We still have machines like this in the trade nowadays, mainly for cover at important cricket and tennis matches. They are known as Waterhogs, either from the name of the company that makes them or simply a trade name.
The Waterhog is a machine designed along the lines of a tandem roller, only the rolls are covered with thick foam which soaks up the water. The foam is then squeezed by a roller and the water falls by gravity into a catchment tank. This tank is emptied by a 5hp Honda engine driving a water pump and can be set to continuously discharge through a hose if needed, otherwise you wait until the tank is full before discharging.
Interesting to see that there was pressure back in 1954 to de-water sports surfaces and that it isn’t just a modern thing driven by the TV companies.
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