The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-01-04
WheeIiug Ice This seaaSn-Ths General
~. - Cron Of lie Country.

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For RA4EJ Muttr-lOEEPH FOESYrHE'
~ -
WheeIipg Ice This seaaSn-The General
eJ Crop OF Ii Country, .
The ice being put up in Wheeling and
vicinity this season Is Of a superior quail
ty. We saw some fine specimens Of large
clear blue blocks yesterday, carted along
the streets. II is probable that the supply
both in quality and quantity, will be equal
this winter to any we have seen for years
One OIL the compensations Of the unusual
cold weather now prevalent throughout
the country Is supplied in the assurance
Of abundant and presumably cheap Ice
next summer, The outlook for the Ice
harvest now being diligently gathered Ia
exceptionally promising. Ice will be cut
and stored in sections like Virginia and
that ~latitute, which rarely yield it, oil
proper quality and thickness. A million
and a half tons is promised from the
operations OF the season on the KenebeC
and Penobscot rivera in Maine, The work
on those rivers began nearly three weeks
ago on ten inches Of the finest ice thai
ever brought comfort to sweItering hui
mauity In the toTrid days Of July and
August. On the PenobsCot the business Ia
comparatively new; hardly a block had
been cut for shipment before last winter
Although the reports from the Hudson
are not encouraging to the Maine ice men
every firm In the business on the Penob'
scot will increase last yoat's cut, and sew
eral new firms have been started to cut
Incorporation. They will take the Ice
from the river in the vicinity of Bangor
and for two or three miles below. The
volume OF operations on the KennebeC
will depend TO some extent on advlces from
the field to be supplied, The only large
concern that will cut as much as usual Ia
the. Philadelphia KniCkerbocker, which
depends on Maine as q source OF sup
ply. 1t stored 100000 tons . year
ago, and will cut as much this year,
II not more. They cut every year in a
good many places along the KennebeC
river, and they also have ponds at North
BooLhbay, down near the coast, where
they cut for current use during the winter.
At those ponds they take the blocks out
oithe watOr aud shoot them directly down
an Inclined plane to the ships that lie
there loading. The New York Knlcker.
booker, which went up to Maine last year
and thought several houses at Richmond
With the ice In them to Gke out the short
supply on the Hudson, will do solne cut.
ting, but the extent Of 1t depends on the
weather in New York State, A few days
ago they sent orders to Richmond, u few
miles above Bath, not TO do anything at
present, but to wait until later in the sea
son.
A correspondent OF the New York Tri'
LunsSays that 1t costs to cut Ice on the
Kennebec aud PenobsCot rivers from
IA to 20 cenrs . ton; 50 cents to load 1t on
vessels, and about 81 so to freight 1t
to market. The freights vary greatly, how.
ever, according to ~the,supply Of shipping.
, In the early part Of the summer the Arc
tic and other companies we're obliged to
telegraph to Europe frequently to charter
ships for this trade, many vessels coming
across the Atlantic In ballast to take car.
goes to New York City and the South. Ice
was selling OF from 80 To Is cents a ton,
laden on board the vessels on The Kenne.
bee, but the irsights were as high ne s. q
ton, sometimes 81. Later In the season, as
Ice rose in value, the supply Of shipping
was larger, and tteiEhts dropped from 81
to q. 26. s., 50 so, aud finally To 81 q ton,
the price Of Ice going M, howeyer,reCipro.
Cally and rapidly, and ending q month or
two ago at SO a Ion. The first lot which
was sold IS high as s., was sent 10 New
York by the Arctic Company. The New
York buyers OF the first two Cargoes OF
1000 tons each at that price unfortunately
lost about 81 800 on each cargo, or account
Of a h~uCtuation in values which took
. place before the vessels arrived in port,
but that was an exceptional experience.
Nearly all who dealtiu the commodity the
last part ofthe season made o handsome
thing out Of 1t, and a few conCerns made
fortunes. They are sold out clean. Their
profits stirred up the good people Of
Maine amazingly, and this winter several
firms who own vessels and sail them In
general trade on their own account are
contemplating embarking In the ice bust.
ness now as q new field Of operation. A
number otvessels are nnw building which
expect 10 do q part oil the irelghting.
Some OF these are shoal vessels Of large
capacity, which can run long distances up
the rivers. This class Of sChooners Is par.
ticularly adapted to the business, and can
usually command high prices for freight.
ing. This is a trade In which they meet
with no competition from steamers.
Maine is particularly adapted for carry.
ing on the fee business on q large scale.
That State has an untalllng supply Of Ice
and an abundance oil large vessels re-.
quired fer sending II 10 Market The Ice
now goes almost all over the world. Oar.
goes have been sent even 10 the East In.
dies. The arrival Of a few small ships
from Norway last fall, when ice was reign.
ing at 50 o ton, with CargoeS oil the com.
modify, gave q m%otnentary shock TO the
trade there. But the competition Of Nor.
way ia not feared for the future. No ship
can afford to go TO Norway for Ice unless
IL IL confident Of selling out at s. or 60 In
the United States. The pfoapeCt now Ia
that exceptional prices will not be reached
at any time the coming season,