Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-11-19


Mr. EDrToR.-Dsar Str:--Ice was once consider
ed TO be a luxury only to be enjoyed by the rich,
but 1t has now become an almost indlsPehsi Die "
every family, especially during the hot season, inns
il WE'LL fori Is certainly healthy for those in health
and for the sick there Is perhaps single article
In the whole materia modica, that will excel itas
febrifuge Indeed Physicians prescribe 1t to their
patients as they do other medicines. Everything
therefore that will tend TO bring the article into
more general use to the expulsion OF bad whiskeyi
will be blessing to the community.
/ propose to offer through your widely circulated
Journal, the plan Of an Ice house such as would
now build, If had necessity for another-one that
would in myopinicn keep Toe and be permanent ana
dur BILE Wooden structures may perhaps be pest
while new. but they are very perishable Inc dia-
gram enclosed shows vertical section IL feet wide
and IL feet high built of brick the more porous the
bricks the better. The inside wall inches thick
and run perpendicular, the outside wall Is also four
iuchos thick but started inches from the other and
battered into inches at the top, tying the wall to-
gether occasionally they proceed. This will pre-
vent the walls from settling outside, should the ex-
pansion OF the ice them to crack at any time
few holes should be left in the Gutter wall near the
surface oil the ground admit air between tho walls
and allow il TO escape at the top. The josts should
project about feet all round, to screen the walls
from rain and the heat of tho sun. set oil ratters
should be pitched even with the Gutter wall on which
shingle roof should be laid with CUTTERS at the
caves Another set Of rafters should foot at the ex'
| tremity Of the joists and on this roof Of boards
should BIO laid to protect all from the sun; air should
have free circulation at the caves and the large door
| should be closed and doubled as soon as the warm
weather commences, and allow no air 10 enter be-
low the gabe the ice should all be taken out at tht
upper door until 1t gets below the large door, then
| may be used.
Tenants cannot afford to build expensveice houses
but where they live on high dry land they may have
ice unit II August, at nominal cost, by digging {
circular pit say 10 feet in diameter, tnpering inwurt
as they proceed downward somewhat in the shape
inverted cone; after the pit filled lay some pole
across, extending the pit on each side some thre
or four feet then place stalk OF straw over it, leav
ing a small hole on the north side for entrance
Good ice am sure could be kept in this way unit
| late in the season.
My mode of storing ice is as GOllows. Iprocur
two narrow boards and lay them parallel with eac
other22 inches apart. then get the width of m
house in the clear and divide il into blocks so thu
certain number Of blocks will reach from side I
side then lay strips trHnsversely from board 7
DO rd according to this size the blocks are required
then proceede to lay of the ice by laying the FRAN
down and with the point Of IN Ice Saw scratch o
each side Of the board and by the side of each trans
verso strips; then advance the width Of the fran
and so continue until enough is marked out we the
saw them into slabs about feet long, and pull her
out with hooks and part the blocks with cross Gu
saw. The blocks may then be placed in a wagon
edge up, and slowed in the house in tiers one aboV
another; each tier having ibery to settle separated
have kept ice in this way (but little more tina
two inches thiok) until ice came again. We hay
now plenty of ice in store to last until January.
could cut out at this .ime solid block as large as
large sized dry good box; and my house is only abot
feet square inside The ice in nearly all the larg
iee houses in this vicinity has been gone some tim'
1t Is attended with considerable trouble and abOl
TO put up ice in this way, but have never been alb
to keep it otherwise later than August have
small Toe house underground made Of brick; when
builtit lined it with boards, and filled in with cha
coal. The boards rotend in few years and III
| CHARCOAL out Il HtriDal all last winter.
my ice has kept as well # not better than usual.
therefore conclude that brick house properly col
/ struOted will keep Toe above ground. Yours We
truly, &c. I. D. C0URSEY.