Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-10-05
SECOND EDITION.
The niddIeto1vn Refrigerator.

ORDINATIONS OF A RAMBLE THROUGH Irs DARK
AND FREEZING cAvERNs-PEACHEs, PEARS AND
OANTELouPEs ALIKE WELL PREsERvED-sHIP-
MENTs FROM THE BUILDING IN PRodRESs.
SIeciaL Correspondence Of the Commercial
MIpDLETowN, Oct. A.
After the unusual privilege OF rambe
through the refrigerating house of Messrs. Pi-
ker u Co. at this place, permit me to give some
description of its contents IS they are at pres
ent, with the experiences one feels while pass
ing through its icy atmosphere. Those who EN-
ter are accompanied by guide who directs your
footsteps by means Of the fickerng light of
lantern besides which nota ray Of light illu-
mines the darkness of the interior. As the main
door is thrown open and you step inside, a chilly
atmosphere meets you, and you are at once COM
PEELED to draw your coat tightly about your shiv-
ering form, but when the next heavy wooden
door il pulled open, and you race the
large fan that is revolving above an
an lmmerse quantity of ice stored in the base
ment thought steals into your mind that per-
haps two cebergs are closing upon you, and
you involuntary exclaim ''isnt IL awful cold.
After the fan is passed, you come in sight OF
large rows of crates full of peaches piled upon
each other to the height Of ten feet and here an
examination is made OF the condition or tile
peaches. / found everything in good state OF
preservation. The qualities of peaches made no
difference in their keeping, for HaleS Early
were sound and hard while the later varieties
alongside of them were in the same condition.
Then we saw large fine tomatoes, grapes, can
telopes and pears in abundance, and were struck
with the appearance of all, for they had not lost
oven the freshness they showed before picking.
The Thermometer is now down TO 30 deg, and
we sliver and shiver while we continue exam
lining the peaches. ''Here." our guide says,
"are some peaches that have been in store for
six weells," and we find them sound almost to
the peach. After few explanations and
guarantee that the refrigerator IL a success,
which we were then ready to acknowledge, our
guide proposed that We return to open air, and
as all of us were by this time greatly chilled, We
concluded not to explore above the first floor
but believe that the same state of the fruit ex-
isted in the second and third floors as on the
first and so back, past the immense fan, we go
through three doors and are again in warm
climate, congratulating ourselves and thanking
the engineer that the visit was 80 interesting
and gratifying.
Nov for an explanation of the rotting of some
Of The peaches A carload of them had been
picked below Mddlctown and shipped here on
the Delaware II. X. This car was allowed to
stand two days in the sun, and during that time
the fruit became heated and finally 'scalded"
in which state it was put III the felrlgerator.
Cold air had no beneficial effect on it, and 1t
gradually grew worse, and finally rotted when
it became necessary to take it from the building,
which was done week before and last week, and
the fruit now lies in the rear OF it, q enclose
you sample,) pale in appearance and almost
tasteless.
If any person of doubtful propensities wishes
to satisfy himself whether the refrigerating OF
peaches is n successful undertaking or not, let
him go through Messrs. Iiiker Il Go. g refrigera.
tor and when he scrutnises the 10000 crates of
fruit therein slowed, he will be, like myself
convinced that not only peaches but any other
perishabe fruit can be preserved well.
The firm have already shipped five or six car
loads OF peaches to New York, and will continue
to ship alternate weeks from one to two car
ln6Ia.