Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-09-17
FREEZING FISH FOR WINTER USE

ug them has lately become almost trade IN
itself, and the majority of the large dealers 10
fish are Interested 10 It,
During the summer months large quantity
of very 6ue fish is brought to the New York
market over and above the amount consumed,
aud the result would be great waste of food,
were not some plan adopted Tor preserving it
from decomposition. This is especially true of
such valuable fish as salmon, of which large
quantities often arrive in the summer; while
curing the winter mouths it is very difficult to
obtain supply. Some practical plan for the
preservation of sallion in good condition for
winter use had long been the aim of mauy cf
the old fish dealers, and after awhile scheme
was adopted tor Gecziug the fish, aud keeping
it frozen until required for actual use 1u or
der 10 carry this out it became necessary to
build gigantic treezers or retrgerators, and to
construct them IN such way that during the
hottest day of summer the temperature within
them would not rise above the freezing point,
and even be kept much lower. The huest sal
mon were selected from supply that had just
arrived, and the fish were removed promptly
from the vessels to the house in question,
where each fish was cleaned and then prepared
for freezing. The whole house is required for
the buslness--the first floor from floor to
ceiliug-the whole width and depth of the
house being turued into a gigantic freezer,
with openings from the top or second
floor This refrigerator is divided into three
sections capable OF icing subdivlded luto six
apartments or boxes The walls are made of
znc, each Apartment having second or inner
wall Of the same metal, leaving several inches
between the two walls. 4 number of obloug
Sits In the inner wall allow the air from these
spaces to pass iUto the inner chamber, ln which
the fish arc stored. lD the roof Of the freezer
Tor floor of The second story, are about forty
obone bocs, II inches oug by four inches
broad through which ice and rock saltt, ground
together iu mill, eau be poured until the spa
ccs between the walls are filled. These holes
are 50 constructed that one or more apartments
may be kept under the iLhuence of the freez-
10Y mixture, without having to waste material
on uuvccupied chambers During the season,
however six chambers are generally required,
over 100 900 pounds of fish, mostly salmon or
some other equally expensive fish, being stored
in frozen state. TO keep these apartments at
the proper temperature, over ton and quar-
ter of ice and from II to 1t bushels OF salt are
used daily.
The fish having been properly cleaned on the
upper floors of the building, they were next
placed III freezing pabs; that is, the fish were
laid in the lower pan and second once put
over them. The pans were then completely
covered with ground ice aud salt, and the at
mospherc kept away from both fish aud pans.
In the course Of about an hour the fish
were found to have been frozen. A large
number of pans had TO be thus employed
on the morning 10 question, and the labor
having been properlydlvlded among those en-
gagged In it, the process OF cleaning, "panulng,
freezing, and 'uupanning" went Oh steadily.
When "unpanncd," the frozen fish were taken
to one of the chambers OF the freezer. The con-
staut handling OF the freezing mixture III the
uppcr rooms has somewhat reduced the tenn
pcraturc of that part of the bulldog; but yet it
gave no idea of that Of the inner chambers of
the freezer 90 the reporters descending by
the man-hole into the chamber, it became
necessary to carry lantern, and the first thing
that attracted attention was the glistcuing side
of the smal apartment The walls and roof
were covered TO the depth OF over halt an inch
with white frost, hard, aud only to be removed
from the zine by rough pressure. On the floor
ri the chamber lay number OF frozen fish,
of large size and hue appearance, but SO stltt
had they become that no impression could be
made upon them, even when Que took the head
aud tai IN each hand and endeavored to break
them across the kucc The next thing that at
tract,d the dtcutiou of the reporter was the
extreme cold, and on looking at the thermome-
I -
the freezer said that it was possible 70 get the
temperature down to 100, although l20 to l50
was low enough for practical purposes Fish
that had been kept in the chamber Tor over SIX
mouths had been sold in the market at very
high price, and on one occasion a lot OF hsh was
Kept eleven mouths, aud was then equal TO
fresh fish when cooked, after the frost had been
taken out The supply of fresh fish having been
lound on the morning IN question 10 be
larger than the plan Of freezing by pan
coud dispose of, a larger but equally satSiac
tory system of freezing was adopted. Oce OF
the rear sections had been fitted up with
shelves, On which was laid the prepared hSh at
ter the spaces between the walls OF the cham
tcrs had been filled with ground ice end sult
hen the shelves had been filled with fish, the
entrance to The man hole was Theoretically
closed aud the process of freezing went on
slowly In about II hours the man hole was
scalu opened, and the fish having been found
trozrn through, were removed to the chambers
bearer the entrance, so as to be ready tor mar
Act. The temperature of the freezing section
when the fish was first deposited was about
4o'; but upon the man.hole being rcopepcd at
the end of the II hours, 1t was found that the
thermometer had fallen TO ll0, and the change
OF the atmosphere from the top to the Interior
Of the section was almost painfully apparent
Olon returning to the street, after being few
urlnutes in the freezer, the heat Of the outside
atmosphere, which had becu previously pleas
aut aud eudurable, was found to be almost op
presSive, the perspratiou starting through the
Sku at every pore.
1t is estimated that at the present time there
are stored in this city about $1,000 pounds Of
valuable fish 10 frozen state for next Winters
use, aud that before the close Of navigation
this supply will be greatly increased. These
stores Will not be touched while freshly caught
t>h can be brought to market; but when the
supply is cut off through frost or inability to
Operate in the Samou fisheries, these reservoirs
viii be opened, the lovers of salmou will be eu-
aoied to cnj j,y the luxury, at a cost which can
not be deemed exhorbitant when the time, Ia
Dor, rent aud interest on capital invested, are
taken into consideration. The wealthy, bow
ever, scarcely ever consider the cost when de-
SlruuS a MI cD,oi.l .rtcl,, nf dior. hut