The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-07
A C0TILL0N ON SKATES.
SUBSTANCE THAT LOOKS AND
FEELS LIKE ICE.

Can BE Placed on Floors in Solid
BlOcks-Run in Liquid Form UDon
Water 1t Hardens and Becomes n
Lake of Fine smooth Ice-Can Be
Used Summer or Winter on Lake
or Lawn.
New York, Feb. 5.-The Bible intimates
that there will be skating in summer ard
sunstroke in winter, and that all things
will come to pass in the turmoil and pro-
gress of the latter end Of this century.
A step toward the skating in summer
has been made by the inventor-manufac-
turer Willard of Paris This inventive
genius has been seriously considering for
some years the fact that skating tourna-
ments are the most uncertain things in
the sporting world. No reliance can be
placed upon ice. To-day it is firm; to-
morrow it is water; and the next day.
when the tournament date has passed. it
is ice again--though nobody wants it!
In the present season the Paris tourna-
ment, which it was hoped could be held
upon the Seine. was declared off. likewise
each and every other ice event booked
for other sheets of ice. In this country
the indoor skating Kinks alone have been
reliable, and these only where artificial
aid was used to keep them hard.
Aside from the uncertainties of the ice
in cold weather. there are a great many
ATTITUDES that never have weather cold
enough for skating. The sport is favo-
rite one with them, because so rare but
only trip to Montreal during the ice
carnival brings skating within reach.
To obviate all this, Willard has this sea
son completed a substance which makes
skating easy not only in winter but in
summer. 1t is hard upon the surface.
CLASSY and smooth in texture, will float
like cork. and resists the heaviest blow.
1t neither fakes nor breaks at the strokes
of the skates, and indeed is almost like
rubber in this resistance, and so, in some
respects, is the superior of ice.
The composition is a mixture of ozo-
kerite, stearine and paraffine. The pro-
portions are kept secret, and also the
manner of mixing. II Is understood that
the parafiine is melted and the ozokerite
stirred In, when IL is allowed to cool slight
" before the stearine IS added. The COM
pounding Is kept a secret with the makers.
The advantage OF the composition Is
that 1t can be used upon either hard or
a soft surface. For use in cold weather
Il Is allowed 20 harden. II Is then cut in
to blocks and laid upon the ice. The
blocks are melted together into one sheet
by having liquid wax poured between
them. Finally there Is one smooth, broad,
hawless surface presented.
The beauty of this block arrangement Is
that the wax preserves the ice from the
sun and keeps It hard. Ice can scarcely
melt except In case OF q persistent thaw
Even should II do 50. the wax blocks float
and there Is no danger from the water he
meath. slight sinking Of the surface
along the edge OF the lake is the only in
dication OF the melting OF the ice beneath.
Another way Of using the composition
Is by pouring II upon water. It quickly
spreads out and Is hard Immediately BY
smoothing OF the upper surface there is
at once large, smooth lake for skating
one OF the yankee geniuses Of tho east
has equipped himself with wagon. pail and
dpper aud Is making a call upon the
country houses along the Hudson Offering
10 make a skating rink at any desired
spot IN the grounds. The wagon Is filled