New-York tribune., 1886-02-07
THE MIDWINTER HARVEST.
AMAZING GROWTH OF YANKEE NOTION.
THE ICE CROP on THE HUDSON AND HOW 1T 10


KINGSTON, NY, Feb SIT was Frederick
1ruor Bostonan, nrst conceived the IDEA Oh coi
IectIng and preserving ico for human consumption
th, country and the enterprise is one belonging "ho
to the present century Like all new ventures OF th
character the protector confronted with obstacles
and discouragemen on every hand But no was MAJ
OF indomtable push and energy and he lived to SEQ Ms
net enterprise developed intOa grand success reaphA
large sums OF money himself from the business IN a'e
years Beginning In the smallest and most modest man
ner In the winter OF 1905 hs gathered ice from Fresn
Pond" a lake near Cambridge, Mass. ~tmprovisins
implements that would smuse modern ice-man
to Iok upon Bot ice-cream had mol
ret been the demand for the novel product
was small few became attracted by the new business,
and Mr. Tudor continued to monODolize the Ice trads
for twentyseven years. Then. In 1882 the grand leo
total gathered amounted to 1852 TONS which is now er
ceeded by private ice houses But as will be seen,
even this stock proved ample supply TO satisfy
both the local aud foreign trade For about this time
Mr.. Tudor became impressed with the feasibility OF
shipping ice to tropical ports He tried to tnd vessel
to carry his crystazsd product but shp-ownsrs do
INJURED. They feared rapid melting on the way would
endanger the vessels safety the protective properties
Of hay sawdust. etc. being then mpereety understood
Undaunted by this. however he purchased an old brig
which hastily rcEtted. loaded with ce stepped on
board himself sailed for Havana without stopping
10 recount the details OF somewhat eventful voyage
except the heavy loss by melting 1t must be OBJ
,erved that Tudos safe arrival at Havana only brought
him new tribulation for time He knew the people had
never ice and knew nothing about 1t. and ho OK
peced to obliged to teach them it's uses. But he
found they afraid OF It, Thus while the remnant
pf his pershable cargo rapidly running away nto
The hold OF his old brig he labored ngeniously and In
resanty to create demand for IT, He put pitchers OF
lee water the hotel bars paying for the privilege but
charging nothing for the cooling beverage The natives
tasted 1t cautiously and quickly spit 1t out at FIRST But
H..dg, harm fhaw ha0l IN
freely Then MI Tudor took away the free pitchers
,ud opened shop where sold the ice. charging only
small sum Mt first His first cargo was thus of little
direct pecuniary profit but IL mado foreign demand Tor
leo and subsequent brought handsome returns
Ho aferward secured large contract from the British
Government to furnish ice for the army at
a.cutta, the paper bearing the royal
uxnature Of Queen Victoria This he held
for several years making large sums OF money thereby
Tho ice business was then developing slowly, and in
S47 about 75 900 tons shipped from the port OF
Boston, nearly all having been gathered from tue ponds
,nd lakes the vicinity Of that city Soon after that
me ncreAsed rapidly; new uses and adap-
tons OF ice became apparent and the home demand 1t
aimed new activity.
About this time certain Ssw-Yorf capitalists became
impressed with the facilities presented by the central
and upper Hudson for the production and storage OF ice
md the with which t could be transported 10
market C. /. wortsndyke Co. and BarDors Co.
built three storage houses. one at Roekand Lake. one
at Flatbush near this city. and another at Rondout
Creek The ROeklaud Lake house the first structure
In this vicinity, although tho one At Flatbush
wa, the first the immediate shore Of the
river The Oldest and largest company on the
river Is the Knickerbocker, which was incorporated
In March. 1855. Oat OF about ninety houses on the
liver thrtY1ye are owned by this COMPANY In whlch
eau bs stored not far from 100000 tons of lee
la favorable season. The other houses are owned by
over thirty separate companies or individuals. each
ranging IN storage capacity from 10000 to tons
Ian fnN m Wy W.
Jersey. Mutual Bentnt. Consumeu', Newark City,
Kijgswood. and Brewerr. The total st0rase capacity
nY aHOst doubled during the last five yrars In 1882
when the frat house built al Flatbush only about
r.. .OOo tons Of ice we're gathered from the Hudson
River Now has become by far tie largest Ice harvest
NC nrd la tie world, and 1t must be AL exceptional
winter when AN ample crop cannot be secured heFe.
