Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-08-25
The Apnrehended Ice Famine.

THE Talk IN NEW YORK AND wAsHINGrON-THE
QUESTION OF IMPORTING ICE FROM NORwAY-ICs
IRoCGHr CHEAPLY TO wAsHINGTON-THE AD-
VANTAGE OF HARB0R HERE-ABOCT NATURAL
AND ARTIFICIAL ICE.
The continued hot weather has had the effect
OF reyiving the subject OF an ice famine In
New York considerable alarm is felt, and the
papers Of that city are freely discussing the
subject, some claiming that there Is danger for
such famine, and others denying It. Ii Is stated
that the Ice crop made in New York Is already
exhausted, and that there Is not more than
500eO tons Of ice In Maine that is rot contracted
for. In New York the prices are: To retail
per ton; ice delivered TO butchers restaurants.
&C, sl4 per ton, and family trade, 81 per hun
dred AT this date last year the rates were 30
cents per hundred and $3.50 per ton.
To keep the readers OF THE STAR posted In re-
lation TO this subject as 1t appears In this city
reporter has been looking over the situation
Passing the wholesale butter warehouse OF
Messrs- oyster & Co., corner OF 9th street and
PenDsy lvania avenue, this morning. an Inquiry
Of these merchants drew from them the fact
piled by one OF our ice companies on verbal
contract OF 40 cents per hundred by the season
delivered at the wharf. but that the company
me season. They don't consider that theg
have been well treated By the ic, men.
Tie Mcssrs- Oyster ere large consume 3. re
their business. Several dealers i'm fish and melts
being questioned all told similar stories. Quite
a number Of butchers 10 THIS city have facilIIie,
Tor harvesting their own supplies, but the Ice
crop failing last winter, very little was saved
ana nearly every trade or occupation requiring
the use OF ice has TO depend this season on
northern Ice; and our Ice companies have had
flush times OF IL. In view Of the great advan-
tage the ice men have held over the consumers
the current season, IL is but just to the Ice com
panleS TO state that in very few cases have they
exercised undue or arbitrary power over their
customers. IL is true that Ice has been selling
at high rates, and While some claim that the
Ice dealers nave combined to keep up the prices
on the pretext OF an anticipated ice famine
Others admit that the supply is limited. On one
point all agree, that there was an unusually
small ice crop in this immediate vicinity. and
That the high rates have greatly Inconvenience
merchants, who require large quantities In
their business. The butchers. fish dealers and
Ice cream dealers are among the sufferers The
beer dealers are also of the same class. and
many small consumers. poor families and others
are connelied to regard Ice as a luxury rather
ttian necessity. and give up its use altogether
for the time being.
Meeting with Mr.. c. B. Church, of the indie
porter, noting his compliment countenance
market in this Districts
M. Ctltfch:-.. Very much the same as when
we mad That talk In July On the ice question.
We've as much as we can do to supply the
wants OF our customers"
3GT:-"W VIII you have enough ice to hold out
through the season."
c." That depends On how long the present
heated term continues. We begin to see the
1o1tom OF our pile OF Ice and it is going rapidly.
" men we reach the bottom we will have to
stop, or pay much larger sum for it than we
low get tor our own
Star:-"Then you really have fears that you
viii be unable to carry your District customers
through the season."
C.:-"lf the season is an ordinary one In
length We hope TO be able to get through. 1 do
not believe in giving our citizens unnecessary
alarm. What we have In store in Maine we
shall retain for our District consumption, and /
think 1t Will be sufficient
SGr:-"Have you raised the price on copsum-
eTS in this District"
C:--"Not at ALL We have kept good faith
with them, as we promised. In selling to tran
as the market price advances On the Kennebec
river To our small consumers and housekeep-
erS no advance has been made. Notwithstanding
the rise in every city throughout the cOuntry.b
NdT:-' How many tons of ice is required this
season 70 supply the demands in this District"
CT should say from 100 900 to 125 900 tons
dependent company has been forced this season
to make large OUTLAWS In extending its works on
the Kennebec, In the way of store rooms and
freezing surface in order to keep pace with the
Sdr:-'In stating the number of tons con-
sumed here, do you mean that your company
has furnished that quantity Of ice here?'
c." No: mean that as an approximate
quantity all the Ice companies together have
furnished this season."
ST. IT, How many tons of Ice have you in store
C.:-Between 1000 and 5000 tons, which will
carry us through, l think. We are receiving IL
every week, and have Just discharged cargo
at our Wharves OF 1,214 tons from a very large
schooner"
star :" Is not that large cargo?"
c." III Is; but Ice shippers are finding 1t
great economy to have large transports"
Nar:-' Why sO?"
Give find that the wastage by melting Is
much less when shipped In large vessels than ia
smaI ones. Where II used to be from 35 to 50
how
Pig and handling 1t, as to reduce to from 20 TO
% per cent. This you see makes great differ
ence, and we can now float as large vessels 10
our harbor as can be done in any harbor in the
United States, and just here you can see the
advantage In having our river channel kept
open by dredging. In consequence OF the excel
lent cOndltlon OF our channel at the present
time. we got our freights as cheap as they do in
New York"
!Sar:-'1 don't quite understand how that
can De-do you mean that you pay no more per
Mdine?'
c. do, and sometimes we pay less. This
IS explained from the fact that usually vessels
are sure OF getting return cargoes from here of
soft coal. there being always a demand for it
east. When they do not get return cargOes,
they have to charge more for carrying our ice
gu see IL works Well for both the ice and coal
trade; ice dealers feel as much interest In an
open canal, and the effects OF strikes among
miners and canal men as do the coal merchants.
SGr:-''Haye you heard the project advanced
OF bringing ice from Norway
CT have heard that it had been tried In
New York. but without success. The freight
costs too much, besides, 1t takes too long a
Tine, and the quality is not so good as our lee.
There Is no better ice than comes from Maine.
ana as the crop hardly ever fails at home we
ma e no need OF going abroad for a supply. f.
may be that the project Will sometime or other
De seriously considered OF 1reighting Ice from
Norway. There Is hardly anything that men
won't Try 10 DO, but not much or business
could De made OF an enterprise like that"
S0r:-"HoW about the manufacture OF ice
can that be made to pay"
C." Probably not hereabOuts. 1t might work
Wei Tor the south. where there is no natural
crops 10 gather. and where freightS are high
S0r:-" Has 1t been successfully tried any
where ~
CT think 1t has. Senator Jones. OF Fla.
claims 10 nave made It a success at home He
was In my Office not long ago TO try and induce
me 10 put up the machinery necessary to man
ufacture 1t Tor this market There are many
methods OF making Ice, and OF all | have ey
anlned thus far think his process the best
IL Is noZcn, OF course, by the use OF volatile.
chemicals, but the machinery and labor is
100 costly 10 compete with Jack Frost.
About the lowest estimate OF cost for
manufactured Ice Is from s. to 81 per ton and
inen IL cannot be frozen In large. solid blocks
ike our natural Ice. Usually ice can ba nanLad
In storehouses In Maine for 81 per ton. or hatter
quaLty 100. In manufacturing II Is usuaIIv
mace INTO small cakes about the SIZE of hricsS
which IL Is said can be CONCEALED tlto as IarTn
CAKES as IS needed for any USE There is 6n
COuDt but that good ice no prsNo,,1.I,