The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-10-15
How They Make Ice in India.

Now, although ice keeps so we'll for
long time when packed in the ships built
for it, and in this way can be conveyed
to any East Indian port, it would be i'm
possible to carry it into the interior of
the country, where there are no railroads
to transport it quickly. But the East In
dian who lives at distance from the
coast is not obliged to do without cooling
drinks, for not only does he contrivc to
cool water by putting it in porous jars and
setting them in current of air, but he
has fashion of his own for making ice,
and very curious fashion it is.
In the warm countries of Europe ice is
manufactured by the use of ether, but
this would be a very costly process in
India, and would place it entirely out of
the reach of the mass of the people,
Their own method for manufacturing ice,
although slow one, is very simple, and
costs nothing.
They have discovered by observation
what We ere taught in natural philoso-
ply, that during the day the earth alb
serbs heat, and during the night it gives
it out-or, to speak more properly,
radidtes heat. This is much more notice
able in tropical than in temperate coun-
tries. They know also by experience
that, in order to enjoy the GOODNESS of
night, they must avoid the shade of trees,
and lie out in the open places. The reason
of this, perhaps, they do not know,
which is, that the branches of the trees
interfere with this radiation. Without
reasoning on these facts, the East Indian
acts upon them, and uses his knowledge
of them in manufacturing ice.
In an open space, where there ar noe
trees, parallel bitches are dug in the
ground three or four feet deep. These
are half filled with straw and nets are
stretched over them. On these nets are
placed small earthen saucers holding
about wine-glass of water. There is
nothing more to be done but to wait for
a clear, starry and perfectly calm night.
When such night arrives the little
saucers are filled with water in the even
ing, which water by four O'Clock in the
morning Is found to be covered with a
thin coating of ice! These cakes of ice
are very small, it is true, but when they
are all thrown together into the ice.
houses under the ground they form
themselves into masses of quite a re-
spectacle size. In these primitive ice
houses the ice keeps for some time.
The straw is placed in the bitches be-
cause it is bad conductor of heat, and
by its means the saucers of water are
separated from the ground and receive
little or no heat from it. The water,
therefore, gives out more heat than it re-
ceives, so that its temperature is contin-
ually lowered until it reaches the freezing
point, when it of course becomes ice
This is more or less mixed with bits of
straw and with dust. 1t cannot be used
to put into liquids, but placed around
them makes them delightfully."- cool and
refreshing, and we can well imagine
what luxury it must be in this tOrrid
region.
These are the two methods by which
the people of India procure ice-carry-
ing it there from a great distance, and
freezing water by slow process. And
yet, in India itself there are immense
ice-fields that never melt, containing ma
terial enough to supply perpetually every
town and little hamlet in the country.
For the Himalayan Mountains, with their
towering tops covered with everlasting
snow and ice, stretch along the western
part of the Indian peninsula. What a
trial it must be to the temper of an East
Indian, who is nearly melted with the
heat in the plains below, to look up at
those white peaks and think how much
snow and ice is wasted there that would
be of the greatest service to him if it
could only be brought down! But that
is the problem! In the lowest part of
the cold regions of the mountains ice
could be cut and made ready to be taken
away. But there are no roads by which
it could be carried to the plains; and if
it were possible to construct roads over
the mountains to sufficient height to
reach the snowy regions the cost of
making them would be enormous; and
when made it is doubtful whether ice
could be transported over them with
sufficient rapidity for it to reach the
plains in solid state.
So the Himalayas keep their icy treas
ures safely locked up in their mountain
Businesses, and the parched East Indian
finds himself obliged to call upon q dis
tant land to take compassion on him and
help him.-M. e. Ed,oards, IN st. Nicholas
for October.
Vermont boasts q host of smart old
people, among whom the following are
named: Hannah Bowen, of Bethel, aged
ninety-two, wife of s. Bowen, is holding
her own with other young folks at pick.
ing hops, having worked several days
this season in the field. Brandon has
Mrs. Justus Hyatt, aged eighty-two years,
who walked from her residence, a few
days ago, to Leicester, distance of six
miles, and then wanted to walk back the
same day. Vershire boasts of Mrs. Lucy
Rinkley, who is ninety-two years of age
and has been spinning at several differ
ent places. In one place she spun twenty
knots q day and knit one large mitten
each day, for eight days in Succession.
Hoyalton has q man whose name is Wild,
and they call him Squire" who, al
though upward of eighty, carries on his
farm, works hard, sleeps we'll, and feels