The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-07-27
A SCARCITY OF ICE.
AT the Ice Plant. Twenty-Eour
Hours Behind Orders.
WAGONS WAITING THEIR TURN
For Hours and Many Families
do not Get their Regular supply
Until Late In tho Afternoon.-with a
Capacity Orsi1ty Tons Every Twenty
Four Hours the Plant cannot Keep
up With its orders, and Sends for
Ice from Another Town.


up with Its orders. and Sends for
Ice from Another Town.
The intense and s~eltering heat Of
yesterday was bad enough and hard to
bear, but the discomfort was greatly in
creased by the scarcity OF ice. Out in
East Wheeling private families did not
get in their Ice until late in the after
noon, some having to wait until after
supper, and in other parts OF town the
delay, though not SO extended, was ag-
grayating enough.
The feeling of dismay athaving to put
in the whole day without being able to
get a cooling drink was increased by a,
rumor which soon spread through the
city. It was said that the ammonia
tank at the ice plant had burst, and that
the further manufacture OF ice would be
delayed twenty-four and perhaps forty
eight hours. Asthe rumor spread 1t was
even said thatone ortwo Of the menem-
ployed at the factory had been serious
1y injured by breathing the fumes otthe
ammonia. a reporter of the lETELtl-
aENcER called at the plant, but saw no
signs OF any recent explosion. II was
true Engineer Conner had his left eye
slightly burned, but that injury was
caused by ammonia blowing out from q
pump, and WIS not very serious, though
painful.
work lifting out tho 200-pound cakes OF
ice and putting tanks OF fresh water In
their place. 1t was busy scene. Out
in the alley a long line OF wagons
awaited their turn to load up; inside
the workmen were hurrying about, dodE-
ing thu men, women and children who
were filling their buckets at the by
drants with well water.
PURE WELL WATER.
The company has three eighty-toot
wells, bored away below the bed Of the
river and cased securely with iron pipe,
to prevent any possible contamination
from filth that might percolate through
the earth. The water ia delightfully."-
cool, and the men drink it in prefer
enca to ice water. 1t is really as re-
freshinS, being just cool enough to be
pleasant and not sufficiently cold to
harm the stomach. The water is clear
as crystal, and ii typhoid lever is caused
by water from the city reservoir, the
people living in the neighborhood OF the
factory need not fear the disease, as the
company kindly allows anybody that
wishes to draw from its supply.
Ats o'clock in the afternoon q long
line of wagons extended through the
alley in the rear OF the plant. 0neman
had arrived there with his two-hofse
wagon at half past nine o'clock, and ex-
pected to wait an hour longer. He had
had no dinner, but had humanely pro-
vided his horses with a good feed OF
oats, which they were munching at the
time. As early as 5 o'clock in the
morning the wagons had commenced to
gather, and at o'clock the line ex-
tended from the door OF the storage
room along the alley running parallel
with the river, up alley 10, and over
half square on Main street.
SUFFERING FOR ICE
One of the large dealers was pretty
strong in his condemnation OF the pol
icy Of the company. in allowing the
smaller wagons to be filed. I'VE have
a contract with them" he said, that
we take certain amount and that they
must keep us in ice. Almost all our
trade Is with private families, and in
one part of town not one OF our regular
customers has received his ice for to-
day. Now, there are two or three butch
er wagons awaiting their turn. They
have no regular contract, and they are
simply delaying us In serving our Gus
toners who depend upon US for the
small mount they use, and who can
not afford to make arrangements, such
as the butchers might make, by sending
away and getting a large shipment"
Though blaming the company he
was unable to suggest some plan by
which it could abrogate the old rule,
FIRST come, first served"
The company is doing Its best to
supply tho demand. As its own capac-
ity Is unable to supply the trade dur
ing the present hot spell it has ordered
Ice from abroad. One car load arrived
yesterday and was quickly disposed Of,
and three moro are expected to-day,
Even this will only half supply the de-
mand, unless the weather becomes
much cooler very soon.
In former days ice dealers kept
supply of their own on hand, and lake
ice was product very familiar here.
They have come, however, to depend
upon the ice plant, on account Of the
superiority and purity OF the ice and
the steady supply which it always
turned out. The company cannot cope
with "panic," as one dealer called 1t,
even though it does what the dealers
themselves formerly did, and orders ice
from abroad.