The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-24

ICE FRESH EVERY HOUR.
YHWARTING THE DESIGNS OF THE
METEOROLOGICAL FATES.


How the Freezing Is Done and What II
Costs.
Experiments in the refrigerating and ice
making line were made as far back as 1924
by John Valance, and in 1884 by Jacob Per-
kins, but it was not until 1856 that results
were produced which could be called prac-
teal. Professor Twining, Of New Haven,
had been experimenting with sulphuric ether
between the years lS4S and 1850 and in the
latter year obtained his first patent in Eng
land. Three years later he obtained the
American patent, andin 1855 he operated a
machine in Cleveland. O., which was in
tended to produce 1000 pounds of ice in
tweuty-four hours. The actual amount OF
ice it produced was 1900 pounds In this
machine, which was only operated for two
years, the compression system in use today
is completely represented, and ON this account
Twining deserves the credit of not only be-
ing the inventor but also Of having carried it
out in practice.
On account, however, of the inharnma
bility of ether and other obstacles that this
pioneer machine presented, Inventors turned
their attention to other substances besides
ether better adapted to the purpose, among
which were ammonia, Sulphuric oxide, car
bonic acid, methylic ether, nitrous oxide,
methalamine and chymogene. Ambiguous
ammonia, or ammoniacal gas, when entirely
deprived of moisture, was found Of all others
TO answer the purpose of artificial refrigera-
ton. Its boiling point is q degs. Fahrenheit
below zero at the pressure of the atmosphere,
the gas producing sufficiently low tempera-
ture at boiling pressure Of fifteen to twenty
five pounds per square inch.
FIRST NOTABLE PROGRESS.
Not till 1853 was any notable progress
made In the art of refrigeration nor any new
ideas advanced. In that year Ferdinand
Carrie, FTenchman, proposed an entirely
new and original planof hquifying ammonia
by using therefor the aqueous solution of
this gas, twenty-five parts OF ammonia in
seventy-tive parts Of water. This is called
the absorption system" Cares machine
had its defects also, and inventors turned
their attention again to the mechanical COM
preston Of anhydrous gas, which is accom-
plished by means of powerful vacuum and
compression pumps, but the mechanical diff
culties here presented are of such a serious
nature that the absorption system still re-
mains in use to very large extent.
Ammonia gas is made out of the refuse Of
Illuminating gas water The Illuminating
gas undergoes process of washing before it
will burn clearly, and the water through
which this gas has been passed in order to be
cleansed of impurities is what is generally
termed aqua ammonia. This is distilled, the
water taken out of it, and the pure, dry am
monia gas is that which remains This gas
is called hydrous ammonia. In this state it
is Papo71Ea f 10
great evaporating capacity up to the present
time it is considered to be the most efficient
agent for the purpose of manufacturing ice.
One cubic inch of this ammonia gas in its
liquid state is capable of expansion to eleven
hundred times its original volume.
The chief object of making ice is to makei it
as cheap as possible, and in order to do that
number of inventors have put their brains TO
work One of the most effective methods is
described as follows:
The exhaust steam, after it has done the
COMPRISING of the ammonia gas, is utilized.
This steam is passed through a volume of
water to wash it, III order TO take out the oil
or traces of oil. The steam is then filtered
and after that condensed into water again.
The same water is used for cooling the COM
pressed ammonia gas before the liquifcation
OF said gas takes place. After the water has
been condensed it is never allowed to be ex-
posed to the atmosphere, but is kept in a
system of pipes up TO the time that 1t is filed
into the cans or nlolds in which the ice is
frozen. The water passes through the filter
and condenser into a SO called water regu-
lator, which works automatically, and thence
is taken into q deodorizer for the purpose of
doing away with the unpleasant taste and
smell of condensed water. The deodorizer is
chiefly composed of animal charcoal From
the deodorlzer the water circulates through
q system of pipes and is cooled by the ma
chine again to a temperature OF from 81 to IS
dogs.
MOLDIEG THE CAKES.
Thence it enters the nolds or cans. To
freeze a block Of ice, say OF 800 pounds III by
y by Al inches in size, requires sixty hours
of constant work under q temperature of
about Is to 20 degs Fahrenheit. 1t is neces-
sary to freeze slowly in order TO get absolute
crystal clear ice. After the can has been
frozen it is pulled out of the brine tank by a
hoist and travelling crane, and brought to a
Thawing apparatus which is either a tank
filed with warm water or else a sprinkler.
After being thawed OFT of the cans the
blocks, by means of a slide, are run into the
storage house, where they are kept until put
on wagons for delivery
The brine tank is made of iron or steel, and
its size depends on the capacity Of the plant
in which the cooling coils are kept. These
coils are connected with the machine proper
in such a way that the ammonia gas, after
having taken up the heat of the water con-
tanned in the cans, is brought into the COM
pressor of the machine and is then recon-
pressed into a liquid. Ammonia gas in its
state only hQueies under a GER
tain temperature, and therefore the COM
pressed gas when it leaves the machine is cir
culated through a system of pipes called the
over which a continuous stream
Of water Is run for the purpose OF cooling
them.
The cost Of the product depends entirely on
the economical working of the machine and |
sAe proper application Of its capacity, and is |
Of the following items: Engineers, |
6remen, helpers for handling the ice, fuel, |
water, wear and tear of machinery and in |
tereSt on capital invested These machines |
Are made from one-half a ton Of ice capacity 1
up TO $50 tons capacity per twenty-foUr I
DOurs' work. The prices range from g, 800 /
TO $4,000 for each machine-New York /
Herald.
Tea Tasting Extraordinary.
The managing director OF a big tea dealing |
firm, who is a tea tSster and blerder of TWEEN /
sy-fve years experience, has lately stated /
that he once saw q leading broker in Miucing |