The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-07-18


here, one containing four rooms, three
hundred feet long by thirty five feet wide
thirty-three high, and another containing
three rooms of the same size. And in T
addition, sheds called stacks, are added
around the buildings, which are filled,
and from which the ice is first shipped
in the Summer. Besides these houses,
the company has houses of about the
same capacity at four or five other places
on the river. There are also on the
river houses for other cities and others for
private companies. But, as in everything
else, monopoly is trying to obtain control
and in this instance by the hands of the
Knickerbocker CO., who are buying up
other places, and it is thought will soon
control at least the business on this river.
Besides shipping it to Philadelphia, they
are now sending it all over the South.
AS matter Of course the filling of
these houses and the shipping of the ice
furnish employment for all the available
labor, and their methods of working are
quite interesting to see or learn about.
AS soon as the ice is formed and the snow
has fallen, the work commences in scrap
ing and cleaning it. When Of sufficient
thickness, this is housed and the same
preparation made for harvesting the sec
ond crop. And by the time this is put
away it is time to commence shipping.
The ice is cut in blocks of uniform size
about two feet wide by three feet long
and in thickness varying from fourteen to
twenty-five inches. These are foated
| to the elevator, which is two endless
chains with crosspieces connecting, like a
ladder working over an incline, up which
| the ice is drawn to the top of the house,
from whence it is distributed throughout
the houses by means of its own gravity
and another series of inclnes, or ''runs,"
as they are called. These runs are SO
arranged around the sides of the house
that as the houses become filled they are
taken out. The ice is packed in the
rooms in solid masses without sawdust or
other packing. Or rather it is laid up in
rows like walls, with space of about six
inches between each one. And the work
men take great pride in laying these with
mathematical straightness. A light GOV
ering of hay is laid over the top and there
the ice will keep, even when not used for
over year. In fact the company always
tries to keep over a few houses full in
order to provide for n possible failure in
the crop.
In the Summer, when the vessel is
brought up to the dock for load, new
runs are fitted up from the house to the
vessel, and force of men are put to
work. One gang get the ice out of the
house and put it upon the run. And it
may be imagined that the speed with
which these blocks weighing about three
hundred pounds. come down the run is
fearful. 1t is necessary to provide the I
run with spikes in places over which the
ice must pass, and which retards its speed T
considerably. At the bottom it is re-
ceived by the "bear trap" contrivance
consisting of two planks drawn together |
at one end and worked with lever,
which brings it effectually to standstill.
The second gang then take hold and pass
it over the scales where it is weighed, and
then to the vessel, where it is lowered
into the hold, and the third gang pack it
away. 1t is hard work and every man
must do his part or the whole work will
stop, and the ice come piling up on him
until some one gets hurt. There is just
enough danger, together with thu CON
stant activity, to render it exciting, so
that you will hardly be able to find any
where more jolly, reckless set of men.
With all this work ice has been sold as
low as forty-two and one-half cents per
ton, and is now considered worth about
one dollar delivered in the vessel,