Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-15
A Public Test of Green B. Raum's Re-
frigerator in Pittsburg.
HOW THE FREEZER DOES ITS WORK.
A Brown Brine That Turns Water Into Solid
Ice in Few Seconds.
BOLD DEFIANCE BID To OPEN WINTERS


panies. But canals had to give way to rail-
ways, and now even natures method oi
storing cold has to fall before mans in
genuity.
Interesting as were the tests given yester-
day, there was also an additional interest
thrown around by the fact that this was the
company of which the Hon. Green B. Raum
is president, and on account of which even
now a Congressional investigation is being
made into his methods cf conducting the
Pension Bureau.
In the room was an ordinary refrigerator,
about ten feet high and six feet wide-such
a refrigerator as is used in restaurants OF
by butchers. Inside were stored calves
heads, sweetbreads and other kinds of per
ishable meats. There were probably hun
dred sweetbreads piled on a big plate in
such style that any person would suppose
they would spoil inside Of ten hours. Yet
all these articles had been there since
o'clock Saturday, and were in perfect
state OF preservation, and the gentlemen in
charge say they will keep them in that state
indefinitely.
THE SECRET IN A SALT.
The whole secret lies in "refrigerine salt, u
which is composed of certain mineral salts.
When mike with water it forms brine that
instantly falls below the freezing point. This
agent OF system was invented by Frank A.
Smith. who is practical ice manufacturer by
the ammonia process, and while handling the
ponderous machinery necessary in that method
of manufacture. he discovered this simple pro-
cess of producing intense cold. 1t has since
been improved by Mr.. Smith and James Z.
Rossi. The last patents were secured a little
over year ago. and now the system is being
The method used as shown yesterday, is to
utilize the cold brine in an iron tank, and by
gravity conduct it into a suitable coil OF iron
pipes set up in the space to be refrigerated, or
where ice is to be made. The brine is made of
IS per cent of the salt and 65 per cent water.
Each lineal foot of two-incn pipe will reduce
three cubic feet of space to the freezing point,
and keep it at that temperature for q hours.
When a very low temperature is desired the
system includes plan for initial cooling OF the
water to bring it to 5Os by passing the
water through q worm which is submerged in
the cold brine. Then when the water at this
temperature is mixed with the salt, the tenn
perature is reduced TO zero in 30 seconds. A
practical demonstration was given of this yester-
day, by placing some of the salt in a tin can and
pouring in water. The thermometer registered
go and in exactly 20 seconds the mercury was
only 20 above zero. A small bottle OF water
was then dropped into the can, and in less than
a minute the water in the bottle was frozen
solid
In the refrigerator solid cakes of ice were
frozen by simply exposing open pans OF water
near the iron tank. Forty pounds OF ice could
be frozen in 30 minutes.
Another pretty illustration was that of
placing big cut-glass water bottles in the re-
frigerator, and in short order the water inside
was frozen to ice, so that cooling drinks could
be procured from the top of the solid cake in
side.
MOISTURE REMOVED FROM AIR.
The great secret of the wonderful preserving
powers is in the scientific principle that intense
heat and intense cold are, in effect, identical;
that is, all the moisture is removed from the
air. In this system there is no dripping water.
and all the moisture in the air is taken up on
the pipes il the shape of frost.
The presence OF moisture has always been
an Objectionable feature III refrigerators, but
with this system the air can be made as free
from water as that of the western coun tries,
where meats can be cured by simply exposing
them to the outside air. For this reason there
was no percepIible odor thrown off by any of
the material slowed in the refrigerator. Butter
which had rested beside the rankest kind of an
onion was just as pure and sweet-tasted as
when it left the creamery.
The salt itself is harmless, and emits no gas
and the cost of it is hardy worth considering.
The salt can be recovered by evaporation. and
can be used any number of times without los
ing any of its powers. The tanks and pipes
used occupy only one-ffth the space that
would he required by ice. While it requires
"A hours with the use of ice to cool a refriger-
ating chamber, by this process it can be cooled
in one-fourth the time, and the brine needs TO
be renewed only every q hours to keep a con-
stant temperature OF S20. A higher tempera-
ture can be maintained by using less of the
salt in the brine. In the use of it for either
refrigerator or manufacturing ice, no engines,
stills or pumps are needed. There is no pres
sure used, and hence no danger of pipes
bursting.
The uses of the system are apparently unlim-
tied. By il, cooling rooms in hot mines can be
kept at any temperature. 1t compares with all
the cold storage systems now used as the elec-
trio cars to the old horse cars. One of its great
benefits will be to hospitals, where, during the
hot months, lower temperature is desired.
All that is necessary is to force the brine
through the steam radiators now used to pro-
duce heat and 10y this means the temperature
can be kept at any degree that will be desired.
PLACING A PLANT IN PITTsBURG.
The object of yesterdays exhibit is to form a
stock company in Pittsburg, with a capitaliza-
tion of $3.50 600: $780, 900 of this to be given to
the parent company. The intention is to rent
the use of the system on the same plan as that by
which the Bell telephones are rented. The ex-
hibit in Pittsburg is in charge of James W.
Miller & Co., of Pittsburg. the senior member
of that firm having before been connected with
the members of the refrigerating company in
remain in Pittsburg for several weeks, and the
managers are so confident OF the success of
their process that they have invited a commit
tee of the leading men who useice in Pittsburg
such as brewers. butchers and hotel men, to-
gether with representatives of the various
newspapers. to take charge of one of the re-
frigerators and make thorough test. The
process it is claimed. can be applied to any or
binary refrigerator or ice box The
company intends to remodel refrigerators
and ice boxes, and part OF the duties
of the PittSburg company will be TO keep them
in perfect order and supply fresh brine each
day. The cost of supplying the ordinary re-
frigeratOr used IN a family will be about y cents
a day. The intention is to supply refrigerai ors
at at least % per cent below what ice now costs.
The system is now in use in the United States
Senate restaurant. i'll Washington. Mr.. Page,
the proprietor, had it put in there during the
ice famine last summer, and IL has proved
perfect success. 1t is also used In the Glen
Echo cafe. at Glen Echo Heights, near Wash
ington, and the proprietorS are in love with it,
The method Is also being introduced
in Wheeling and Cincinnati. and last
of all II is now used in the Monon-
gahela House, in this city. Mr.. Arnold
is one of the most enthusiastic of its admirers
The wine and beer vault IN that house have been
fitted with this apparatus. and yesterday The
managers complained that the Temperature of
the vault which had been reduced to 4Oo
was too low. and asked that it be increased to
45o, the lowest point they had ever been able to
reach by the use of ice.
One of the greatest tests that has yet been
made was that OF shipping beer to CUBA from
Philadelphia, 1t was returned, and II was
found as good as when it left. 1t was then re-
shipped TO Honduras, and ON its return the
quality had been actually improved by the
gentle shaking which had been given it by the
movement of the ship.
FOR NERVOUS PROSTRATION
Use Horsford's Acid Phosphate.
IT, Al