Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-10-07
The riiddIcto.yn Refrigerator.

OBSERVATIONS OF RAMBLE THROUGH ITS DARK
AND FREEZING CAvEnNs-pEACuEs. PEARS AND
cAsrELouPEs ALIKE WELL pHEsFHvED- SHIP
MENrs FROM THE BUILDING IN PROGRESS.
Special Correspondence Of the Commercial
MIDDLETowH, Oct. 4.
After tho unusual privilege OF ramble
through the rorngerating house of Messrs. Pr
ker 4 Co. at this place, permit me to give some
description OF its contents as they arc at pres
emit with the experiences ono feels while pass
ing through its icy atmosphere. These who eli
ter arc accompanied by guide who directs your
footsteps by means OF the Pickering light of q
| i"nterm. hasidos which not ray OF iirht illu
| mines the darkness of the interior. As the mat
door is thrown open and You step inside, a chilly
atmosphere meets you, and you are ut once COM
pe!led to draw your coat tightly about youc SHY
ering form, but whom the next heavy wooden
door Is pulled open, and you face the
large fan that il revolving above All
an immense quantity of leo stored in the base.
| ment, a thought steals into your mind that por-
hap5 two icebergs arc closing upon you, and
| you involuntary eXclaim 'is,t it awful cold"
After the fan IL passed, you come in sight OF
large rows of crates full of peaches piled upon
each other to the height Of ten feet, and hero AL
examination il made of the condition of the
peaches. found everything in good state of
preservation. Tho qualities Of peaches made no
were sound and hard, while the later varieties
alongside OF them were in the same condition
| Then We saw large iino tomatoes, grapes, can
teopcs and pears in abundance, and were struc
with the appearance of all, for they had not lost
even the freshness they showed before picking.
Tho thermometer is now down TO 80 deg, and
we SILVER and shiver while we continue exam
| ming the peaches. Here" our guide saws
ARE some peaches that have been III store f0i
six weeks, and we find them sound almost tc
! Tho peach. After few explanations aud q
| guarantee that tho refrigerator is q srccess
which we woro then ready to acknowledge oui
guide proposed that We return to open air, and
is al OF Us were by this time greatly chilled. VT
concluded not to explore above tho first iool
but believe that tho same state of the fruit OK.
listed in the second and third floors as on the
first and 30 back, past the immense fan, we &c
through three doors and are again in warn
climate, conSratulatng ourselves and thanking
tho engineer that the visit was 50 interesting
| and gratifying.
Now for an explanation of tho rotting OF some
OF the pcachos. carload of them had been
picked below MidiGtown ard shipped here on
the Delaware il. Il. This car was allowed tt
stand two days III the sun, and during that time
tho fruit became heated and finally . scaldei,
IN which state it was put in tho refrigerator
Cold air had no beneficial effect on il, and il
gradually grew worse, and finally rottod. when
it became necessary to take it from the building
which was done week before and last week, and
the iraiit now lics III the rear of it, q encost
You samplo,) pale in appearance and almost
| tastoless.
Ii any person Of doubtful propeneities wishes
to satisfy himself whether the refrigorating of
peaches liz a successful undertaking; or NOT, 10,
him 20 through Mcssrs. Eiker ~ Co. + refligora
tor and when lie scrntinisos the 10 1910 crates OF
fruit thorcin slowed. he will be, like myHelf
convinced that not only peaches but any otlel
pofishabe fruit can be preserved we'll
Tho firm have already shipped five or six car.
loads OF peaches to New York, aud will continue
70 ship alternate weeks from ono to two car
| Dads