The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-10-17
How They Make Ice in India.

Now, although ice keeps so well for a
long time when packed in ships built for it,
and in this way can be conveyed to any
East Indian port, it would be impossible to
carry it into the interior of the country,
where there are no railroads to transport it
quickly. But the East Indian who lives
at distance from the coast is not obliged
to do so without cooling drinks, for not
only does he contrive to cool water by put
ting it in porous jars and setting them in
a 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 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, al
though slow one, is very simple, and
costs nothing.
They have discovered by observation
what we are taught in natural philosophy,
that during the day the earth absorbs heat,
and during the night it gives it out-or, to
speak more properly, radiates heat. This
is much more noticeable in tropical than
in temperate countries. 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 &c hat he hrop hoe
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 are no
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 a 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 evening, which water by four
o'clock in the morning is found to be cover
ed with 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 respect
able 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 seperat-
ed from the ground, and receive little or
no heat from it. The water, therefore,
gives out more heat than it receives, so
that its temperature is continually lowered
until it reaches the freezing point, when it,
Of course, becomes ice.
This ice 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 re-
freshing, and we can we'll imagine what a
luxury it must be in this torrid region.
These are the two methods by which the
people of India procure ice-carrying it
there from great distance, and freezing
water by a slow process. And yet, in
India itself there are immense ice fields
that never melt, containing material enough
to supply perpetually every town and little
hamlet in the country. For the Himalayan
mountains, with their towering tops cover
ed with everlasting snow and ice, stretch
along the western part of the Indian penin-
sula. What trial it must be to the tenn
per of an East Indian, who is nearly melt
ed 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 suffi-
Gent rapidity for it to reach the plains in a
solid state.
So the Himalayas keep their icy treasures
safely locked up in their mountain fast
nesses, and the parched East Indian finds
himself obliged to call upon distant land
to take compassion on him and help him
M e. Ed,oards, in ST. Nicholas.