Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-11-03
Freezing Fish by WhOleSale--Seientific
COnSOlidatiOn--FreSh Iced White-flSh.
rErOnn the Gopdrst-- Ravicfar1

freeZin" Fish by MhOleSale-.Seie
COnsOlidatiOn--FreSh Iced Khite-flsh.
From the sandusky Register.l
Among the many articles originated
and brought to perfection by the un-
tagging genius of Inventors, we have
seen none more generally useful than
the new patent refrigerator process,
by which meats or fruits can be pre-
served, and transported in any kind
of weather. This new process has
been improved and adapted to many
useful purposes. the last improvement
being its use in freezing fish, so that
they can be preserved as fresh as when
taken from the water.
Ex-MayOr F. GeiersdOrf, of this city,
one of our largest fish dealers, has put
into operation in his packing-hOuse,
this new and perfect method of keep
ing fish, taking them fresh from the
water, and, in couple of hours time,
reducing each particular member of
the finny tribe to a particularly solid
lump then eOrding them up in solid
tiers, to be introduced into the mar
ket at the proper time in the winter,
when no lake fish can be caught
The process we refer to can be used
for shipping fish at any season, by
transporting them in the patent re-
frigeratOr cars. Thus fish can be fro
zen here in the warm days of spring.
then transported any distance in the
cars spoken of, and unpacked i'm a
slate of perfect preservation. The
most important use of the process
however, is to preserve the fish and
keep them here in large quantities
until the latter part of winter, when
fresh lake fish of the best varieties,
can in 10 other manner be furnished.
The invention is a great and useful
one, and constitutes a suggestive sub
ject. This process will introduce into
the market reports of our great cities
new features, and we shall not be sur
prised to see, in the metropolitan dali
lies, such quotations as these: "Iced
White Fish" "FruZen Pickerel,"
"Congealed Bass" etc. In the win
ter, or indeed, at any season, few edi-
bles are more tOOthsOme than q fresh
white fish broiled to the proper shade
of criSpneSs.
Monday afternoon we visited Mr..
GeiersdOrf's packing-hOuse and were
shown by the courteous proprietor, the
workings of this enterprise. The pro-
cess is a very interesting one, and
perhaps we can give a general idea,
though not a scientific account, of the
manner in wkich the fish are dealt
with, the cool treatment they receive
when they leave home, and the style
in which they are converted into fish
"mummies," and slowed away for
future resurrection. The first thing is
OLE
mixed in proper proportions and
pounded fine for use in the new patent
refrigeratOrs. The next objects no.
ticeable are number of pans with
covers, resembling the dripping
pans" of household utility, except
that each pan has a cover, and is made
of heavy zinc. These pans hold one
large white fish, or two small ones. A
fish is taken from the pile just collect
ed from the lake, placed in the pan,
and the cover put on. The pans are
then carried to the refrigeratOrs, of
which there are several of very large
size, capable of holding many of the
pans. \ layer of prepared ice is
placed in the bottom of the refrigera-
tor, then layer of the pans contain
ing the fish, and so on alternately,
until the refrigerator is full, when it
is closed, and the fish left to freeze
The time occupied in freezing is gen
orally about two hours, though Mr. G..
informs us that with proper prepara-
ton he can freeze a fish in forty min
utes, as hard as the 'sOlid truth. -
After two hours the fish are taken out
of the pans and put away in the pre-
serving rooms, and their places sup
piled with others. \ large force of
men are constantly employed, and the
fish are being frozen at the rate of
several tuns in a day.
There are preserving-rooms, where
the fish are piled up for use when
needed. Descending ladder through
a small aperture in the floor, we go
down into a dark room where men
are dimly seen engaged in stacking
the fish. In front, behind, and on
both sides nothing can be seen but the
sOlidified scale-bearers, which, at the
sides and ends of the preserving-rOOm,
are piled up to the ceiling and in the
center of the room we were standing
upon six feet of the frozen swimmers.
They are piled up like blocks of wood,
the smaller ones being frozen in pairs,
tNO vi lAACAlA uC put lAllO lllc
There are six of these
preserving rooms, and the fish can be I
kept in them perfectly fresh and f.
sweet until warm weather. The great /
merit of the process is the celebrity by /
which the fish are frozen. In other /
the fish are frozen so slowly I
that their quality is impaired.
Another excellent feature of Mr.. F.
establishments is freezing !
room. or reserve room, holding about /
$50 tons, where he keeps on hand /
large amount of fish to be drawn on I
i'm case of emergencies such as had |
and poor days, or when fish !
are short. Thus he is always ready to I
fill orders and supply the city de /
mand.
Monday morning the receipt of fish .
at Mr.. GeiersdOrf's establishment was |
fOrty-five tons, all of which were dis /
posed of by the following morning,
some being frozen, and the rest packed /
and shipped. Although we cannot I
explain the process, we /
hope an idea has been given of this
new enterprise, started here by one of /