Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-31

ever would, and, should some one tell him
his iceman bought his ice at the workhouse,
would throw up his hands in horror. Yet a
great many wholesale dealers in Pittsburg
and elsewhere get their ice from Claremont,
but before it has been in their hands many
hours the stamp has disappeared, as the
mark is made by placing g warm stamp on
the ice and melting the ice, thus letting the
letters stand out about an eighth of an inch
from the surface.
HOW ICE rs MADE.
A DISPATCH reporter called at the work
house, yesterday, and watched the convicts
at work while Superintendent Warner ex-
planned the modus operandi, from post to
finish. On being told the object OF the
visit, Superintendent Warner led the
visitor through the great iron doors, which
opened as ii by magic to his voice, yet
which shut out the world from the prisoners
as efectually as the tower did Henry ".
from London.
After passing three of the doors, which
changed harshly behind the Superintendent
and his guest making strange feeling of
solitude creep over the latter, they reached
building about 100 feet long and 80 wide,
near the center of the workhouse yard where
the ice is made. It is divided into two
rooms; one in which the ice is made, con-
tanning the machinery and tanks, while IN
the other are the store and packing depart
merits.
At the left, as one enters the building,
are the condensers, boilers and engine, be-
l.. -
dressed, like all the other convicts, in
brown jeans trousers, hickory shirt and
dark cap, who looked up for a moment to
see who would possibly enter behind those
bars Voluntarily.
WORK ON A PLATFORM.
In the back of the room, extending the
entire length, and half way across it, is
what at first looks like an enormous plas-
form, about four and half feet high, from
the right of which is a chute leading to the
entrance of the packing room. On this
platform is another convict whose business
1t is to draw the ice from the tank beneath,
and at the foot of the chute are three who
pack the ice, or load and stamp it.
Under the platform is an enormous tank,
filled with salt water, and through which
run iron pipes The top of the platform is
made up of "a trap doors, similar to the
doors of an ordinary ice chest, each OF which
opens into the tank below.
Ten convicts are employed at ice making.
They are divided into two forces of five
each, who succeed each other every u hours,
30 that the work goes on night and day,
turning out II tons of ice every "a hours,
save from o'clock Saturday afternoon
until Monday morning at o'clock, when
the works are shut down.
The tank contains As galvanized iron re-
ceptacles, each 3S inches deep, IA inches in
breadth and IA inches wfde. These are filled
with distilled water, which, after As hours.
will have turned to ice. The superintend-
ent, after explaining each move, said: 81
do not yet perfectly understand the process,
but this is all know: Aqua Ammonia is
boiled by steam and raised, in boiler, to a
pressure OF 180 pounds, from which it is
conveyed to a converter through iron pipes
in which it Is compressed to LIQUID. 1t is
then passed through cooling tanks, and
after it has been drawn into the pipes which
run through the salt water in the large tank,
the pressure is withdrawn, and the liquid
ammonia turns at once to gas, thus expand
ing in a ratio of 1 to 100, and this expansion
generates the cold which freezes the dis
titled water in the galvanized iron recepta-
eles.
WHO BUYS THE ICE.
"As soon as one receptacle of water has
been turned to ice, which is done after 4S
hours. it is taken out and taken into the
packing room. Each cake of ice Is IA inches
square and "a inches long. weighs 223
pounds, and is as clear as crystal. The ice
is sold to wholesale dealers in Pittsburg ana
as far east as Westmoreland county, at $8
n ton. Beside this, it is sent to Dixmont,
Norganza and other public institutions.
"1he cost of making the ice is compare
lively small, as the only expense is $500 a
year, which is spent in buying ammonia.
The plant" continued the Superintendent,
As be led the way back, 'fis far too small, as
we have had more orcersssthan we could pos
sibly fill, and if the natural ice is as scarce
next winter as it was last, shall try to have
the plant enlarged"
"Doesn'i the stamp fade out?"
Why, / suppose 1t does, but that is not
my business. They are on when they leave
the place, apd that is all the law requires"
As the Superintendent made that remark
q guard looked up with anything but
pleased expression on his cadaverous count
enance, and which, If read Alright, might
have said: "Pll get even with you yet. By
having the Superintendent take you
through lose the fee OF q quarter. which we
always get for showing visitors through the
H.