Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-09
ICE CROP NOT PROMISING.
BIG FIELDS DESTROYED BY THE
JANUARY FRESHETS.

The Demand for higher Wages by Har-
vestsrs Increasing the Cost OF Gather
ing and Storing Fifty Per Csnt-Savan-
mains Consumption OF Frozen Goodness
Tho Price of Northern Ice Not to be
Less than Three-fOurths Of a Cent.
Everyone would naturally think that
after the many cold waves which have
swept over the country since winter set
in there ought not TO be any alarm about
a small ice crop. But ice men say that
the outlook for a full crop is not brilliant.
Representatives OF the houses, Knicker-
booker and Haywood, Gage d. Co., state
that as yet nothing like a full crop has
been harvested. Untimely freshets on the
Kennebec and Hudson rivers last month
destroyed splendid fields of ice. On the
Kennebec sharp cold snap Immediately
followed the breakup, and arrested the
floating ice before 1t got out OF the river.
Logs, lumber, and ice were piled UP
promiscuously and frozen together in a
rough mass 80 that the ice could not be
harvested.
There has not been similar occurrence
on the kennebec since 1869, when there
came thaw followed by a cold snap
which froze the jumbled ice for miles, just
as has happened this winter. There Is
still month left in which TO harvest, and
tull supply may be obtained yet.
On the Hudson the frost has done its
work very well, but the previous freshets
tumbled a mass Of mud, dirt and re-
fuse into the river just at time when
the surface concealed. The water was
muddy when it froze and large share OF
the ice is scarcely lit to house.
The stock of old ice on the Hudson ia
estimated at 100000 tons. Half Of this is
credited to the Knickerbocker Company.
This leaves nearly 100000 tons TO be
gathered, estimating the total storage ca
pacity to be 100000 tons. A few new
houses have been built since last year,
and the storage capacity has been in
creased by over 100000 tons. There are
about 80 houses on the Hudson owned by
over 30 separate companies or individ-
uals. The houses range in storage ca
pacity from 10000 10 125, 900 tons.
The knickerbOcker Company, which
was incorporated in 1855, and is the old
est and largest on the river owns thirty
five Of the houses.
Messrs. Haywood, Gage g. Co. have their
supply assured for next summer. The
most OF their ice was cut from ponds
around Boston, and Is clear and OF good
quality. Boston has a large trade in ice
with Cuba, Mexico, and South America.
The PenObscot river appears to have
escaped rather better than the Kennebec
and the Hudson. The ice now on the
Penobscot in the vicinity OF Bangor is
about 20 inches thick, clearer than usual,
and probably as fine as any ever housed.
The various companies there report album
daut applications for the seasons supply
at good prices.
The ice cutting surface or the river ex-
tends about six miles. The present ca
pacity of the houses is only 125,000 tons.
Almost all of the Atlantic coast cities
draw large part of their supply of ice
from Maine. New York concerns 90 there
also when the Hudson has iight yield.
The profits of the business for Maine ice
men depend, in a great measure, on
whether tue New York demand is large
or small. The storage capacity of the
state il gradually increasing. There can
probably be stored in the houses on the
kennebec not far from l, 100000 tons, and
perhaps 100000 more on the coast, the
Penobscot and the Cathanee. On the
latter stream, where there are a number
of small concerns, the winters cut will
probably be the largest ever reported.
One drawback TO the ice business which
has not been felt heretofore is found in
the organized demand of the Knights of
Labor for more wages than any previous
winter. While the labOrers were glad to
get employment at 80 cents to 81 day
last winter, they are now demanding
81 80 or more. This increases the cost OF
cutting and storing 90 per cent.
Savannah consumes 10, 600 tons or 20, 000-
0O0pOunds Office every year. In November,
December, January, and February the
consumption is very small, and ice men
say that they lose money every day dur
Ing those months. The biggest demand is
in August, and a big business is done
with interior towns. The local trade Is
not so large, for great many people leave
the city in August, but interior resorts
require large quantities OF the cooling
article.
1t is understood that no Northern ice
will be sold for less than q cents per
pound after next month.
Entertainment,