The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-01-18
Mammoth Ice Operations.

In these icy times an item relative to the
manner of gathering ice East may prove in
t,resting to our readers The Knickerbocker Ice
Company, in New York. have capital of
100000 and their dividend last year was II
per cent They obtain their ice from Rock
land and Highland Lakes. We learn from the
Journal of Commerce, that Rockland Lake
contains an area of about 500 acres; and it
Yields an annual harvest Of about 10000 tons
of ice At Highland Lake, 10000 tons are
annually secured; at Athens on the Hudson,
Is, 5000; at Rhinebeck, $4,000; at Kingston
Creek, 10000; at Catskill, 1900; at New
burg, 1000; at Poughkeepsie 5000; at Troy,
10000; and at Albany, 10000 All the prin-
cipal towns on the Hudson lay up large quar-
titles for home consumption; and the numer-
Gus inland lakes of central and western New
York afford pie ltiful supply for the same pur-
pose, while the surplus finds ready market
in New York City.
] The Knickerbocker Ice Company have a
number of spacious ice-houses On the shores OF
their lakes, which contain upwards of 10000
tons of ice at time. These have been at an
Expense of $50 900 each including machinery
+ They have about l 600 men employed at Rock.
LIND Lake, when in full operation, to whom
they pay from 81 to 81 25 per day. Tive
sets of hands are required during the time o
harvesting the ice; one force for the day, ant
one for the night The second force are oblig
. ed to commence work at 2 o'clock in th'
morning, preparing the ice-felds for the day
laborers These night hands receive extr'
wages Three steam engines, and large mum
Der of horses are employed at the Lake
D through the winter.
T. The Journal gives the following account Q
: . thc ice harvest:
o The mode of harvesting and storing the ic
o is both interesting and ingenious, 4 larg
!. portion of the crop is secured during the month
of December and January. 1t needs to b
frozen ten or fifteen inches thick, to cut well
y but some times it is allowed to freeze twent,
e inches deep according as it is to be used a
: home or exported. When it is frozen to tn
: requisite thickness, the workmen go upon tn
pond or lake and first clear the glacial surfac
i of the snow and snoO-ce that is usually fount
o upon it. This is done with the "scrapers,
,r which are drawn by horses one morse
: being attached to each machine. The ice i
next marked off into squares Of four or fly
IS feet each, by sharp hand glough, or marker.
y as it is called drawn by one horse. Tn
,, same process is carried on at right angles, s
:, that the entire area is divided into squares.-
" Another machine, called the ''cutter," is the
drawn over the surface of the ice, cutting
ot partially through. The next process is to de
E. tach these square blocks and set them hoatin;
r. This is accomplished by means of hand-saw.
Ice spades and hooks are then brought int
rcQusition and the ice is floated up to the shoI
G. of the lake, from whence it is hosted by steam
Ipower into the ice-houses, or gigantic refrieeT;
tors. Although these store-houses are bui
at great expense. and with every possible pr
caution to render them impervious to tt
liquifying power of the atmosphere, (beir
usually constructed of pine wood with doub
walls, placed about two inches apart, tt
space being filled with saw dust very pc
ST feet non conducting medium,) yet the loss b
: thawing is very considerable, and there
= thus marked difference between the amour
a laid up, and the amount consumed or e.
y ported.