Merry-Go-Round Whirl on Ice
A German device for the amusement of children is a whirl on an ice merry-go-round. It is made by placing a vertical shaft or stake, provided with a couple of old cart-wheels, in a hole in the ice. One wheel acts as a turning base and prevents the shaft from sinking into the pond, and the other forms a support for the long sweep attached for propulsion purposes, and should be fastened to the shaft about 3 ft. above the base wheel. The sleds are made fast in a string to the long end of the sweep, which when turned rapidly causes the sleds to slide over the ice in a circle at a high speed.
If the sweep is long enough to have each end from the shaft the same length, two strings of sleds may be attached, which will balance the device and make the turning much easier.
The Running Sleigh
Running Sleigh
Another winter sport, very popular in Sweden, and which has already reached America, is the "running sleigh," shown in the illustration. A light sleigh is equipped with long double runners and is propelled by foot power. The person using the sleigh stands with one foot upon a rest attached to one of the braces connecting the runners and propels the sleigh by pushing backward with the other foot. To steady the body an upright support is attached to the runners. The contrivance can be used upon hard frozen ground, thin ice and snow-covered surfaces, and under favorable conditions moves with remarkable speed. The "running sleigh" has a decided advantage over skis, because the two foot supports are braced so that they cannot come apart. Any boy can make the sleigh.