Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-23
The Works Of Warrington Companies
on the kennebec River.

AAAN u A'S HE m
The Works Of Washington Companies
on the kennebec River.
WHY IT 1s UNPRoF1rABLE TO HARVEST POTOMAC ICE
THE WAY THE ICE Is 0ATHERRD-cUTTNa AND
STORING ICE FOR Use DURING TIE DOG DAYs-Kx-
CRLLENT QUALITY OF THE ICE now BEING HAR-
vEsTED-A TALK WITH A MANAGER
Last night STAR reporter ran across Mr.. ]. K.
Ierkes, the home manager Of the Independent Ice
company, and shIveringly asked show about the ice
business this year?n
"An deeply into it up to our chins," replied Mr..
Yerkes
island or near the Great Falls?' inquired the re-
porter At neither place do we ind 1t the best: In
TACT. there's no best about 1t, and we aren't looking
Tor the best at either place mean that all our Ice
this year Will come from our works on the kenne-
bee river. in Maine. There Is no more ice on the
Potomac river worth harvesting, except for brew:
We can store it at Gardiner, the kennebec river,
Maine, and transport 1t to this city, cheaper and
with much more satisfaction than In making use
OF the Potomac ice"
TIE POTOMAC VERSUS rHE KENNEBEc.
"How is that? The ice companies OF this city
used TO assert that our native products in this line
We're good as northern tce'
THAT isn't 50. and never was so: here. come back
In this room and see the difference Mr.. Yerkes
TOOK tie reporter back and showed n specimen OF
Ice TAX yesterday afternoon from the Potomac
river Dack or AnaloStan Island. the place which
used to be noted for clear ice In olden time.
This he said. was taken out to-day. and Is
measuring ii with rule> is seven inches thick.
snowy part and ALL and Is you see. full OF specks
OF drt, ana more or less porous all the way through
except OH the bottom or underneath side. which is
pretty clear. Compared with this piece said Mr..
lerkeS, pointing TO Il lump OF transparent kind,
ad e 1ysf ice IS n" Wns at
gather and house this Potion Ic ice in such a sea-
son as the present for the brewers, butchers and
''lrs. it IS profitable when it is good enough to
gather; but II Is not thick enough as yet. You ob
serve that sample is seven inches thick, but you
also notice that about two inches of the top part IS
or lighter color and would have to be 'pianed off,.
leaving five inches. That process would take day
maybe; then the chances are that warm spell OF
thirty->ix or forty hours might follow and destroy
the rena niar. AL the trouble and expense would
then De thrown away; other contingencies as
1atal might occur, and in this climate all the
chances are against the success OF the harvester.
we find IN the long run that the better way is TO
e Tvs fGr T ice M tnnT n
thsSdAy, anu perhaps Ill the known world"
Inn, about our other Washington Ice COM
pani3S?' asked the reporter.
"They have all come to the same conclusion and
are depending on the northern Ice, mostly from
kennebec. But they can speak for themselves
THE WORKS ON THE KENNEBEc.
"What is your capacity at Gardiner for storage:'
inquired the reporter.
1--WE have Storage capacity there for over So
600 tons, and are enlarging every year; we have
twenty houses. 4Ox15O feet. which will soon all be
cramned full, and are having two more nearly COM
peted, which will be filled this winter for the first
time
"What quantity OF frontage have you on that
river?i
lone thousand four hundred feet running back
good long distance giving plenty Of for cot
tages. boarding houses. stables tool houses sor
ages for provisions and different kinds material
our franchise extends into the river to its center
giving us more space than we will ever want, in
all prob ibIllty. for Ice gathering"
''What is the best season for Operating?"
Most generally in the month OF January. some
times earlier, sometimes later, and sometimes the
best kind OF Ice is harvested In Malch-the early
part
II suppose about one hundred and fifty to two
hundred men and thirty to forty horses are en-
ployed there" continued Mr. Yerkes ''fhe la:orers
are paid about $3.50 per day and board There are
many kinds OF tools used in the service, bu, those
mostly used are the ice Scrapers, planes MARKERS
pioWs and breaktng-on chlsels.'
