Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-02-02


IcE-MAKING IN THE TRoPICs.-The natives
commence their preparations by marking out
rectangular piece of ground 100 feet long by
20 broad, in an easerly and westerly direction,
from which the soil is removed to the depth of
two feet. This excavation is smoothed, and is
allowed to remain exposed to the sun to dry,
when rice straw in small sheaycS is laid in an
obique direction in the hollow, with loose straw
upon the top, to the depth of foot aud Il half,
leaving its surface half Il foot below that of the
ground. Numerous beds of this kind are form
ed, with narrow pathways between them, in
winch large earthen water-iarS are sunk in the
ground for the convenience OF having water
near, 20 ill the shallow unglazed earthen
vessels in which it is TO be frozen. These dish.
es are nine inches in diameter at the top, dimin-
lShln% TO four and threc-tenthS inches at the
bottom, one and three-tenth inches deep, and
three-uenthS of an inch in thickness, and are so
porous as to become moist throughout when
wafer is put into them.
During the day the loose straw in the beds
ABOVE the ShcaveS is occasionally turned up so
that the whole may be kept dry, and the water
Jars between the beds arc filled with soft, pure
water from the neighboring pools. Toward eve
nlng the shallow earthen dishes are Grranged in
rows upon the straw, and by means of small
earthcn pots, lied to the eXtremities of long
bamboo rods, each is filed about a third with
water. The quantity, however varies accord
ing 10 the expectation Of ice-whch is known
by the clearneSs of the sky, and the steadiness
with which the wind blows from the north
northwest. When favorable, about eight
ounces of voter is put into each dish, and when
less is expected, from twO to four ounces is the
usual quantity; but, in all cases, more water is
put INTO the dishes nearest the wcster IN end of
the beds, as the sun first falls on that part, and
me ice Is thus more easily removed from its So
luton being quicker
There are about 1890 plates in each of the
beds last made, and If we allow five ounces for
each dish, which presents surface of about fonr
inches square, there will De an aggregate of 800
gallons, and surface of 1880 square feet of
water in each bed.
In the cold season, when the temperature of
the air at the ice fields is under fifty degrees fab
renheit, and there are gentle airs from the north
ern and western direction, ice forms in the
course of the night in each Of the shallow dishes.
Persons are stationed to observe when a small
film appears upon the water IN the Dishes when
the contents of several are mixed together, and
thrown over the other dishes This operation
increases the congealing process; as state of
camneSS has been discovered by the natives TO
diminish the quantity of ice produced. When
me SKY Is quite clear, with gentle steady airs
from tue northwest, which proceeds from
the hills of considerable elevation near Bheer.
boom, about 100 miles from Hoo ghy, the freez-
ing commences before or about midnight when
the thickcst ice is formed. | have seen it seven.
lcnth' oil an inch in thickness, and in Il few very
when 1t IS called by the natives solid ice When
IT commences to CONCEAL between two and three
O'Clock IN the morning, thinner ice is expected
called paper ice; and when about four or five
O'Clock in the morning the thinncst is obtained
called flower ice.
Upward Of $50 PERSONS of all ages, are actively
employed in securing the ice for some hours
every morning that ice is procured, and this
forms one OF the most animated scenes to be
witnessed in Bengal. In favorable night up
ward of ten hundred weight of ice will be OBJ
tanned from one bed, and from twenty beds up-
ward of ten tons.
When the wind attains southerly or eastcry
direction, no ice is formed, from its not being
sufficiently dry; not even though the tempera-
ture of the air be lower than when if is made
with the wind more from a northern or western
point. The north northwest is the most fayora-
bic direction of wind for making ice, and this
diminlSheS in power MS it approaches the due
north or west. In the latter case more latitude
is allowed than from the north northwest to the
north. SO great is the influence of the dircc-
ton of wind on the ice that when il changes in
course OF night from north northwest to d less
favorable direction, the change not only prevents
the formation OF more ice, but diSsOlyes what
may have been formed. On such occasions n
mist IS seen lowering over the ice beds from the
moisture over them, and the quantities con.
densed by the cold wind A mist in like man
ner forms over deep tanks during the favorable
nights for making ice.
Announcer Important. circumstance in the pro-
duetlon OF ice is the amount of wind. When
1t approaches breeze no ice is formed. This is
explained by such rapid currents of air remoy-
ing the cold air before any accumulation of ice
has taken place in the ice beds. 1t is for these
reasons that The thickest ice is expected when
during the day breeze has blown from the
northwest which thoroughly dries the ground.
Mature.