Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-08-28
TO be continued.l
ARTIFICIAL ICE.
How 1t Is Manufactured-A Product that
Is Likely to Damage One of the Grasping


nOpOneS.
Washington Star.
An impetus has been given to the
manufacture of artificial Ice all over the
country by the recent advance in the price
of the natural product. New plants are
started up here and there, and OLE ones
are being redoubled and trebled in
capacity. improvements in ice-making ma
| chinery have made, rapid strides every wear.
increasing the yield, lessening the cost and
cheapening the article. 1t has been up
ward of thirty years since the principles
involved came into practical and COM
mercial use, and the near future will see
the time when conditions will be changed
| and the dealers In natural ice will be strug-
Cling to compete with great, cold crystal
| b Ocks. the product of man ingenuity. In
| fact, the threatening attitude of the ice
machine now holds a sweeping monopoly
at bay, and stands between a gigantic ice
trust and consumers of the frozen fluid.
! ice companies are watching the progress
of ice-making with fear, and the company
that maintains It's old prices as far as
possible will be wise in Its day and genera
| ton.
In order to understand the operation of
ice-making by machinery it is necessary to
comprehend some of the we'll established
| phenomena of heat in relation to gases.
fluids and solids. Air, for instance, is the
most common Of gases, and, and is we'll
known, becomes heated when compressed.
! In this compressed state its heat can be
more readily removed than when in its
normal degree of expansion. Ten, again
when allowed to re-expFEd it is in condi-
tlon to absorb large amount Ct heat from
any solid or fluid with which it is brought
in contract. Hence, simple method of
freezing it produced by compressed air.
thus, say three cubic feet of air at the
normal pressure of 1000 pounds per
square inch, with a temperature of IS de-
| gress Fahrenheit; which compressed to one
cubic foot will show temperature of about
225 degrees Fahrenheit. After it has been
| allowed to cool sufficiently to REGAIN its
normal temperature of Is degrees Fahren-
| heit it may be allowed to re-expand to the
original three cubic feet, when its temper
allure will fall to Is degrees Fahrenheit
below freezlng-and if permitted to lead
into q receiver containing water the heat
of the water will be drawn to the ar, and
If the volume of water is not to large it
will soon be frozen IN consequence. OF
course a greater degree Of compression
will cause a CORRESPONDENCE y lower temper
allure in the re expanding air and effect a
larger body of water proportionately.
There are other gases, however, which
are far greater retrigernting agents than
air. hence the employment of ammonia
and other chemicals by the various pro
| cesses covered by patents. The basis of
all operations, however, is the heating OF
gases by compression, as in the case of
atmospheric air, and allowing it first to
cool and then to re-expand. This calls for
very powerful compression machinery, a
cooling reservoir capable of sustaining a
tremendous pressure and proper conduits
for the protection of the expanded air and
very cold gas.
The plants for manufacturing ice in
Washington, Baltimore, Richmond and
Petersburg are being largely extended in
capacity. The Improvements in the
Washington plant have been fully describ-
in the Star heretofore. The Baltimore
company will soon have sixteen new tanks
in operation. These new tanks will each
make block of Ice measuring II by % by
"a inches, weighing 800 pounds.
The petersburg factory turned out
$4,000 pounds daily last year. 1t is now
putting 10000 pounds daily on the mar
ket. and estimates Rave been made fo
machinery to add still another 100000
daily. Verify it is an i'll ice famine that
| blows no one good