Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-07-12
HERE'S COLD AIR ON TAP.
C4PITILISTS Will DISTRIBUTE
FRIGIDITT THROUGH MINIS.

The Latest Triumph of the Century's
Progress 1t Will Revolutionize Soci-
ETY. Refrigerators to be Discarded.
What an Expert Says.
Philadelphia capitalists are preparing
to serve cold air about the city as gas or
water is now served. Chilled air is at
the present time furnished from cer-
tain manufactory to customers within a
few blocks, but it is intended to nurse
this little nucleus until large and pro-
fitable system is Matched.
1t is proposed by laying the pipes deep
and coating them with a non conducting
substance, to force cold air from the
central factory into market-houses,
abattoirs, stores, and even private resi-
dences. In market-houses and many
stores it is expected that the proposed
convenience will be particularly well
come, and in private residences 1t Will
be cordially received if, as is claimed, 1T
will do away with refrigerators.
For cooling private residences through
out, or only in one room, the proposed
ultra A hostess will be able to cool her
reception-room by opening a cold-air
duct, sleeping apartment can be tenn
pered in the summer to suit the queens
taste, and dispel the necessity of lying
in the middle Of the floor all night COW
cred with mosquito netting Nay, the
maiden even will have it in her power
to cool the parlor to frigid degree on
Sunday night if she wishes. The process
of cooling the air at the central pumping
station will be that employed in manu-
featuring ice, by the use Of ammonia,
probably.
A gentleman who is perhaps the
leader in the new enterprise said that
the cold air would be distributed just as
gas is. He has been securing patents,
and getting capital for the last few
months, and stated that the company he
is organizing will Immediately put its
plants into effect in this city. The home
company will reserve the rights for
Pennsylvania and New Jersey, "People
may laugh at us, he added, but before
we are done they will be thanking us,
and no house will have all modern con-
veniences without cold aid. No more
hot worl-rooms, no more hot offices and
sweltering toilers underground. Next
summer it will be possible to advise:
Go turn the spigot and cool off ~
OF course the laying of mains for the
system is the biggest item of expense,
but they will be put down only as fast
as the list of consumers grows, and the
company expects to have no trouble in
keeping the pipes filled, at a proper
pressure, with air at very low temper
ature. Customers will not be charged
and detected by meters The privilege
of using such and such cold, air spigot
will cost certain sum per month or
quarter.
Samuel P. Sadtler, professor of indus
trial chemistry at the university of
Pennsylvania, has been considering the
idea of manufacturing and distributing
cold air in cities. at is feasible, he
said yesterday, "and very desirable.
The mechanical difficulties may seem
great but they are not insurmountable.
Very nearly perfect conducting
covers for pipes are now made near
the cold air is unquestionably possible.
Many refrigerators now used in private
houses are nuisance, and cold air would
be big improvement over them. 1t
ought to be much less expensive, too,
especially when ice is $40 ton.
"The expansion process, cooling air
by rarifying it, is used exclusively on
ocean steamships, and the machinery
for this process has been brought to a
very high degree of perfection. All
chilled meats which are shipped from
Australia and America to England are
kept during the voyage in chambers
cooled by expanded air. But l think
the ammonia process is the best on land,
where no danger arises of causing leaks
at airstight joints by the rocking of
ship.
"Ste1,p Is now sent about New York
in mains, land feel certain that before
long there will be two new things legiti-
mately on tap in Philadelphia-steam
and cold air. y Philadelphia Record.