Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-08-22


of riding thrillers there is the usual
horizontal track above the wheels OF
the vehicle to prevent it from leaving
the scheduled pathway. Persons pos
sessing weak hearts are forbidden the
thrills and few accept the chance to
test that organ when in bad condition
There are also straps, chains, guards,
ETC., to hold the patron in the car and
if he or she falls out it is little short
of a miracle and only once or twice
a season are accidents reported, so
carefully do the amusement managers
guard the lives of those who provide
method of bread-winning.
Perhaps the scenic railway is known
more generally to those who would
line their interiors with momentary
thrills. This ride consists of series
of cars strung together. There are
brakes between each car and the
levers are manned by strong-armed
boys from the railway yards. To them
there are no thrills. It's monotonous
as driving the cows home from pasture
for them Even catching pair spoon
ing while the train is running through
the blackneSs of a mimic Canadian
forest, can't make them feel weary. 1t
happens on every trip.
The average scenic railway runs up
a 45-degree incline or rather is hauled
up by chain and you are ready for
the first dip. The brakemen release
their levers and down the cars go
faster than the New York-Chicago IS
hour limited If the uninitiated puts
his head between his knees he is apt
to kick himself in the face on the
journey up the hill which follows
every dip. Therefore if you haven't
yet been bounced around in this man
ner, hang to the iron guard, stick your
hat under your arm, grit your teeth
and make up your mind not to care if
your hair does get mussed-
After the train has completed the
first series of dips there is usually
journey through a dark recess, tragi-
cally known as the cavern, this
being installed to give the spooners a
chance to gloat over their nerve. The
rest in a repetition, generally
Next in line as death defying con-
triyance is the coaster. There are
fewer cars and not so many seats in
each vehicle. Then, too, the coaster
needs no hauling up second incline,
for there is only one. the difference be-
ing noticeable in the length of the de-
scents In some parks in both east
and west there has been a tendency of
late to turn the coaster into a semi
loop-the-loop, that is to say, the cars
drop of the top of the runway onto de-
scent at an angle of about 40 degrees,
dropping about 80 feet, and then start
up the ascent at an angle which is not
quite so abrupt. Some coasters have
only one of these terrifying dips, while
others have about 20-it seems to the
first-nishter. Well, one isn't SO bad,
but about the third jump you begin to
calculate that the seat must have
Skinned out the bottom OF the car
you're so high in the air most of the
time.
Passing on to another part of the
resort you strike the dgure-eight-
Every hamlet has its figure-eights
these DAYS. That continuance is fash
toned like an So and much resembles
the coaster, except that the cars follow
the lines of the figure, the dips are
smaller and you naturally don't get
so fused up. It's tanner in fact, and
for that reason graduation from the
fieure-eight entities you to prestige,
which should carry you fearlessly over
the jumps which the coaster takes and
allow you to blandly hand the second