New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-04
AN ENTH USIA STTC INVENTOR.
COOLING BUILDINGS ON A LARGE SCALE

COOLING BUILDINGS ON A LARGE SCALE.
PROFESSOR GAMGEE's PLANS" GLACIAL PEpFLA-
TON " AND THE ZERO MOTOR
John Gamgce has been for several years engaged
IN solving pre- 'iems OF refrigeration ventilation and
the manufacture OF ice by artificial means His
attention first directed to this class of subjects
meats ten or twelve years ago. when he came to
this country from Scotland for the purpose of
making experiments. He has invented n machine
lor making Ice a part OF the motive power of
which rs supplied by the ammonia that is used in
the same same machine FOR freeing In the machine he
Is using at present, by means Of the expansion of
ammonia, he is able to sarc more than 40 per cent
OF he power necessary to drive the machinery
nat is the n achne requires 40 celt less steam
than 1t would ii the motive power we're supplied by
steam engine alone. The success OF tins double
eugine n steam engine coupled with n low pressure
ammonia engine. gave rise 10 the conception that
engine might be constructed in which ammonia
could be made to do all the work so that steam
aud consequently heat produced by the combustion
oi coal could he dispensed with altogether Mr.
Gamgco and his assistants are now making a series
the purpose of bringing the invention if possible
mp to this state of perfectlo This projected engine
is called the motor.
Mr.. Gamgee arrived in this city from Washington
few days ago, and is at the Victoria Hotel IIc is
pieXi2n, blush gray eyes and n full dark beard
slightly tingcd with gray; lie is a fluent taller.
apd OF his projects he exhibits the enthusiasm
characteristic OF an inventor. In conversation with
tRiBUNE reporter he described what he hoped to
accomplish by means of his ice machine in making
ice and ventiiatmg houses.
ne ploDlen OF altlnClal refrigeration" he said,
" Is one OF the great problems of the day. Indeed.
taken III its relations to the relief of suffering the
introduction OF an adequate system of ventilation,
anu lhe proper provisioning OF cities, l know of
none that Is equal to 1t IN Importance. / have
worked at it continuously for dozen years and
am prepared TO say that IN no American city of any
Importance can natural ice begin to supply the
wants of the community. Gradually ice machines
have been improved, but all have been srIte,I IN
extremely limited production and have worked
better IN winter than in summer. The revolution
10 DC cfected then Is to have adequate supply of
lN Far n,,,I
produce on big scale"
How may this become practicabe~
n machine capable of making 800 tons of ice n
day requires only the skill To run IL that a ten
ton machine does, under a system whereby steam
ana condensing water is largely dispensed with.
AS TO the cost OF production artificial will cost
lttle more; if any per ton than is expended IN
cutting and storing natural ice on the river bank
Transportation and storage. you See are the main
causes of high prices aud irregular supply. The
distributlon OF natural Ice throughout the country
Is very unequal, and most unequal where ice is most
needcd-,ln the Southern States"
Would not the manufacture of artificial ice on
large scale meet with great opposition on the part
OF the Ice companies "
Most certainly. They have systematically op.
posed the only. system which obviously must soon
secure the public cheaper ice"
You also propose ventating public buildings
hH p nn houses p& means OF the ice machine
,' Wen, in The first place engineers have agreed
that To cool ana circulate air in overhuat ted dwell
ings Is practically impossible In my opinion no
method OF forcing air into and through buildings
can begin compare in point of economy ard
eclehcY WIN That of the circulation OF cold. as
nave called It. glacial periiation' Every medical
man anu engineer to whom have explained this
system admits It's adartabhty."
W nat is the principlc of distribution ~
Ills III ~ very simple AS everybody knows, cold air
descends and hot air rises. current Of Air could
ne put ID circulation by means OF a shaft for the
descent of cold ar aud another for the OF hot
ana IMPURE AIR. There Is enough beat in summer
10 give rso To the ascending column. Supply cold
at the proper place and You have also descending
Would the machine then be pnt in an elevated
position 7"
AT the TOP of the building There the air can be
taken ana cooled above tho smoke aud dust of the
ctty where 1t is free from impurities by this sys
ten whole block OF buildings could be supplied
WIN cool pure air that would produce a uniform
temperature and could be regulated at pleasure
How would the expense of this system COMPARE
ismY ~ " ~
A." The cost in round terms would not exceed one
SIKH as much IL would not approach the cost of
heating n house by the consumption of coal i'm The
winter season 90 YOU see people can secure by this
houses In summer III winter. The methods will
apply equally well to large buildings like the
Capitoi at WashinRton-w hch is poorly ventilated
to public halls, theatres school buil,inga ana
cnurches. In word air Of absolute purity can he
blown through buildings of any dnnensious in
absolutely limtless quantities"
TOW many TONS OF Ice can machine be made to
produce day 7" - '
They can he made large enough to mako J 600
TONS Day but III practice those producing 100 tons
day would he sufficiently large" WIZ
" Do you think that the prolccted vera uotor will
prove q success - wa
From my point of view it can't fail of success
h''eady we nave a low-prcssnrc engine working in
conjunction with steam engine. | have VET m
h,'u coihpeleht authority on theory in heat who
does not acknowledge the sOundncss of NV position
Inc experiments now making simply refer tn
matters OF mechanical details, which NAV Ina re-
gardcd purely as questions of time"