WALKING ON WATER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2924, 9 November 1916, Page 7

WALKING ON WATER

THE "HYDRO-SKI." Walking on water by means of water shoes or skis is not a now sport, but its pcriodio reappoaranco in one form or another is always attended -with interest. This time the sport is s\iggestcd by aii Italian engineer, who has evolved, an ingenious form of shoe to which he gires the namo "hydro ski." The new water shoos or skis oonsist of two pontoons, one for each foot of the wearer, just as with the ordinary water shoes. But the method of propulsion is decidedly uniquo and immeasurably more efficient than that of the majority of forms introduced in the past. It has been tho general practice to rise ordinary pontoons, which aro manipulated in much tho same manner as skis or snow shoes; that is to say, first one foot and then the other is slightly raised and moved forward, resulting in a forward motion of the wearor. However, it is not so oasy to secure a hold on tho surface of a body of water as it is to secure a hold on snow, and hence this method when applied to water walking has been attended by laborious and alow progress | unloss the walker was unusually robust and skilful. In order to overcome tho difficulties of water walking heretofore experienced, tho present shoes aro provided with two sets of cross arms to which paddles are fitted at thoir extremities. One arm is held to ono pontoon by means of a small shaft, while tho other arm is held to the other pontoon in the same manner. The shafts aro not in alignment, so by an upward and forward manipulation of each pontoon in turn the paddle wheel not only serves to give the necessary hold on the water, but also rotates with sufficient power to propol the pontoons and their load forward at a fair rate of speed without undue exertion on the part of the water walker. Steering and difficult manoeuvring is facilitated by the use of a double-blade paddle.' The Italian inventor, not content with introducing his improved shoes in the field of outdoor sports, lias made a number of experiments with a view to their adaptability in military operations. At the present time the outcome of iheso experiments is not known.