The Washington herald., 1909-03-07

Davos has a population OF $500 Of which
5000 are visitors in search Of health and
pleasure. and sports ara indulged in with
great zest. The most popular are skating.
tobOggauing. hockey, curling. and ski
ing. Skating takes first rank There was
a small skating rink as early as lS1o. and
the sports has always been INDUCED in on
Davos' Lake. The present rink. which is
the largest in Europe. IS public property.
Il has an area OF 31.O00 square yards. on
the north end is a pavilion. with a res
taUrant cloak rooms. and veranda for
spectat tors. International skating compe-
titions are held every winter. and four Of
the worlds i've records were made here.
The English Skating Club has a rink Of
its own. where style Is maintained on
scientific level Admission is gained by
the ability 10 execute certain fancy figures
on the ice. The clubs principal trophy is
the challenge bowl, which is skated for
annually in January. There is also
branch Of the London Figure Skating
Club. founded in 1904
slides Two Miles Long.
It is the nonskater that turns 10 tobog-
gaming for amusement. and the English
colony has shown special preference for
this fun. Before the arrival OF English
visitors none Of the European residents
ever thought of IT, The first toboggan-
( ing race ever held in Switzerland took
place in Davos in 1881. International. to-
boggan, and bobsleigh races are held on
the KlOsters course. which was laid out
between Laret and Klosters IN 1888. and
managed by the Davos TOboggan Club
These races. especially since the intro
duction OF the bobsleigh. have fascinated
/ the whole visiting community But the
most popular course is the new Schatzalp
/ Run. which Is perhaps the finest tobOg-
/ gan and bobsleigh snOw-run IN the world.
/ The regular annual races are held under
! the auspices of the Schatzalp Toboggan-
/ ing Club. Here the start begins al the
/ top of the SchatZalp Electric Railway.
/ l,00o feet above DavOs. The length Of the
! course is about two miles. and is made
/ IN the shape of the letter L through the
/ forest heights above the town. The finish
/ is midway between Davos-Piatz and Da-
vos-Dorf, on a level with the lower sta
/ tion of the little mountain railway. The
! elbow curves are protected by huge banks
4 Of snow. up which the tOboggans fly when
negotiating the curves. A good deal Of
/ skin is required 10 keep the toboggans
/ from flying over the crust Of these banks
y eNAAN - e.NsA4At6 AlltO Al4t ADAEH SEt OlAl
| Davos has a third tobOggan course. on
| the old 'Schatzalp road which is about
/ the SAME length as the new one On this
| road Dobsieighs are not allowed. but il
IS largely used by tObogganers on account
/ OF its starting like the new run. from
/ the top OF the electric railway. The
/ physical effects Of tobOganning, as with
/ other sports in the high attitudes, are
! 20 Increase the rate of breathing cause
! more oxygen to be taken in, and more
1 carbonic acid 10 be breathed out. Ply
| sicians. again. say that the average In
dividual Is able on the mountains tC
| convert 20 TO so per cent Of the total
amount Of his energy into mechanical per
/ formance, whereas the lowlander turns
into mechanical work only Is per cent
Of the energy derived from food.
Ice hockey is known locally as handy
] IS under the patronage Of the Interna-