The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-07-17
HOW THE NIPPING, COLD ICE CRYSTALS
ARE TURNED OUT THIS PIPING
HOT WEATHER.
The Trials and Tribulations of the Meek
and Lowiy Ice Mana Fr.gid Zone
Temperature in Tropical
Heat
Did you ever see them make ice?

/ vi bOllu OuO hhhNAOA POSthA
Of piercing cold, frost-nipped iceG
If you haven't, you should go down.
True, you won't see much, for the
process is very near as simple as that
used by nature itself. A big iron
stand to hold the ammonia, a pump or
two, nest OF boilers and pipes and
coils of pipe are about all you see, UNI
less you happen to be present when a
wild-eyed citizen swoops down and
wants to know why 5 cents worth
of ice hasn't been hauled out four
miles to his suburban residence.
Verify the position of the ice man
in the seething hot weather is not an
enviable one, for people are prone to
ind fault and when the mercury
bubbling over the one hundred point,
hey bubble over and their wrath falls
in copious showers over the ice man,
however blameless he may be.
If the driver is late he gets it in the
neck and il he is too early there is a
cyclone OF wrath Ii the piece left is
apparently too small the atmosphere
is made lurid and if it is TOO large to
go into the cooler he is denounced as
stupid and you hear such expressions
as "Wonder if he takes me for an ice
pickW or "Wonder if he thinks I've
an ice cooler as big as barrel2"
Thus it is people find fanlt, and
yuch never stop to think that it is to
the business interest of the ice man
70 be prompt and careful in his deal
ings with the public.
Be chary with fault finding, for the
ice man is surely doing his best to ac-
rommodate you all, and while his
wagons are hurrying through the
streets, driven by veritable Jehus,
hundreds of pounds of his wares are
melting away as the mist in the sun
bathed morn.
But what the STATESMAN wanted to-
lay was that while the process OF max
ing ice is simple, yet it causes one to
feel curious to be down in the big fac
tory and know that while he is swell
tering in a temperature of SO just two
J. inches under his feet themercury
drops down to eight above zero.
Bill Wright was manipulating the
pumps and ammonia tank when the
STATESMAN reporter called the other
r morning at the ice factory.
, scot any cold weather down here?"
: "Just what we have, sir. Come over
J here and I'll show You temperature
that would cause an Esquimaux to.
, shiver."
Over went the reporter and Mr..
Wright lifting cover from one OF the
, tanks, drew out thermometer
which indicated just 8 degrees above
zero. This temperature freezes the
one hundred pound blocks Of ice dis
pensed about the city, in about thirty
hours. The temperature can be
lowered below zero, and the blocks.
frozen more quickly, but the ice is not
so clear and firm.
Some folks imagine that the water
ice is made Of is doctored in rome way
but nothing is further from the truth.
The water as a general thing is dis
titled and the ice is really purer than
that taken from most rivers and
ponds. Sometimes you hear COM
plants that the ice tastes" and is
not "htten 10. be used" That is
caused generally by new metal tanks
being substituted for old and worn
out ones, and they cause
the taste just as new
kettles or pans in kitchen cause o
"taste." The taste" is not due to any,
thing placed in the water to hasten
the freezing process as some suppose.
Mr.. Zilker the courteous ice man
and one OF the proprietors OF the ice
factory, came in while the reporter was
busy making his investigations, and
fyou 60 down it will be explained to
you, and you can go into the business
on your own hook.
AS the reporter was leaving Mr..
Allison, the busy old gentleman who
waits upon the public at the door,
called to the reporter.
"Did you ever see any frosted ice?"
or ice so cold that it fairly sparkles
with frost on its surface. a. &C..
This is the condition OF the blocks
Immediately on being withdrawn from
their casing or tank.
1Hev are SO COlQ then
that water dropped on them freezes,
or another piece of ice placed on them
will freeze to the block on which it is
placed, aud it is removed only with
difficulty. The reporter learned,
while on his rounds, that difference
Of only one degree in the temperature
OF the atmosphere makes a very great
difference in the cost OF manufacture
ing ice. Even breeze blowing over
the elevated pipes you see at the
works, and over which a shower of
water is constantly falling, reduces
very materially the cost of pound of
ice. A close, sultry day makes the.
cost Of apound of ice nearly one-fourth
greater than on pleasant, breezy day..
The loss in this climate is enormous
and it is probably within bounds to
say that at least one sixth of the gross
output melts away.
The manufacture of tons of ice.
and its delivery 10 customers at a cent.
a pound is one of the novelties OF this.
age, and had You ever limited such a