THE DIFFICULTIES OF ICE HARVESTING
"Ihe business does not seem TO be very difficult
one to manage" ventured tie reporter
"Ihere'S Wnere persons at distance get fooled,
said Mr. ierkes. automatically. it looks ali smooth
ana Ike very pretty work TO persons cOnverSing on
the matter, standing in a comfortable room in
Washington. Yet 1t is hard work. often hazardous
and requires great vigilance and activity to success
fully MI lee houses with uniformly cut pieces CT
pure. solid and transparent Zee. snowy Ice Will no;
dot must be solid TO suit customers and keep up
the reputation OF Kenlebec river ice Because OF
VI Il Iuc
the tool most In requsition. The Scrapcr is nearly
always at work. Shows are Of frequeni occurrence
In Maine, ard it must be removed somewhere. and
not suffered 10 be packed and frozen or the ice
Ueid. aud the planes have TO be used much to clear
Oh rough plates ANA make the surface all over the
spaces USED look Gear and solid"
"Wllere do the wOrkmen first commence their
lahor,?"
al the center Of the river said MI Yerkes sand
they work towards the shore. where the elevators
are constantly at work carrying up the solid unps
which are shifted Off in WOO len planes or s,ie-
ways into the various ice houses by men stationed
aoit Tor the purpose Three elevators are u5f.i at
the c0inpany'S works There are three channels
cut and made permanent up to the shore, which are
always kept open for the reception OF the RATS of
ice constantly arriving rri,n the center Of the river
These elevators are constructed one ut each canal
or ch;innel; and are, in fact, Immense endless
nent wheels fixed under the water, and propelled
by heavy steam engines on the shore. Ihty ar.
constantly carrying up to the top OF the elevators
the uniformly cut pieces OF Ice each weighing IRON
500 TO 6ty pounds which. as before Stated, are
siiuted Gil TO the Ice houses desired to be flled.
heoe pieces Of ice af1Oat In these channels and
the endless chain-lays are constantly carving
them away. This work is kept up day and night
50 long SIS the weather permits, and the ice houses
''What time did your company commence OPERA
tons this Year, asked the reporter.
'rhe Independent Ice company began harvest
ing Ice THIS winter before any Othar COMPANY
Operations were begun January 9Th; when the
works were continued one day, then they were
shut down two days Oh account OF rain storm:
but began again on the 18th. and have run every
DAY SINCE. Every company The river that intends
10 house Ice this season now putting In their
tlie 10 Tie best advantage In 1iliing their houses
ICE OF EXCELLENT QUALITY.
"How about the quality of the CROP"
"The crop was never exceiled for its quality and
as general thing the weather has been fine for
running IT. Some OF the blocks are from ls to 20
Inches thick and still getting thicker. The Ice har-
VeSters are we'll pleased with the prospects,"
HAS there been many improvements made of
late In the methods used for harvestings"
lhere nave been attempts at Improvement"
said Mr. Yerkes, sand OF course attempts are
always being made, and OFTEN with success espe-
claiiy In that Indispensable article, the snow
scraper. Mr.. Church made new one last winter
but met with all accident. breaking the axle and
has not had time since to give any attention to it.
Ihere has been another one made this year called
big thing on 1ce.' 1t is a patented snow scraper
the Invention OF Mr.. Il. A. Burch. 1t Is Claimed
Tor II that II Will save the labor men, besides
doing more anu better work. 1t IS simple, durable
ana practical In It's construction and by very in
gehiouS arrangement OF gears Is under perfect and
easy cOntrol or The driver, leyeling the snow over
much larger space at the and OF the dump instead
or al III one plie as In the Old-faShiOned machine
AS all the rest OF the world moves SUPPOSE the
SHOW Scraper will move along towards perfection
tOO'
THE GREAT FALLS COMPANY.
The reporter then turned his course to the Office
OF the Great Falls Ice company, on street. near
18th. Here he aScertained that the Great FalIs'
company do not regard the Potomac Ice as worth
the harvest these late years, but that they depend
on the kennebec river Ice for their trade This
rlver similar to the one owned by the independent
company. Mr. John Van Riswick who for many
years has been the president OF the COMPANY has
Deem prevailed upon TO withdraw from its active