Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-02-28
The Doom of the Ice Man.

The ice menAwho have old stocks on
hard-are chuckling to themselves
over the prospect Of having an over
heated community at their mercy next
summer. But il the Boston Advertiser
tells the truth-snd In a -non-partlsan
matter IL can safely be trusted TO do so
the chuckling should be INDUCED In
as speedily and as extensively as pos
sible. For the day is scomtng-ifltlsn not
already here-when the icemen Will
laugh, to use a time-honored, even II
homeiy expressiOn-"out OF the other
side of their mouths"
According to the Adaerttser citizen
of the Hub has invented q complete
substitute for ice so far as the use OF
that commodity in refrigerators Is con-
cerned. The claim in the patent en-
braces box in which are certain chem
icals so combined rs to lower the tenn
perature. The box is of tin and of suit
able dimensions to be placed when
charged in a refrigerator closet or other
receptacle for articles to be kept at q
low temperature. The effect Is to run
the mercury down in the tube with q
promptness and effectiveness which ice
in its best state cannot equal.
The experiment described in the jour
nal referred to was made with tin box
twelve inches long, eight wide and foul
deep. This, when properly charged
was placed in an ordinary house re
frigerator. After it had been there {
month, the door was opened, and th'
temperature found to be l40 above zero
The temperature quickly ran up to 40
upon the door being opened, but upoI
its being closed again, the mercury
went down to DOC, and in the compart
mept where the tin box was, to ~
Glasses of water put into the refriger
ator were frozen solid in three hours
Meat which had been kept for tiv'
weeks was as fresh as when put in, ant
a chunk nf ice kept for the same length
oftime was not melted in the least. T.
show that the reduction of temperatur
is not accompanied by any moisture, i
ia stated that matches struck on tn
zinc lining of the refrigerator wer
easily ignited.
Spite of our confidence in the Bostol
Advertiser-when partisanship is 10
involved-the story has, we confess,
keenly motorish flavor. The secrec
maintained as to the chemicals" i
the DOX Is not dSSuTIUS. LHc oLoiJ 10
good, however, that the American pee
Die would be very glad to believe it.
means, if true, rot only emancipatio
from the thralldom of the ice maj
but a good deal more. For if the ir
vention Is what it is claimed to be
can be put to many uses for which il
is unsuited, notably to the cooling
sleeping apartments in summer. Tt
ice man, of course, will not be entirel
superseded. His product will still /
in demand for the '.julep,n the "co|
bler' and the cocktail" But h
potentiality as a dominant factor
the summer environment of mankir
will be +, riously and acceptably Gu
tailed.
Let us all hope that the story is tru
and that each household in the lar
will soon be supplied with the mag
box of cod-engendering chemicals.
Let us also hope that the inventc
having this matter off his mind, W
turn his attention to the discovery
chemicals which, in an asbestos bo
can be used to warm our houses al
shops. If he can free mankind fro
the thralldom of the coal man as WI
as the ice man, he will indeed be e
titled to write his name very high
the list of those who have benefit
the race.-DetroI Free Press.