CONSTRUCTION NOTES 377 



deal of time and it must not be hurried. People often forget that water put 

 on a bank or rink is much warmer than the ice formed by a previous flooding. 

 Rinks should not be flooded except in extremely cold weather, and after 

 a base has been thoroughly prepared. It is necessary to freeze the bank 

 thoroughly, especially at the base. This may be done by using a regular 

 garden hose without the nozzle spray, sprinkling the bank night after night 

 until the possibility of leakage is eliminated. The surface should be frozen 

 in the same manner as the bank; that is, by starting the sprinkling at the far 

 end and working toward the water supply. This process should be repeated 

 until the ice is from two to four inches thick. If the water then shows no 

 sign of leaking through the bank it may be added more rapidly. A satis- 

 factory method is to use a two-inch hose, applying the water at the far 

 end of the rink and drawing the hose toward base of supply as the water 

 approaches. A good hose to use is the mill hose, rubber inside and out, 

 with regular hose coupling. It is well to have the connection through a 

 building with a valve on the inside. If the rink is too large to flood in this 

 way a special line of pipe may be laid along the edge of the rink below freez- 

 ing line, with two or three flooding valves coming to the surface in boxes 

 about four feet square, the shut-off cock being in the ground. This should 

 be well protected from freezing by manure. 



The shelter house. Where the weather is very cold it will be necessary 

 to have a warming house. The knockdown type is very convenient and 

 can be removed at the e^d of the season. It should be large enough to accom- 

 modate the attendance, but not so large as to encourage loafing. A house 

 about twenty-four feet long and twenty feet wide makes a good size. A 

 round oak stove in the center, which will burn either hard or soft coal, 

 makes a satisfactory heating plant. The presence of a warming house makes 

 supervision necessary. The workers selected to help clean the rink should 

 be able to cafe for this supervision. 



Care of the rink. If the rink is constantly used, almost as much ice will 

 be shaved off during the day as was put on the preceding night. This ice 

 must be scraped off before the rink is used and the process should be repeated 

 several times during the day. The best scraper consists of sheet iron about 

 four feet long and three feet wide, and is made like a dust pan on runners, 

 the edge being about eighteen inches high at the back. It is not necessary 

 to sweep the rink, as the water will absorb what is left. Where there are 

 holes or cracks a little hot water may be poured into them. The sprinkling 

 of the rink should be done at the coldest time of the day. The final scraping 

 may be done at 10 p.m., after which the water is sprinkled on and left to 

 freeze all night. 



Lighting. A number of methods of lighting are used. Many people 



