New-York tribune., 1905-01-15
SOLDIERS USE SKEES
Efficiency of Norwegian Troops In
creased Thereby IN Winter.

1t would seem that both the Japanese and
the Russians might profit by the experience of
the Norwegians and introduce the skee into their
Manchurian maneuvres. BY doing they
would enable their soldiers to move nearly three
times quickly the snow; for the skee
practically transforms the foot to which it is
fastened into a sleigh with narrow, 1.-the nine
foot wooden runner, tipped with a sort of to-
boFgan Prov.
Norway is the home of the skee and it is
here that it's practical use has been best recog-
nized. Not only does the Scandinavian appre-
ciate the foot sled" in the way the Canadian
does, for the sport it furnishes in the hunt or
the cOaSting carnivals, but he has come to real
ize that it is a most important aid in winter
time to the soldier. He will even tell you that
If Napoleon's army had been equipped with
skees in its invasion of Russia the French
would have triumphed over the Slav and there
would have been no such thing the disas-
Irous retreat from Moscow.
England has become deeply interested in the
military value of the skee. and is considering
Its introduction irtO some of the Indian regi-
ments. According to such British experts as
Captain F. ]. Jackson of the Jackson Harms
worth expedition, ard Edgar Seyers. many of
the difficulties experienced by Colonel Young
husband and his men in the recent expedition
into Tibet would have been avoided had the
troops been equipped with skees.
The Scandinavian infantryman is taught 20
maneuvre on skees the same he is instructed
in the of the rifle. AS soon as winter has
covered the earth with snow he is drilled in a
regular series of exercises. and is expected to
march" and "cOuntermarch' to face about
and mark time skees, just as he would
without them. Such practices are continued un-
til the soldier feels perfectly at home on his
ninc-coot soes
To the beginner skees are not only cumber-
some but painful as We'll Should he strap them
IN an ordinary pair of shoes his legs would feel
weighted down like those of a diver and the
muscles Of his ankles would soon begin to ache
as if they had gone through the setting up
stunt of a military academy. But as soon as
the amateur learns how the veteran sleeman
equips himself he sees his mistake The veteran
does not wear shoes but goat hair socks and he
festens his feet to the four-inch strips of wood
by means Of straps fastened into the top of the
runner
Members of the Norwegian skee lsgiments
contrast strongly with Russian sodierN They
DO not the high boots, long coats and heavy
knapsacks of the Muscovites. No matter how
far be.Ow may be the thermometer, they
wear no Overcoats. The Norwegian slzeenan is
dressed in a grayish green uniform. which fits
him tightly and is only heavy enough to keep
him warm. Because Of the color of his clothes
be ray almost escape detection amid a clump of
pines such as are almost everywhere to be found
on the Scandinavian peninsula. Besides his rifle
his sole burden is a thirty-six pound bag loaded
with provisions. a sleeping bag, an Iceland
sweater change of underwear and a pair of
boots
When the march skee infantry can travel
eight miles an hour, going at a speed about
hot Of
the trOt. When necessary such body of troops
ccn cover seventy miles in a day. or nearly as
great a distance amateur bicyclists in the
same length of time