The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-02-08
ICE HOUSES.

W. T. Smedley, of Chester county, Pa,
communicates to the Germantoacn Telegraph
the following plan for building cheap ice
house; which is the old way, and as he
proves, much the best for farm ice house:
"Three years ago, having become tired
of a partnership ice house, l built one thus:
dug pit 12 feet deep, 10 feet square at
top, 10 feet square at bottom; walled it
with stone, wall one foot thick, mortared
with good lime and sand mortar for six
inches on face side. Did the work our
selves, which any one skillful enough to
work on a farm should be able to do
The full value of hauling stones, digging
pit, building wall, finding mortar and
tending, together with boarding workmen.
was certainly not over $50. The usual
custom is to raise the wall two feet higher
than ground-level, put on rough frame with
board roof of sharp pitch, which would
have cost $40 more. Our ice house being
adjoining the milk vault, 1--WE do not use a
spring, we built a one-storied, frame build
ing above the ice house, in which to keep
such dairy fixtures as were temporarily
needed This building had tightly
fitting floor to keep all dirt from getting
through to the ice, which will not last if
dirt or dust Sits on to it. The joists on
which the floor was laid were six inches
thick, the spaces between which were left
open at the ends to allow a current of air
to pass over the ice to carry off all exhala-
tions.
Now, about the filling. Our pit holds
twelve three-horse loads, which we haul
from mill-pond one-fourth Of a mile dis
tant, and which one man can cut and throw
out on the breast, as fast as we can haul it
with one team-he using sharp, spade
pointed iron bar to break it loose from the
main body. At the pit we drive along side
the door, rest one end of a board plank on
the side of the wagon, the other in the
door, and slide the ice in pell-mell, going
down once in while to arrange it some
what. Some time before spring we cover
the ice with about two feet thickness of
straw, (oats is best on account of their
packing closer.) So far we have always
had plenty of ice throughout the season.
with some left. 1t is used unsparingly for
all purposes about which ice is usually
needed at the house and dairy, both in
making butter and packing to carry to
market.
The above is Il fair sample of all the ice
houses in our region, save that some are
built without mortar, which is a diSadvan-
tage, as the tighter the wall is made the
better the ice will keep. There is an occa-
sional structure built above ground, but
the increased cost, with Inconvenience Of
filling make them unpopular, except for
large establishments where machinery can
be used to hoist the ice. Under draining,
artificially. is never thought OF. We select
knoll where the earth is usually light and
porous, allowing all water to sink rapidly
My location at the depth of four or five
feet was of a fine sandy nature, light
enough to shovel out without using pick or
hoe, and in which water would sink very
rapidly. The close packing usually prac
tced in the above ground structures would
certainly make the ice keep better than
throwing it in loosely. but so long as we
have ice throughout the season by our way,
We don't care to add the increased labor
and expense of help"