New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-17
TIE ICE CROP.



The almost unparalleled delay in the coming
weather renders the prospects of there being sur
fcent ice stored for Of hou5ehoiors next sum
rner a subject OF very general interest. 80 mild Win
ter has not been known for many years The Winter OF
1870, during which the ice crop proved 40 small was
colder and less open thA Hudson River at time OF the
year spending with the present having floating Ice
IN great quantities in IT, from which several Ice depots
were filed This year. till the middle OF last week
navigation was practicable 100 miles up that river and
four days ago particle OF lee was formed as far
up as Albany Inquiries the offices OF the principal
ice companies, elected great deal OF information
full of interest TO ice consumers
At the Knickerbocber COmpany's office Mr. Maclay
the ycePresident stated that his Company cut all ITS
ice from Rockland Lake, situated few miles from the
Hudson River opposite Sing Sing where they owned an
ice area acres ceh0uses and ten rooms, with
engines and machinery for cutting and storing, and
whore they had facilities for and usually stored $4,000
tons. The Company gathers moro Ice than any COM
pany in the world Five thousand men are employed
during the season when tho crop Is good gathering ce
aud 800 wagons are employed constantly during the
Summer IN its delivery to customers in New-fork and
its suburbs. large demand IL made upon them Oy the
wholesale dealers, and also by small dealers, pork
packers, brewers and by the agents Of steamers and
sailing vessels and for shipment southern countries
There are many necessary industries dependent
in a great measure on cheap ice, ana hlgh
prices were not beneficial TO large companies like the
Knickerbocker on account OF the decrease in the
extent OF these industries when the tprlce becomes
80 high as to render business Improbable. In
fact said Mr.. Maclay it is to the interest or the
Knckerbocker Company to have full depots and cheap
ice and thus retain their steady trade and the good will
OF their wholesale customers, who cannot such Is the
perversty Of human nature, understand that rise in
the price of ice OccasORed by anything but criminal
combination OF the Ice companies Rockland Lake Is
at present frozen the depth OF about two inches
and If present cold spell continues the ice Will be
thick enough cutting and storing in about two weeks
IL is not likely to ready much because ice
forms slowly after the first two inches, especially II
there is heavy covering OF upon it, On the Rock
land Lake they keep force employed ut present scrap
ing tho away order 10 facilitate freezing, for
snow has the same warming effect upon ice that 10 has
upon vegetation. Horses are employed In the cutting
OF the ice and 1t is necessary consequence that it
should DO from eight ten inches TO foot thick to bear
their weight, During the Winter OF 1870 the Company
WAS compelled 10 obtain ice at little lakes almost mac
cessible for their houses, and the difficulty and
and expense greatly increased in consequence.
At tho office of Washington Ice Company, the next
largest In the city, Mr. NJ. G.. Leonard the President
stated that Company had nine separate depOts and
ten houses scattering along the Hudson River from
Esopus to Coeyman and could store 100000 tons OF Ice
each season. They employed 5000 men in gathering
fun crop. The Company had been chartered Is years
but the Orginaor5 or II had been connected with
trade for 80 years. They not cutting or
storing present The secretary or the Company had
come down the river Wednesday, inspecting 10 for
indications OF crop and nothing more substantial than
melted snow visible its rutffed surface. The
freezing had doubtless begun with the present cold
snap, but even with the weather remaining
as at present IL will be about three weeks
before they begin cutting Il ought to be at least
foot thick to store IL away rapidly win the use Oh all
appliances and 10 good preservation. But
the Company had been Competed IN is0 70 stoIe away
in very unsu0stantlal condition. Catching u IN n1atn
cakes here and there. He had never seen Winter
when the free OF ice late in the
the present The Company Is already making prepara
tions in event OF total failure OF the crop, to
supply at small lakes IN the mountains where the
water being still, ice II more sure TO form. The Com
pany has ABOUT weeks supply remaining over, mostly
the Mr. Leonard did not think yet impossible
I'll out the supply Indeed, II severe weather pre-
vailed during February IL might stu De possible even
SO late store enough TO answer ordinary de-
mands during the Summer.
posed exclusively Of hotel keepers and other Wholesale
consumers OF Ice who driven by the high prices
following the Winter of 1870 TO establish company of
their In order to secure themselves against what
they deemed the extorton OF the combination OF ice
pretors OF the st. Nicholas, Fifth Avenue. Metropo
tan, Gilsey Windsor, Aibemarie, Hoffman, and other
er. Their Ice Held Is on the Hudson River at West
Camp. They have one house with ten rooms and stor
gathering the ice ~ the crop is fair but the
number varies according TO the depth OF snow on
greatly increasing difficulty Mr. Colgate, the secre
tary said the present was unusually late FOR
good Ice crop The rver their ceed was not fr0zen
Wednesday, though IL Is now doubtless free king
rapidly The houses half filed at this time last
which. however unusually severe Winter. They
had 500 at work then and have two They have
between four and nve thousand tons left over from last
IL will require weeks OF the weather
TO render the ice strong enough to bear horses The Ice
Consumers Company supplies majority OF ti.e notels
making the price sufficient the cost and yield
profit Of 81 Its prices not lower than those OF
the and Washington Companies but IL ~
supposed by officers and stockholders 10 serve as
counterpolse against exorDant prices on the part OF
any combination.