New-York tribune., 1910-09-25
4 FHIRF TH4T W4LkS
Sf7dcs O-er CnereR Ocean Bed an
StgrmieSt " Gather.

=
faminco. 1t ua5es out from the shore TO what
sopver point the brain on its deck directs. Not
only is it able 10 walk through the water, but,
Ike Sn65ad che Sailor. II carries a big weight
OF lis back. and. strange as il may seem, the
sea appear o. have no dominion over il. It's
method OF doing things is so obvious that one
wonders why lt was never thought OF before.
Through the courtesy Of the Engineering So
cieties Of this -i-v a working model was recently
exhibited by C. c. Norris. Of England, in
Room s23 in the Engineering Societies Building.
L showed how the stiff legged mechanism works.
The eight legs are II two groups OF four each.
Each quartet carries a separate rectangular
framework one Of which is square. and, being
smaller. is inside the other. When the machine
Is to walk forward the four posts, spuds OF legs
q the larger are raised individually. This
places al the burden on the second and smaller
.rside framework The big frame. resting on
-olers is then pulled forward by lines TO the
ful length Of l-s stride. Its legs are then low
ged and chose Of the inner framework are
-ised. This section is then carried forward
ready f1r me next step
Tie legs -f The walking wharf are sticks Of
Oregon pine. Us straight as nature can make
them. There are never fewer than SIX Of them,
expected 1r t-s wharf Each leg is independent
n its action because If this fact the wharf
laa walk over the most uneven places and plant
is feet az f .e--L regardless OF the contour Of
.1e bottom. The platform may be Of wood or
see. acc riding to the requirements Of the duty
which il is 10 perform This platform not only
EI carr the mechanism for lifting the legs
and pulling the platform along on them after
fra-
port sea Gredges. ezcavators. steam shOvels
s1bmar-re rock boring and blasting machinery.
r0ck breakers. diving bells. pile drivers cranes.
eonTey0-s. caissons, doIphins and almost any
thing else that engineer OF wrecker may want
f0r work Under the water OF in saving a wreck
These it w5l transport into the middle Of river
u har50- or through the surf 10 the side Of !
wrecked vessel
Win t-et arrnlE planted. II pays no attention
to what the wild waves beneath are saying. for
ne swlrling. foan-Iecked water flows between
ne widely separated legs as harmlessly as if
aey were So many isolated pipestems of rock
I the angry waves rise high. a. they have Z
--1lt or 1g-nE. according TO poets and writer's
Q, sea narratives. the platform can be raised
Igler 0n tie legs after the manner Of the man
n the Old Natural philosophy who attempted un-
rs oootstraHs The motive power for operat-
ing the legs and hauling forward or backward
lie different sets may be hand winches, COM
pressed air. hydraulic power, steam, electricity
G a gas motor
-Als rs no tancifuI dream. The walking wharf
44s done the things claimed for il. Il has been
'5S'ed n three places in Great Britain In 1903
"o'h vas begun for the Improvement Of the i'm
- -1i-t FISHING haryOr at Peterhead, north Of
A7ileen Scotland L was necessary 10 re
-O't about 10000 cubic yards Of granite at
-'DN- oi - feet below high water. The con-
-@c-oT tried 90 get at this rock in every known
"as' D-t t-e sea was rarely calm enough to
S-'--il ary boring from barges, and the position
- So exposed that any slight change il the
"--- u sea7arZ would quickly bring UP a
lay sea- So quickly. II fact, that there would
= no TINE tn remove any apparatus &c place
y safety Z was rarely calm enough for an
'---laiy barge 70 work, and the cost Of doing
= ~le work 8y divers was prohibitive.
ms situation led TO the invention Of the
%-'Hlhg wharf Before it walked into the water
-A7'lc-sn reigned. II did its work so effective
y however and was so novel that before II was
-oFec away the railroads coined into shillings
-'Hle Of the curiosity displayed by arranging ex-
-1i2lon parties 70 visit IL Five power drills
"7e mounted Oh the platform They were
+"Eeo with compressed air conducted from the
nee 10 b. I've feet apart, in rows separated by