Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-06-04
REGIMENT ON SKATES.
The Soldiers of Norway Have a De-
cided Advantage in Winter.

clQ6Q Advantage IN winter.
Philadelphia Times: Norway during
a considerable part of the year is COW
cred with snow, and her winters,
which in other countries are OF short
duration, extend TO five or six months;
and in the most northern parts to q
much longer period. During this time
it is impossible to leave the beaten
roads, for the purpose, at least, of
travelling; and when fresh snow hap
pens to fall, even the communication
by means of them is stopped till The
sledging is able to be continued by
means of a machine, which, being
dragged by horses along the road, re-
stores the former track by clearing
away the snow i'll part and fattening
and leveling the remainder.
The thinness, however, of the pOpu-
lation, widely scattered over such an
immense extent of country, renders it
in many places impossible to keep the
roads open by these means. 1t was
natural, then, that the Norwegian
should devise some mode by which 10
leave his hut, generally removed rom
roads, and traverse the forests in var
ious directions with sufficient celebrity
to follow the chase, his favorite occupa-
ton.
For this purpose he devised tho
skies or snow-skates, which consist Of
two thin, narrow pieces of fur of I'M
equal lengths, the foremost part being
pointed and turned upward.
The longest, which measures about
feet, is used on the left foot; and the
other, which is about two feet shorter
on the right. The latter is called
aander, from the right foot used more
than the left, particularly in turning
Both skates are about three inches in
width and an inch in thickness in the
center, where the foot is placed, which
is firmly bound to the skie by loops at
the side, made of willow or fibers or fir
roots, to which are fastened leathern
thongs. The skies are smeared with
tar and pitch, and the under side is
followed in the center into groove to
prevent their slipping laterally and to
enable the skielober, or skater, to keep
a straight course.
Notwithstanding the obstacles which
the nature of the country, particularly
during winter, would seem to throw in
the way of an invading enemy, Nor
way has often been attacked during the
season, and as the use of the skies has
been known to the natives from the
earliest times, it was natural to think
OF forming a military corps of skaters
and furnishing rifemen with the skie.
in the use of which the mountain GERS
display such astonishing ease and
celebrity. During the former wars with
Sweden, all the Norwegian light troops
have occasionally made use of skies
A certain portion, however, of them
were more particularly trained to the
use Of these kind CT skates, under the
denomination of the skielober, signify
ing literally skate-runnerS.
Previous to the union between Nor
way and Sweden there existed in Nor
way two regiments of skaters-one in
the district of Devontheim and the
other in that of Aggerhuus. The above
event, however, having caused a con
siderable reduction of the Norwegian
army, the number of skating soldiers
was also reduced The uniform of the
regiment was green like that of the
other rifle corps, though the men, upon
ordinary occasions, also wore an under
dress jacket of a coarser kind of cloth,
the color of which was gray, and they
were likewise provided with a peculiar
kind of CATERS, in order to protect
their feet the more effectualIy from
the snow.
The arms of the skieiober were a
rife, to which WAS attached a broad
leathern strap, passing over the shoul-
der, and a short sword. He carried
with him besides a staff (skietoken)
seven feet in length and more than one
inch in diameter. This, which was
held in the right hand, was armed at
one end with an iron spike, and above
ii was placed a circular piece of WOOD
The use of the former was to penatraU.
the frozen snow and of the latter TO
prevent the staff sinking in, giving
thus firm support to the bearer.
The skiestok, or skiestav, as it was
called, was likewise, as has been before
observed, of considerable use to the
skielober in enabling him to moderate
his speed, make certain wheels and
preserve the necessary balance during
the descent of steep declivities. The
skielober to the skate exercise united
that of the ordinary chasseurs, or light
troops, of which it constituted part
and it performed all the duties, differ
ing from them only by marching on
skates, which gave it a very great su-
periority. The skielobere moved with
singular agility, and from the depth of
snow were safe from every pursuit of
cavalry or infantry
On the other hand, they could attack
the enemy's columns on march, and
harass them necessarily on both sides
of the road without mourning any dan
duced little effect directed against
them, dispersed as they we're at the
distance of 200 or 800 PAGES, and their
movements were so rapid that at the
very instant you would expect to see
them a second time they had already
disappeared, to appear again in a quar-
ter where you were not in the least
aware of them. The real superiority
of the skating soldiers, however, was
chiefly shown when the enemy halted
a or q -at