Pittsburgh Post/1914/Icy-Looking Mystery Of Ice Skating

Naess's Real Ice Made By Very Secret Process. It isn't much of a mystery to Alfred Naess and it represents only about 12 years of work. And to the patent offices of all the countries of Europe and America it isn't much of a mystery. But to theatergoers, press agents, reporters and actors it's a baffling secret, guarded by all the Norwegian shrewdness in Naess' makeup. Speaking, of course, of the skating act on Alvin stage, and the evolutions of Alfred Naess and his wife on their skates. It isn't ice. It isn't a paraffin preparation - fire laws prevent that. And it isn't anything frozen-that would melt too easily and the chorus girls couldn't sit on it. But as Naess whirls about on his skates it flakes and chips like ice. It's made up fresh every week, renewed every day and is spread an eighth of an inch thick On boards. It has soda and ammonia in it, doesn't cost much and is almost as good for skating as ice. Naess will admit that to you in his broken English. It requires a little difference in balancing, that's all. On real ice one leans forward, but this artificial substitute is heavier and has a tendency to throw the skater forward. Therefore one must balance oneself backward. Steam pipes will ruin it utterly. With steam or heat around it just melts and runs away like water. Even the press agent denies knowledge of the entire preparation. George of England, before whom Naess performed last spring, does not know.