The New York herald., 1875-08-28
FEEDING EUROPE WITH PEACHES.
From the Wilmington Every EVENING"

From the Wilmington Every EVENING"
Wednesday afternoon special train passed through
here for Philadelphia with 1850 crates of peaches.
These last night loaded the steamship Ohio of
the American linc which left that port day for Liver
pool to which place the fruit is consigned This the
first time Delawareans sent n consignment of
peaches to the Old World and it is simply as
an experiment. Mr.. II. 7. Lockwood Of Middlctown,
goes with the fruit supercargo and Liverpool he
will personally superintend its sale. On his arrival
there he will telegraph the condition OF the fruit and If
II Is favorable another cargo will probably be sent
before the close of the
A visit was made to the Ohio Yesterday and the ar
rangemens for storing and keeping the peaches
inspected The refrigerator in which the fruit
Is stored is In the bow of the vessel in what is called
the sceragc The apartment is constructed of matched
pine lumber with dead air chamber surrounding it
on all Sides and is made as nearly air tight possible
Tho refrgeratng process is that of the Bate Refrgera
tor Company, the principle beng to keep up circula
tion OF dry, cold air through the fruit This
pshcd in the following manncr:-A large galvanized
iron tank capable OF holding fifteen tons of ice, is
placed IN the centre of the room il has
bottom, and Is raised about six inches from
securely braccd and stayed to prevent shifting
Drainage is provided through lead pipes. Wooden graf
ngs placed on the bottom, and the tank filled with
ice. small engine, of hve-horse power. placed
the refrigerator, between decks blower which
forces column of air through pipe foot in diam
eter Immediately upon the top OF tho ice and thence
through the leo and out at the bottom of the tank where
II crcuaes through the crates of peaches and escapes
through numerous outlets, all leading to return pre-,
which takes the air TO the blower again.
II Is claimed that by thus circulating the air
through the ice its temperature becomes reduced
about thirty live degrees causing 1t to part with its
moisture which is deposited on the ice and finds its way
out Of the drainage pipes More less is
moved from the peaches but only sufficient to dry their
surface. The temperature is too low TO promote fer
mentation and claimed that refrigerated fruit
much less likely 10 rot after being taken out of the
frigerator than that just plucked from the tree.
The engine yesterday was set in motion when the
tank had been partially filled with ice and within five
minutes the thermometer sunk to forty-fvc degrees.
As fresh is taken in from without there Is adj
dtonal heat to after the fruit has been
reduced In temperature except what may pass through
tho walls OF the apartment IL is believed that fifteen
tons of ice will be than sufficient for the voyage.
Fresh meat has been transported to Europe success
fully by this process in the White Star and Williams
Guon lines, but experiment has hitherto been made
with fruit The peaches sent out the Ohio consist
OF Reeves Favorite, Old Mixon's and Crawford's
Early. They picked yesterday afternoon and
the finest and tlrmest that could be found in the
orchards Of the shippers The weather being cool yes
tcrday the fruit shipped was dry and in perfect cond