BM 



SPORTS. 



Formerly the best skate nsed in America was I namely, try to pull yonrself ashore rising one hand 

 known a* the " Dutch rocker," but the wooden skate I for the rope and [Middling with the other. This in 

 lias passed away. About INTO a skate imported from not a very easy thing to do, and before you acconi]>li.-h 



Canada, called the " Acme," proved superior to any 

 manufactured in the United States. Now the 

 "Club" skate appears to be the favorite. It is 

 built upon a plate of iron or steel which fits closely 

 to the sole of the boot ; and the blade is niado of the 

 finest steel. It costs three or four times as much as 

 the original Dutch rocker. The latter always Imil a 

 groove running lengthwise of the blade ; and this re- 

 quired continual sharpening so that the skate might 

 take a better hold upon the ice. But with tin- 

 Acme skate smooth bottoms were introduced, and 

 grooved skates have not been manufactured since. 



From about 1875 to 18SO many rinks were built 

 in the United States for the purpose of roller-skat- 

 ing. This skating could be practised at all seasons 

 of the year, but its free exercise was fonnd to foster 

 immorality. The public then discountenanced it and 

 many of the States passed laws so regulating find re- 

 stricting the rinks that they have been closed. 



SwiMMixii. Of this valuable exercise records 

 are not frequent ; and they are of little worth, be- 

 cause the various conditions of tide and running 

 water are such as to make a fair record very dillicult. 

 Natatoriunn are now common in all the larger 

 cities. The former practice was to have the bottom 

 of the building open to the bottom of a stream. 

 But, latterly, it has been customary to build a floor 

 that can be raised at any angle l>y windlasses at the 

 four corners. This is considered ranch safer for the 

 bathers. The natatoriums now float instead of be- 

 ing built from the bottom of the stream. An ap- 

 proved form consists of two pontoons running longi- 

 tudinally, each 60 feet long and about 30 feet broad. 

 The pontoons are divided by bulkheads into air- 

 tight compartments which would prevent the bath- 

 house from sinking in case of an accident, The. 

 pontoons are connected at the ends by stout tim- 

 bers bolted and wedged with knees for braces. 

 Upon this double boat a foundation and structure 



it you will find vonrself paddling with both I/amis 

 and kicking with both feet that is to say, swimming. 

 As soon as you find that you can keep yourself li^ht 

 side up, and your eyes and nose above water, you 

 have learned the great secret, and KW i mining, with 

 the most approved and scientific stroke, will follow 

 according to your opportunities and ambition. 



These directions are based npon the well-estab- 

 lished fact that no one can be a confident R\M 

 who is disconcerted at finding himself unexpectedly 

 under water. Therefore the lirst tiling to be leiirned 

 is to catch the breath instinctively under any and 

 all circumstances the instant yon find yourself going 

 underwater. Strangulation occurs in conxe, i 

 of drawing water with the breath into the air pas- 

 sage*, and even partial strangulation is nn]>I> 

 The first thing, then, for the novice to learn is to 

 instinctively keep water out of the windpipe. This 

 ran best bo done by frequent voluntary din-kings. 



TENNIS, LAWX, is fully described in the EKCXCLO- 

 P.EDIA BRITANNIC \. 



TOBOGGANING is a sport which has been recently im- 

 ported into the United States from Canada. The ir- 

 markable spread of the sport in the Northern States is 

 worthy of a brief notice. About tlio \ear INT.") tlm 

 winter sports of the city of Montreal commenced to 

 at I met attention. These, including toboggan in g, wi-rn 

 mode an annual feature of its social life, .since that 

 time tobogganing slides have been erected ii. 

 toga, Troy, Albany, Burlington, St. Paul, and many 

 other cities of the North. 



A toboggan slide may be briefly described ns fol- 

 lows : A frame of heavy timbers is erected to a 

 height of from 50 to CO feet. From one side of this 

 frame, a very steep slide, paved with ice, is arranged 

 at an incline of about 45 degrees for perhaps 10 or 

 15 feet. The incline then changes so that it shall 

 gradually approach the ground and run parallel with 

 it. If the slide (as is usually the cose) has been iir- 



80 1 feet square is erected. There is but one entrance, ' ranged near a hill-side, the runway is considerably 

 and that is from the outside. Small compartments, longer. The object of the steep incline at first is to 

 for use by the individual bathers, open by doors give thoimpetns to the toboggan at the start, where it 

 into the inner court. The movable floor allows any is most" necessary. The toboggan differs from tho 



depth of water to be used, and also gives access for 

 occasional cleanings. 



For swimming the following directions are given. 

 First, learn to duck without minding it; hold your 

 breath and put your luad under water several times 

 whenever yon bathe. The ducking will become 

 less and less disagreeable, until th- disinclination to 



ordinary sled in being composed of flat boards 

 turned up at the front end. A toboggan will carry 

 from 2 to or 8 pel-sons. A modification of tobog- 

 ganing, known in some of tho Noithern cities as 

 hol.liing," is a cross between tobogganing and 

 coasting. The "bob" consists, primarily, of two 

 sleds joined by a long plank, upon which from 4 to 



go under water nearly or quite disappears. Some 40 people can ride. In Vermont, and other of tlm 

 acquire the necessary indifference to being under New England States, a modified bob is nsed railed a 



water almost at once. When it is acquired, select 



"traverse." This differs from the bob in that it has 



a place where the water is just deep enough for the braces along the sides npon which to place the feet, 

 bather to sit npon the bottom with head and shonl- j Bobbing is practised in Albany and some other 

 ders out. Then take a full brea'h, distending the Northern cities, 

 lu n-.ru, ami, placing the arms by the sides, lie down 

 on your back. If unsuccessful, partially expel the 



air from the lungs and try again. After having 



WALKING was first publicly made a competitive ex- 

 in the United States about the year 1808, \\hen 

 Edward P. Weston walked from New York toCliicago 



found oat by actual experiment how easy it is to lie on a wager. Tho ensuing notoriety induced other 



down on your back under water, go out to the full walkers to take strides across the continent. Soon 



i of your ropo and, holding your breath, pull afterward matches were arranged within buildings 



yourself in toward the shore, Intnd over hand, not upon tracks built specially for the purpose none of 



letting your feet touch bottom on any account until them exceeding a third of a mile in circuit. In 



your breath gives out or you run aground. When 1H82 Fitzgerald made 5N-J miles in 6 days; andnfier- 



yon can run yourself ashore with ease and certainty ward Ha/ael made over (MM) miles. These contests 



you will probably have discovered that, most of tho to ik place in the city of New York. In February, 



passage is made at or near the surface of the water, 1888, James Albert made 621 miles and 1320 yards 



and possibly you will have learned to keep your in 140 walking hours, with only 19 hours and 21 



Italanco and pull yourself ashore with your nose minutes of the six days for resting. This record 



bore water. When yon can do this yon can was broken in November, 1888, by Littlewood, w ho 



breathe through your nose during the passage, and made 023 miles ami 1320 yards within the six days. 



as soon as yon can breathe comfortably while haul- The second on the list made 605 miles in that time. 



ing yourself ashore yon are ready for the next step ; | (r. a. u.) 



