382 



PARKS 



the sides is three feet, four inches. Sometimes knockdown sled slides are 

 set up on the playground in the winter (see Plates 174 and 177). 



In Oak Park, Illinois, a double slide has been constructed, with one 

 trough for toboggans and the other for sleds. The top of the auditorium 

 bleachers, twenty-eight feet high, was used as the starting point of the 



slide, and the bot- 

 tom rested on the 

 ground at a point 

 one hundred and 

 fifty feet away, 

 although the chute 



extende , d f ng the 



ground tor an 

 additional one 

 hundred feet. The 

 uprights used in 

 the construction 

 were four by four 

 inches, and the 

 tot a 1 cost was 

 $750. The slide is 



PLATE No. 174. ILLUSTRATING A TYPE OF KNOCKDOWN SLED SLIDE 



Used for winter play on the public playgrounds conducted by the Extension 

 Department of the Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. See page 384. 



summer. Plate 175 illustrates a similar adaptation of a grand stand in 

 Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 



In many cities it is possible to build toboggan slides using a natural 

 slope, but frequently slides supported by framework have been constructed, 

 which have a steep grade, making possible a terrific speed on the part of 

 the toboggan. The following are several factors to be considered in toboggan 

 slide construction: 



(l) Make the trough of proper width; if too wide the toboggan may 

 lurch from side to side and possibly jump the track. Twenty inches at bot- 

 tom of trough is ample. (2) Make the outrun level, thereby preventing the 

 toboggan from upsetting. It is a good plan to build banks of snow the 

 same width as the trough or continue the sides of the chute on the outrun. 

 (3) Use good wood in the construction of the toboggan, thus avoiding danger 

 of slivers. (4) Make sides of trough high enough so that the toboggan will 

 not jump the track. (5) Have trestle work strong and solid, thereby avoid- 

 ing vibration. (6) Have crossbars near enough together to avoid vibration 

 and strain on the bottom boards. (7) All woodwork in the slide should be 

 painted each year with creosote, which preserves the wood and serves as a 

 disinfectant. (8) Build entire slide straight. Curves in a toboggan slide 



