The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1875-07-28
Making Ice in the Sunshine.

] ANAAN N4AA - NENAF
Making Ice in the Sunshine.
! Ice has always been esteemed luxury in
warm weather, and is regarded as great boon
in hot countries. We read that the Greeks,
and afterwards the Romans, at first preserved
snow closely packed in deep underground Gel
lars, and that Nero, at a later period, estab-
lished ice-houses in Rome similar to those in
use in most European countries up to the pres
ent time. Most of US are also familiar with the
story of the great indignation of an untutored
I chief towards one of Captain Cooks officers
! for SAYING that in his country water became so
solid that men could walk upon it; but few
persons are aware how speedily ice can be
made by artificial freezing aided by the mighty
and all-oonquering power of steam. This, how
ever, was demonstrated before our eyes few
days ago when we had the pleasure of Witness
/ ing the operation of new patent improved di-
rect-aoting ice-making machine before being
shipped to the Mediterranean by Messrs. Slad-
den Brothers s. Co., and upon which much tai
ent had been brought to bear in constructing
machine capable Of producing l25 lbs. of ice
per hour, at a working cost of about Is. Cd. per
day, or l5s for night and day work of "a hours.
We were informed that the cost of this machine,
with engine boiler, and all apparatuses, for the
particulars of which we refer our readers to
the advertisement in our advertising columns,
costs, ElS5, and makes about Z Z lbs. of ice for
one penny. The larger machines, of course,
will produce as much as % lbs. of ice for
penny, but the machine which we saw in opera
ton has finally settled the question of produc-
ing ice in hot countries at a cheap cost on the
spot, and for comparatively small outlay, in
stead of importing ice, which in addition to its
great cost, is not easily preserved in tropical
climates.
The cost of natural ice exported to many
ports is from ElO to go per ton, but machines
are now constructed to make ice on the spot
at los per ton. The practical value Of this
operation was tested during the late Asian
tee war. The VicSor Emanuel at the Gold
Coast had small machine, and notwithstand-
ing all the inconvenience of shipboard, in ad-
dition to the severe test of a tropical climate,
the process proved remarkable success. The
correspondent of the Times said "a glass of
bright and sparkling water, we'll iced, was
highly appreciated by the poor fellows who
had sickened or been wounded far in the int
rior, and had been carried down in litters in
much suffering The machine turned out solid
ice in great abundance, so that the Victor En-
dnu.l was not only able to supply her own
wants and those of all the other ships which
were used for the reception of invalids, but also
to send ice to the hospital ashore" Perhaps
the m0dLs opsrudi of making ice by artificial
means. and by the accelerating process of
steam power, cannot be easily explained. Suf-
fee It, however, to say that the action consists
in evaporating ether in raeao and again con-
densing the vapor to liquid so as to be used
afresh, with little loss This continuous action
is indeed a most valuable feature in this i'm
proved machine, because when once charged it
may be continuously worked for months, simply
requiring the cost of fuel and attendance. We
were particularly impressed with this. Eco
nomical production is great desideratum to
private persons and in localities where there is
only small demand. By this machine, when
the air is pumped out of the ice-chambers the
liquid ether is poured in subject to the infu-
ence of the pump, which, in drawing off the
vapor emitted by the ether, accelerates the
evaporation and thereby effects greater cold
ness. After the vapor is drawn off tits passed
into another chamber where it liquefes, return
ing back again to the first chamber for re-va-
poration. Nothing could be more perfect in
regard to economical production, as the same
ether''is made to do its work of freezing over
and over again, and so rapid and effectual is
the operation that we were surprised to find |
how soon the latent heat extracted from the |
water in the first chamber under the process of |
freezing made the pipes warm in the second |
chamber. 1t was literally "blowing hot and |
blowing cold F" by one OperatiOn-the cold max
ing the warmth and the warmth making the
cold.-EegliSh Paper.