Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-02-09

How Ice 10 HandIed en- the Ksnpe-
osc- - Impfcvsd Machinery and
Rsp1d Work.

80 - 90o000 On foo A0000-
osc- - Improved HGachtnGy and
Rapld Work.
There il always . wholesome feeling Of
nvaify between The different ice concerns
on the river = 70 which should fill theis
houses tie quickest and ia the bes. shape
AZ tntngs considered. Saps. Partridge Of
NE Gseat Fails Ice Coupzay Of Washing
son, ID. C., Ia charge Of the houses Of the
company It South Gardner claims the
DONORS this year and with excellent reason.
Inc following interesting account Of the
vsy the work vas done II these houses,
ne machinery employed, md the leaders
OF the work will be read with interest.
The company bad 5000 tons in the houses
q NE commencement Of the season AID
soced 2Z 600 tons Of new ice. averaging If
teen inches 10 thickness. The river first
ffoze over On the night Of Dec. 1s.. Sups
fasffsdae with . crew Of men, many other
companies we're also represented), went
upon the river In boat and tried to work
me ice down ~ il vas not in good condi-
non Tor permanent freeze. IL vAs zero
weather. however and the work vss abxc-
doned ~ useless. Immediately following
me ffeeze there came heavy fall Of snos
ana on the 9Th Of December he sunk his
neid. The weather vas then very cold
and the ice rapidly gained in thickness and
continued gaining until Dec. 3lss, when be
opened hts field with IA inches Of hand
some block ice after placing OF inches
Of sap or snow ice. Mr.. Partridge regards
the freeze ~ \ remarkable one. In exact
y one month from the time the river
closed be was running in fourteen inch ice
Inc exact running time was 30 hours
including several hours delay caused By
The breaking Of the chain and apron
There has been . great need Of more
power 1t these houses for some time and
Nj. Bartlett. Washington superintendent
OF the company. decided last fall t, put in
an entire set OF new machinery, leaving the
matter TO Mr.. Partridge to select what he
considered the best. The latter drew .
plan 81 the new machinery and furnished
estimates Of the cost Of the boiler, engine,
shafsing and sprocket wheels which were
accepted. The new boiler was made BY
Roberts Of Cambridgeport, Massachusetts,
AMI IL OF steel. tested to $50 pounds.
a stack 10 feet high and ~ inches 10 diam
etef furnishes ample draft II is claimed
to be the finest and largest boiler used BY
any ice concern on the river. 1t is fine
steamer, producing enough to run the main
30 H. r. engine and the IL II. 2. slush-
cham engine furnishing steam to the latter
through l25 feet Of l-2 inch pipe and
doing satisfactory work with the thermom-
eter at 20 degrees below zero and the pipe
running uncovered in the open sir. The
engine WAS furnished by [. II. Houghton,
Boston, and was built by the Atlas Engine
Co. indianapolis. Ind. 1t is Of different
make from other engines in the business
having greater power and speed. 1t is the
only one used IN this business that 10 con-
nected directly to the chain. The crank
shaft has a 10 inch pinion that drives the
main shaft with a foot gear. The main
shaft is Of inch steel. has pair Of A
inch sproehett wheels and is connected
on the return chain down near
the foot Of the elevator. thereby
doing away with all pu!leys and belts. l,
requires more power TO drive a chain of
this description but the engine gave entire
satisfaction and ice men who saw it work
say 1t Is the bes. set Of ice machinery on
the river. Mr.. Chas. Russell, the veteran
ice man, inspected it and stated that it was
the best thing he knew Of in that line. He
regarded the double chip chain as a great
Improvement. At the time he was there
Mr.. Partridge was planning four inches with
his Briggs plsner aud the chip chain was
taking away the refuse in fine shape. Dur
ing the greater part of the time the ice was
planned p inches on the field and 81 inches |
on the elevator. The chip or slush- chain |
is Indispensable, and Mr.. Partridge regards |
the double chain the best as it works more
evenly and steadily.
AT recent test Of speed in running the |
engine Mr.. Partridge was happily astonished |
and agreeably disappointed in the result |
as 1t proved conclusiveiy that the engine |
could be run fast or slow. He wished to |
make the test when Mr.. Bartlett could be |
present to witness it and when he arrived |
they were runningin on the fifth gallery, |
on the eighth day, JUST in time |
to see the ice move fast as on the sixth |
or last gallery they are obliged to run slow
Mr.. +. I. Brsds.reet held the watch and |
Mr.. Partridge getting his men around the |
canal so that they could feed on two blocks |
to the lag, speeded the chain. The engi- |
neer, Mr.. Geo. Simpson, who had claimed |
that he could run the chain so lags per |
minute was determined TO make good his |
statement and ut the end of the 80 seconds |
"a Tags or l0S blocks had been delivered |
by the chain at the top of the elevator.
II was great run and is understood to be |
the fastest ever made on the river. 1t WAS
all the boys could do to handle one minute |
run of ice at this high rate of speed. II IL
believed the chain could run 5000 tons per |
day If the gallery could handle it. Three |
thousand tons were run in, in one day, |
while on the 4th gallery. Mr.. Partridge |
makes study of his business and is figur-
ing to get his ice as cheaply as possible.
He has crust cutter of his own invention
which has been very valuable this season
and has been in great demand by otter
companies siucs his houses were flied, the
10th day of January. Another will be
made for the Green's Lodges houses of
the company. IL is strong enough for six
horses and has cut up two inches Of solid |
ice. A new rocker at the top Of the ele-
vator Is also An idea of Mr..
Partridges which is working well.
1t is of ron, II feet long. % inches high
in the pocket and is bonanza at separs-
ting the blocks aud keeping the galleries
clear. Mr.. Partridge has had pretty good
experience in the ice business. He began
on Fresh pond in 1866 with Jacob Hittin-
ger and remained there until 1876 when he
came to the Kennebec and entered the
employ Of the Knickerboekers at Farming
dale. The following year he went to Booth
bay under T. d. Loring, remaining until
1885 when he came to South Gardiner for
the Great Falls Co. He is q practical
mechanic and architect and the company
which had purchased Z. d. Haleys interest
in the "Hsley Ice Houses so called, gave
the matter of building the new houses into
his hands entirely. He built "a 900 ton |
house Of six rooms with q II IL foot
gallery. The posts were 6xl0, 80 feet high, |
and The largest in any ice house
on tue river st.he time. Every piece Of
timber was mortised and tenoned together
making 4 building OF great strength and
solidity, and one amply able to sustain any
reasonable weight of snow upon its roof as
the latter is truss of strongest build. The
Journal man looked over the houses at
the height of the season and watched the
working of the machinery much to his own
satisfaction as il proved an excellent object
lesson in the rapid handling Of ice.