Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-23
THE ICE CROP.
No Fear Need be Felt of q Famine
Next Summer.

a YArR CROP OF THIS WINTERS ICE rs ANTrcI-
PATEp, But II IT SHOULD FAIL ALTOGETHER
THERE Is ENOUGH LEFT OVER TO LAST NEXT
sEAsoS-TEE PRICE NOT TO BE INCREASED.
On account of the mild weather during the
winter season there have been several scares
among the patrons Of the ice companies, who
feared that the failure to gather ice in this city
would cause a rise in the price of ice during
the coming summer. Inquiries are made at
the offices of the different companies almost
daily by persons interested. Some few persons
in the county gathered a small quantity of ice
during the last cold snap, but that crop was
not more than two or three inches thick There
is now in many places along the river front
two or three inches of ice, but that does not
extend many feet from the shore, so that it
is not worth gathering. Many persons about the
river front think that there will yet be Q freeze
up that will afford the ice gatherers an OPP
pOrtunity of getting in enough ice TO fill their
houses for the coming summer.
WHAT Mr.. CHURCH SAYS.
Washington is the best protected city in the
country on the ice question" said MIR. C. B.
Church, president of the Independent ice COM
pany. when questioned concerning the pros
porter The prospects" he continued. 'are
bright, and there is not the slightest cause for
alarm. especially among the retail trade. The
ice crop up to date it is true may oe said to
be failure, but then the winter is not neces-
sarily over. 1t is not complete failure by
any means. but the crop does not compare
fayorably with former years. The failure so
far as it goes is of course due to the mild
weather."
What effect win shortage of ice in this
locality have on the price next summer" he
was asked.
None at ell. think" was his reply. "The
failure to make enough ice ON the river and
ponds TO supply the butchers and others who
have storage capacity need not affect the price
of kennebec ice. The Maine ice company
has been harvesting on Booths bay for some
days, and are Eow shipping ice TO this city.
The Independent company has offered to sup
ply lee direct from the vessels to persons
having storage capacity. The ice Is OF the
finest quality, and costs but little more than
that which is gathered about the city. Many
persons have availed themselves of the oppor-
tunity offered, while others holding back
for cold snap. While the prospects are very
bright 1t is impossible TO tell what may turn up
between now and the time when the heavy de-
mands are made.
'.PRIcEs MAY GO Up N MAINE
that will cause a slight rise in the price here,
but, as said before, do not anticipate such a
thing. At the Independent company's houses,
on the Kennebec. there are two large buildings
with a storage capacity of 10000 tons. One of
the buildings is stocked with last years CROP
Harvesting will begin there in few days. the
Ice now being foot or more thick. The ice
hands have been cuitivating their crop on the
kennebec for some weeks, and have succeeded
IN getting the ice thick enough to gather. To
persons unacquainted with the ice business the
word cultivate would seem puZZling. What
mean By using that term is that the ice is cul-
tyated the same as a farmer prepares the soil
and makes his crop all the better thereby The
Ice Is first seraped by large iron scrapers drawn
BY horses, and in case of thick snow-iee on the
surface large planer is used. This fine ice
caused by the scrapmg and planning is removed.
leaving the surface
AS SMOOTH As GLASS;
The work Of growing is, begun. This work
Is similar to the ploughing of the soil. The
grooves are made % inches apart, the width of
cake of ice, and cuts almost through the ice
so that the frost can get near the bottom and
thicken the ice. In this way the ice is cult
waited and made much thicker than it other
wise would be. II will be some time in April
before the vessels can start from the Kennebec
with ice, because the ice blockade is scarcely
every removed before that time. repeat that
Washington is so well protected that there need
be no fears entertained as to the supply next
summer, and that at moderate figures"
MR.. LAMBERT TALKS.
Mr.. John ID. Bartlett. superintendent of the
Great Falls Ice company, is now on the Kenne-
bee river experimenting the gathering of the
ice crop for his company. Mr.. 7. A. Lambert
president Of the company, when asked by a
STAR reporter concerning the prospects for the
coming season, said: This season is much
later than have ever known it before. At one
time there was reason to be apprehensive, but
i think that time has now passed, and full
crop will be gathered. The ice on the Kenne-
bee Is now forming very satisfactorily, and ad-
vices received show that the cutting has already
commenced with every prospect of a full
harvest. Even if there is not a full harvest the
quantity Of ice carried over from last year will
prevent anything like an ice famine. Atpresent
think there Is every reason to expect a con-
tinuance OF the fair prices that prevailed last
summer. see no reason for
ANY CHANGE IN THE PRICE
unlessIthere Isl some unforseeni trouble. A
change in the weather is likely to occur, or
something else that may utterly defeat our cal
culations in regard to the present harvest The
lateness OF the season necessarily makes cutting
more expensive than if it had occurred at the
usual time. At this time of the year the heavy
snow storms are encountered. which makes
considerable additional work. and the time in
which housing can be done is more liIniteX
than in favorable seasons. The demand for
labor is also much greater, causing larger ex-
penditures, which, of course, enhances the
value of ice."
From the present prospects," said the re-
porter, what 10 your idea that the price of ice
for the coming season will bel'
That is question that / would not like to
answer, responded Mr.. Lambert, because
what / have already said is simply a matter of
approximation. do not care to give my opin-
ion, because, as have already stated, present
calculations may all be upset. From advices
recently received, the cold weather has set in
on the Kennebec more earnestly during the
past week than at any time during the present
season"
Cnloved and Alone.