The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-18
Building an Ice House.
New England Farmer.

New England Farmer.
A cheap board building, with the cracks
battened, answers about as well as a costly
structure, with double walls filled In. The
keeping of the ice does not depend so much
upon the walls of the building as upon tne
is packed. Sawdust or dry tanbark furnish
the best packing materials. But these, in
many localities, are difficult to obtain. Next
to these dry cut straw or chaff is PROBABLY
the best, and almost any farm can rurnlsh
the straw. Cut straw is better than whole,
because Ii packs closer and makes good
nonconductor, though whole straw is often
successfully used. In the latter case the
space for filling between the pile OK Ice
and the walls of the building needs to be
wider than if cut straw were used. In case
cut straw is used, we would leave space
Of sixteen inches for filling, but, with whole
straw, of two feet. The sillS OF the building
should rest on the ground or on a wall
built for them, allowing no air to enter I'M
derneath. We would lay tile foot below low
lance away, to keep the bottom dry, but
tile should not open into the building. TO
admit air. a foundation of at least foot
deep of the packing NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., tan
or straw-should be laid over the bottom
on which to build the pile of ice, and the
of uniform size so as to pack closely, and
1t is well to go over each layer as 1t Is
put in. and fiji all cracks. with pounded
near solid as possible When the pile
between it and the sides OF the building
solidy as possible and a covering OF at
least two feet in depth be made over all.
Ventilation should be provided for by
openings in the gables or ventilating
shaft going up through the roof TO permit
the escape of the moist air which gathers
above the ice The door should be, for
convenience, made in two sections, an up
per and lower, with boards laid across on
the inside of the frame holding the pack
ing material in place.
The proper size depends upon the amount
of ice that will be required. Ice will meas
ure about forty cubic feet to the ton. and
ten tons would be a liberal supply for fam
lily use. This would be equivalent to a pile
eight feet long. eight feet wide and six and
Cne-half feet high. If We allow two feet
ing to hold this amount in the form above
given would need to be PIKE feet, with
nine-foot posts. \ door in the gable would
be needed for putting in the top layers
and taking out ice early in the season.
AS cheap and good a way for a cheap
ground three on q, side, except the end
where the doors are, with 2x4 for plate
and middle and bottom girths and board
UP, down and batten. banking up az the
bottom to exclude air. The roof should
project considerably ali sides,
TO shade the sides. and if it could be built
under the shade of trees it would be all
the better. When expense is no object and
Il permanent structure is desired a brick
stone foundation should be put in. on
bedded in mortar, and double walls
be made by using ks or 2X12 for Studding
and filling the space between the outside
and inside boarding. Ice should be cut
and put up only in freezing weather. II
cut and handled when the temperature is
above freezing the blocks splinter and
crack and its keeping qualities are con-
siderably injured