t it was jolly good fun Come on, I'm going
70 t-y il again"
Indeed the women seem 10 get as much sport
I'll Of The slide as the men. They are well rep
resented among its patrons and despite their
i-ea1s and laughing protests that they never
II 90 down that thing" they go down it re-
F2tedly once they have tried it
nus far there has been no accident on the
E-sley slide, save z few spills, due to poor
E==r-ng when the toboggans leave the chute
Il ne open corps Of experienced attend
rs always At hand, and every. precaution is
Its1 to guard against accident.
ne only disagreeable feature Of the sport
he journey back 70 the top Of the slide.
l We could only slide back as quickly as we
-'s down" commented one young woman.
'oulont il be SPORTY"
Usually there Is a horse and fat bot+orned
I=gh II waiting 10 take the coasters back to q
a1t near the summit from which the start Of
= Side is made But even so il is a congidera-
= Walk from where The toboggan stops back
1e end Of the chute where the sleigh is wait