900 men and 100 hOrses are required u ganer
Tho crop annually, aud It Ia estimated that full
rosts 5000 900 to houss The cost Of ee per
ton stored IN favorable seasons H. "a near as can lie
HEured. about twenty ceats. Last year the average
price obtained the Ice i said to have been about nifty
cents ton In estimating the proht however arse
and ia handling aud also for coat of transportation TO
"stnkins out pond. is the irst step In harvesting
Practical crmcu 20 over tho newly frozen surface TO Do
trruno tho location OF the thcsest and best Ice mark
ng out surcent surface to M their house oy setting up
OF bushes or evergreen brush. These ponds arc
located Al. near the house "a possible, though at
times It is necessary TO 20 miles away TO md suitable
ice This Ice IL tn as II Was and the com
iLero ususy a grand rush for ponds" as soon as
the freezes especially at points where houses are
thick It vii. bear horse Then II It be covered with
this either scraped of or holes arc cut aud the
whole IA waterrd through. After this few cold zero
guts brng the thickness 10 eight or ten inches, when
tEe eating Is begun. unless portion OF the upper
surface Is undesirable In which case this Is planed on
A marker" drawn by horse is then run straight
the pond one side having sharp cutting IRONS the
the previous cut. These grooves are then
inersested at right angles in the same way, 22I36
imchr. and about An inch deep Then follows an leo
pioush, having deeper blade with series
drVtl Of FROM three 10 uNe lhcncs,
depending upon th" depth Of leo. Then gang OF men
win heavy cnIscl bars RATS OF these blocks In
shape To admit their passage through canal
wAicn has been previously cu' trom me house u The
pond. and through which tho Ice is either towed by
horses or pushed along by vita long PIKE poles 10
the holrtng aprons at the dock During their prOsress
The cakes arc again seIHratei ~ men stationed az az
Is solid blOeks. These are caught by series of
which IS moved over inclined ruu by steam power
Ihus the ice asceads THIS incline IN continuous sream,
from whence II Is run on galleries, ana theh ~ sld ~"
tho various rooms by It's own gravity on descending
runs where the blocks are slowed by uen yersed III
tie work being necessary 10 -aVe spaces between Tor
circulation Of air and escape OF wafer These endless
rcy revOluoniEe the process of hoGsihG ice Belofe
the advent each block Of ice had 10 be hoised scps-
Oil the house whereas now twelve or fourteen working
days will on the largest house on course, other IN pie
tn- Wheu the house is fun SAT- hay Is spread theky
the ice aud all - a. eye ',ed until wanted Tor ase
Tho work OF an ice aborer. though thousands are
always glad to Set IT, aud many inmies "Uu.r anrv ia
without it, is not easy. Often when the iheIruIS ~
lowest the must st1nu on the lCo III wv '.'N',,
wind with "A driving seet freezing on their lRces or
trudge Ong tho canal before daylight ana ater udra
handle frosty tools, frequently spatcey cad ana not
always having enough labor 10 keep them warm Nohc
have to walk miles going 10 ana tlom hr'r holhrN
Then there IA always an element OF danger ABOUT no
work. especially about the house anu n".u,N'iy. ~
Runs give way, leo aGcuiuUlates upen IN
s,rule platforms, hurrying feet shp, on 2 2Ny
woodwork shnrp and ugly pikrpolcs MISS
their marx. go pOughing through human hcsh or
II on the pond slight msstep pungcs the ertlg rer
into lee cold bath perhaps the cdrrsnt carries
him undor tho ice and no is drowned. But the zee
gathcrer must assume all these risks ne sets pay n'
for his labor. ,,
There is said TO he about coo 900 tons Of old ice IN
stock the river Hali Uf this credited to the hc
erhncker Company. This leaves nearly 2.5COOoO tons
10 be gathered The storage capacity has been
by 100000 since last year. few new houss
have but The outlook for fun crop at this wrt
ing Ia not brilliant. although 1t 10 yet cohhdehuy
expected. Tho frost has dOne Its work very "eu.
bn tho previous reshets tumbled mass OF mnd' arr
and refuse int0 tho river just ut time when tne sur