St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-02
SOMETHING ABOUT ICE.
COngeaIed va er. SAT- and FRESH oav tn
Steamship Britannia Vas Cut Out
Games on Icc-CJnsti,lg Comfort.

ment and investigation is that of CONCEALED
water, tersely called ice. Like its opposite
element, fire, it is very agreeable and use
full servant, but despotic and cruel master.
The northern and southern poles of the
globe are under the exclusive rule of the ice
king; and a large portion Of the universe,
both land and water. is held in subsection
by the frgid tyrant The seal and the wal
rus disport themselves in the freezing brine,
and the ponderous polar bear takes his daily
promenade on the floating islands of the
Arctic seas in search of his prey.
Until about seventy-fve years ago ice
was not dreamed of as an article of neces-
sity or luxury. 1t was considered an un-
mitigated nuisance. The idea of admins
tering ice to patients burning up with fever,
or supplying it to private houses, hote 5,
and hospitals as a luxury is one of compar-
ativeiy modern origin. Its use is now con-
sidered absolutely indispensable, both in
summer and winter. 1t is not only essential
to the comfort of the living but an absolute
necessity in the caring for the dead.
In social life ice in various forms is lux
ury which no one can afford to ignore. The
an impression with his ideal fair one can
find no more efficient aid than that fur
nished by ice cream and frozen puddings.
BY the use of these adjuncts his suit is sure
to prosper.
In writing Of ice, reference is made to
salt water and fresh water ice, simply be-
cause it all belongs to the same family, with
the difference that one is adapted for do
mestic uses and the other more extensively
employed in the building Of icebergs, block
aiding harbOrs, wrecking steamers and other
sailing craft. Our Boston merchants, before
the invention Of steam tugs, often suffered
great losses and annoyance from the block
AIDES, which often detained vessels with
valuable cargoes for days, and sometimes
weeks.
The winter Of 1874 was unusually severe,
and ice formed SO rapidly in Boston harbor
for week or ten days previous to February
that the ordinary methods Of breaking it up
were of no avail. The steamer Britannia was
advertised to sail February 3, aud there
seemed no possible way to get her 20 sea. No
power then known could crush through the
massive covering, and the steamer seemed
quite as firmly fastened as a berg in the polar
seas. New Workers ridiculed our harbor and
ironically advised the Cunard line to quit our
little ice-clad harbor.
AT length our merchants got their "backs
up" and, as the day Of sailing approached,
they resolved to make an attempt TO free the
imprisoned ship. large sum was sub
scribed, and a contract was solicited to cut
channel through the mass from the steamers
wharf to Boston lighthouse. Mr. John Hill,
of Faleuil hall market, offered to take the
job, but finding, upon investigation, that ii
was bigger one than he anticipated, backed
out. Gage, Hettenger Il Co, ice dealers,
having had largo experience in getting out
the slippery product at Fresh pond, under
took the enterprise with successful results.
They began near the navy yard by saving out
the ice in blocks, making channel 100 feet
in width. As fast as the masses we're sawed
through, they were pushed under the
edge and hoated out with the ebb
tide. So rapidly and skillfully did
the work 20 on that on the
morning Of the steamers regular sail
day, Feb 3, she left her dock and moved
down the harbor amidst salute Of artillery
and the cheers Of thousands, who rot only
lined the wharves, but gathered in a large
multitude on the ice. AS the steamship
moved majestcally along, sac was accom-
panied by procession on each side, which
marched rs far as the ice would admit, or
nearly abreast of the lower light. On the
ice we're booths and tents where hot drinks
OF various kinds and cigars met with brisk
sale. 1t was a regular holiday, aud our city
earned, even from New Workers, great credit
for puck and enterprise.
The expectation OF ice, which originated
in Boston aud has been peculiar feature Of
our commerce, was begun in 1906 by the late
Frederic Tudor, a man of great intelligence
and energy. He was first engaged in the
West India trade, and he early experienced
the discomforts Of life in n torrd climate,
wpere butter became fluid, meats putrd, and
water tcpid in a few hours. He made his
first shipment 20 Guadaloupe, aud afterwards
extended II through the island. His efforts
were successful, improving by the experience
Of each year, and bringing him handsome
returns. About 1888 he conceived the idea
OF shipping ice 10 the East Indies Tue pro-
jet was thought 10 be a wild one, and old
shippers predicted a ruuous failure. They
asserted that the melting Of the ice on so
long 4 voyage would founder the ship. Mr.
Tudor persevered, however, and the first
East India ship loaded was commanded by
Capt. W. C. Rogers, who landed his cargo in
excellent condition. The ice was FIRST
packed in tan bark and afterwards in saw
dust.
Mr.. W. c. Goldman, now q merchant in
this city, made four voyages as supercargo
for Mt Tudor's ships He states that the
natives Of the East Indies were very much
astonished at the frigid csrgOes. aud asked
many curious Questions. Some thought the
chunks Of ice grew ON trees aud others be-
lieved they descended from the skies like a
hail storm on n large scale. They soon, how
ever, appreciated the luxury. This trade |
with the Indies is now nearly run out, espec-
tally since the discovery OF making ice by an
artificial chemical process. II is vet shipped !
TO the West Iudirs ami other southern sec
tons in pretty large quantities, as the fol-
lowing figures will show. In 1883 shipments
were as follows;
To Trinidad, l.IsS tons; Rio Jaueiro.
200; CAYENNE, 545; s.. Pierre. 1899, Guada-
loupc. 1881; Baroadues, l. 567 81. Thomas,
a,545; Cieufuegus, 54S; Port Spain, 2.526;
Aspinwall, 4,429; eoastwise, s6 426; Dcme-
rara. s, 629; Kingston, Jamaica, Z, COL. Total,
-, 534 tons.
Tue domestic consum ptiou OF ice increases
with each season, vet the business is largely
divided in con sequence Of the immense
competition. The foreign business 10 the
article is mostly done by eastern dealers who
ship largely from The kenebec river.
Before the adv nj Of rolling skates. skat-
ing upon ice vas considered one Of the mos,
manly. Womauly aud healthful %; an athletic
smusemeuts. Tue giartng surface, the brae-
ing air, aud ample scope for lOag rae or
trial Of skill I'm parted a tone to tue system
which no indoor exercise could possibly pro
duce- PLAYING ''hooSey'' on the ice VAS an
exciting pAsiime, but game Of football on
is slippery surface vas something TO talk
about oy the survivors. f" CoAstinz down
bill on an icy coating al nearly lightning
speed is supremacy Jolly. SO the BJston