Popular Science Monthly 



861 



and on, but it meets itself; for it is circular. 

 In the center of the circle a huge mast is 

 pivoted. Six poles reach horizontally out- 

 ward from the top, and at their tips cables 

 are attached, which terminate below in the 

 prows of six small boats. The mast re- 

 voKts, and the boat^ are drawn on a 

 monorail through the circular stream. To 

 all intents and jiurposes this giant to>" is 

 tile old merry-go-'round, well disguised 1)>' 

 mountain scenery, with something of the 

 scenic railway thrown in for good measure. 



Toboggantiiiig in Summer 

 Perhaps the hardihood of the people of 

 the ice countries inspired the genius who 

 concei\-ed the idea of the all-year-'round 

 toboggan, which is shown on page 862. The 

 Alpine slope is made of wood or structural 

 steel and in place of a smooth ice surface, 

 coco-matting is substituted. The bottom 

 of the toboggan is polished metal, and it 

 glides freely over the slippery- nap of the 

 coco-matting. Leaping the gap squeezes 

 this thrill to its tenuous limit. 



A Philadelphia inventor has found a wa\- 

 to inject a new thrill into the scenic railway- 

 (see lielow). Instead of continuing in a 



direct course up and down and around 

 dizzy curves, the Philadelphian proposes to 

 reverse the direction of the car at certain 

 shocking intervals. One moment you are 

 hurtling through space; the next, you are 

 suddenly spun about and fly on in the same 

 direction, but witli \otir Ijack to the 

 scenery. 



Onl}- circus performers should be permit- 

 ted to indulge in the neck-breaker shown 

 at the right of the illustration on page 863. 

 The thrill to the amusement seeker is de- 

 rived from watching. Two large concentric 

 rings of metal comprise the vehicle, which, 

 following circus precedent, ought to be 

 christened "The Ring of Death." The 

 smaller ring revolves easily within the 

 larger one because of small oiled wheels 

 between the two. A saddle and handle 

 are bolted to a brace on the inner ring. 

 When the outer ring revolves, the man on 

 the saddle is stationary-. The rider in the 

 hoop of death rolls down a protruding in- 

 cline built from the top of a tower and 

 drops through the air — leaps the gap, that 

 is to say — and if the ring has not toppled in 

 its flight, strikes the incline and coasts to 

 safct\" while the spectators sigh in relief. 



The most popular of all amusement-park devices is the scenic railway. The sp>ecial thrill produced 

 by the one shown above in the center occurs at the switches placed at intervals along the course, 

 to whirl the car around suddenly. The device on the right is a hollow steel ball in which the 

 occupant is hermetically sealed to whirl down an incline and over a spiral track. On the track on 

 the left you may loop-the-loop on roller skates which cannot be pulled out of their grooves 



