New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-23
COMMENT
The Genius of Coney Island as
Observed at Luna.

OUOOl WV az ItillCs
It's not only the sailor coming IN from
the black sea at night who gets a wonder
full view of the luminous magic city that
spreads its imitation streets along the
sands at Coney. For sailing in over the
waving meadows from the north on
trolley car there's a foreground as plain
as the sea and night sky as dark be-
hind So that the city Of lights stands
up silent and sparkling and Turing. no
matter from where you see it. And all
the evening long the pilgrims come pour
ing in.
Rather more international than Ostend
or Trouville, Coney attracts not only the
fashionable Of all nations and the raoble
Of It's own locality, as those resorts do,
but the fashionable and the rabble from
every corner Of the earth. For Coney is
racy of the soil and every one is curious
about IT, People usually 20 down there to
watch, but they remain to play
SFho can resist it? The minute you drop
your ticket at the gate and pass into the
halo Of lights at Luna there's foolery IN
tina air It's not even the carnival foolery
which blows hot for a time and then is
past This sort that Coney knows belongs
to the sea city itself and TO the people who
have founded il on sand-yet II does not
perish Languid voices enlarged by mega
phones drift along before each side show
in monologues Of wild and uncanny sug-
gestion They rather dare than coax you
to pay dime, creep inside AMI face what
ever happens From other Enclosures
shrieks OF terrified JOY greet you as you
pass, and still other side shows are open
RS that YOU can see what will happen 10
you if you go in. The un1id might say al
Rrst that II takes heart Of oak TO brave
a night at Coney Yet mysterious smiles
are everywhere and the Coney-wise have
noted that these very tinlid ones. once they
have braved a single one of the thrilling
amusements provided TO joggle. jolt, jostle
and tumble you into sweet foreetfulness Of
all earthly cares and troubles are the most
rabid to go on and try all the rest.
Almost every one, after taking a pleas
antly confused and startled look around az
the many possibilities. drifts down to the
platform. which overlooks an entertain
ment called The Witching Waves" and
stands there gathering atmosphere" The
management ought to charge for standing
room on that platform, yet perhaps there
and watch. for no one watches long with
out prowling around to the entrance gate
and going in to experiment with hose
witching waves.
There is a sea made of iron which undu-
lates smoothly and unfortunately, and YOU
ride in a ship that sails over the iron waves
on wheels. You have steering apparatus
on your ship but il is not much use 10
Having stood on the platform long
enough 10 calculate the motion of the sea
and the action Of the ships and having de-
cided that you know exactly how 10 ride
the waves safely and swiftly from port TO
port, you clamor 10 pay your dime, you
charter a ship and, pushing out bravely
from harbor, you face the elements scorn-
fully The iron waves smile a welcome as
they pass beneath you Your ship rides
down one and up another with ecstatic
ease. and you feel that all you have to do
now is to hold your course straight and
you will reach yon distant harbor amid
cheers. But no
The first thing you know YOU are be-
Gained, and the waves passing with oily
smoothness beneath leave you rocking
helplessly in the doldrums. II IS then that
you long for privacy. But that Is denied.
You were a delighted spectator yourself
a few minutes ago and should not grudge
the jeers that float down 10 you from the
platform above. You rock your body and
chirp at your ship 10 20 on, and while
intent on this there comes an awful crash
about your ears, accompanied by yell OF
fendish laughter from the platform. An
other helpless hulk has collided with you.
and looking back over the tossing sea you
Spy pirate craft bearing down from the
TOP of tall wave near by The captain
has tilted cigar In his teeth and leer
on his face He calls TO you how 70 oper-
ate your craft as he sails by in triumph,
and you wish you carried guns along your
decks for a moment. An attendant walks
the waves and comes 70 your assistance
ravigates you 20 the top Of a comber and
then away you fly on its crest
In an iron sea- surrounded by ships full
Of shouting men and shrieking girls, YOU
rock and toss shoot down waves and crash
into other craft until a half hour later,
having accomplished as much as a twen-
tieth Of a mile Of the storm tossed element,
you draw ingloriously into port. DO you
creep away and bury your shame in the
coal mine across the way? No You stay
BY the Wltchng Waves and try them again.
The sense OF nonsense has YOU by now
and you don't care whoop how much JOY
you furnish to the side lines
when the experimenter has conquered the
waves or been conquered by them, he can
pass on to innumerable other things some
Of which take skill and others grit. He
can SIT In a shallop that hangs in the air
on the end Of a long wire cable and be
swung around in a gradually widening cir
Gle until II takes hardly any imagination
70 fancy himself in flying machine. In
this there is no use I'm calling for help,
because no one can hear little human
voice that's so far up in the air, and ones
hair can rise up TIL II all falls out and no
one Will know. Yet, why worry? It's per-
fectly safe. and some folks fairly revel In
this colossal wbirl.
In the Coal Nine you can pass beneath
the sands Of Coney in a boat see strange
mining scenes and get far more subter-
ranean feeling that you possibly can In the
subway. And there IL the only Chute tbs
Chutes left I'm greater New York. II you
SIT in one Of those craft YOU will be spilled
down a terrific slope and splashed into Il
lake al a speed that would make a comet
enyious Yet there is a still faster ride in
Coney. 1t is a toboggan which gives you
taste Of how It must feel 70 fall through