The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-07-23
THE CIRCULATION OF TIE "DIsPATCH'' y
is LARGER THAN THE COMBINED CIRCU-
LATIoN OF ALL THE OTHER DAILY NEWS
PAPERS OF THIS CITY.

MAKING Ice IN THE TRoPICs-REFRIGE-
RAToR WAREHOUSES; AND SHIPs.-The great
ice mannfactory at New Orleans is one OF
the wonders Of the age, yet, when its pro-
cesses of converting distilled water into
solid blocks of crystal ice are explained to
the Intelligent visitor, the simplicity of
the operation begets surprise. Not very
much space is required for the purpose, and
the hull of a ship, it is said, can be used
quiteas advantageously as building upon
shore. The water can be distilled from
the ocean brine, and the very best quality
of ice manufactured. Now comes the ap-
plication: All manner of meats killed and
dressed, and all manner of fish and game
killed and dressed, can be carried to. the
hottest quarters Of the earth frozen solid.
Meat-preserving warehouses can be erected
under the blazing sun of the tropics, and
customers served every morning with fresh,
luscious Joints and cuts. One of these
warehouses has been erected at New Or
leans, and will operate, in connection with
q vessel similarly fitted up, in the enterprise
Of bringing and selling Texas beef, killed
and dressed before being delivered on ship
board. The New Orleans Bulletin has the
following concerning the enterprise
The meat preserving warehouse No. ll5
Fulton street, constructed for The preserva-
ton of fresh meat to be brought to this city
from Texas, where the beeves will be
slaughtered, was all day yesterday visited
by citizens interested in the supply Of
wholesome and nutritious flesh in our mar
kets, and, by ocular demonstration, every
one was satisfied that the process is mar
veious and bencfcent one.
The discovery is the result of the re-
searches and experiments Of Mr.. Wilson
Bray, of New Jersey, In an air-tight room
is box, which is n refrigerator filled with
ice, together with other substances, that in
tensify the cold. A fan moved by steam
power drives the air through an enclosure
into the refrigerator, and this air, after pass
ing through the refrigerator, is purified by ar
absorbent, and escapes into the room where
the meat is placed. The temperature de-
pends upon the rapidity with which the fal
revolves, and can be reduced SO low as one
degree above zero. 1t has been found, how
ever, ,hat thirty five degrees, three above
the freezing point, suftices to prevent the
decomposition Of meat, and that is the tenn
perature used. For transportation simi
| lar apparatus is constructed on board o.
vessels and on railroads, the engine Of {
steamer or d locomotive Of train supply
ing the motive power of the fan.
| The steamer Agnes, which arrived OF
Sunday, brought the first lot OF meat thu
preserved to this market, and immediatel,
upon its arrival it was transferred to tn
warehouse on Fulton street. The expert
ment was made. under difficulties whlcl
tested the value Of the discovery in th
most searching manner. The fore hol'
only was for the purpose, and was very I'm
perfectly prepared, not being entirely tight
! The vessel had live stock on deck also, AM
the heat of their bodies lying down, i'm
parting itself to the filthy litter beneath
had the effect of somewhat c0unteractln
the refrigerating power below the deck
Besides, the beeves were slaughtered in
drenchine rain, and several hours elapse
before the carcasses, carried through mu
knee deep, could be deposited in the refrl
gerator, and the voyage took six days, tn
vesge! staying occasionally at landings
when the engine was stopped, and the ia
having therefore no mptiye power, cease
to operate. Yet, notwithstanding these un
toward circumstances, the meat came her
as free from decomposition as II 1t had JUS
been slaughtered and gentleman. who
fastidious in the selection Of his ediblcs
informs us that he and several others ha
a tender!oin from the warehouse on Sun
dav. which he assures us was as fine stea
as he ever put fork into.
Mr.. Walter Bennett, n very intelliger
gentleman from San Antonio, Texas, who ha
become one of the -proprietOrs OF Mr. Bra
in the patent right that has been taken ou
was Mt the warehouse yesterday, answerin
q multiplicity of questions put by the III
merous visitors. The point uppermost !
the minds of all was how long would I'll
meat remain sound after being taken frol
the refrigerator? Mr.. Bennett answered
to this effect If the meat is placed in I'll
apparatus immediately after being kille
it will remain good after being taken out /
LONG as other meat would exposed to atmo
pheric air, the temperature correspond
ing. For instance, u beef killed in Ne
Orleans. when the temperature is
80 degrees, is good meat for twent,
four hours the beef killed in IndianOl;
and Immediately slowed in the relrigerato
will be good for twenty-four hours aft'
taken out, the temperature being the sam
no matter if the beef had been month
two in the refrigerator. And, in this col
nection. he stated that Mr.. Bray, in maxim
his experiments, went so far as to try
piece of meat for one hundred and hft,
three days, at the expiration of which tim
nearly half q year, it ate as sweetly an
was as nutritious as if it had just bee
} taken from butchers stall. In conhrm'
ton of one of these statements, cltizc
who was present mentioned, as within h
personal knowledge, that prominent me
chant, whose name was mentioned, had
piece of the beef from the Agnes, whlc
was partaken of Mt dinner on Sunday
ternoon, and the remnant, untainted, WI
eaten by the family on Monday afternoo
OLD JEssE.-The number and variety
stories which are told Of old Jesse Gran
the individual to whom We are indebted +
our present stable Government, are pa
o,,n,.,t;on uarn ia tho In ST one