New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-25
DANGER OF AN ICE FAMINE.
so HARVESTING DONE ON THE HUDSON.
THOUSANDS OF MEN KEPT FROM WORK BY THE
BACKWARD sEAsON-PooR PROSPECTS

THOUSANDS OF MEN KEPT FROM WORK BY THE
BACKWARD sEAsON-PooR PROSPECTS
OF FULL CROP.
r-,,ess there is a most decided and unexpected
.banee in the weather In the next few days, the
Ice crop Of the winter 1884 will be greater la
rre than 1t was in the winter of 1S9o-9l, and the
peope OF New-York will again experience an ice
famine perhaps more distressing than that OF 1871
rbere are only few more days in the present
season when there can be q reasonable nope Oh Sc
curing an ice harvest. and II Will take more ina"
n week Of continuous cold weather to get the pres
ont film OF ice In the Hudson River IN III con-
ditior for harvesting AS the ice crop stanos at
nresent II Is a complete failure. Even II ooid
sran should spread over the valley OF the HUDSON
and last for a week or ten days. the ice ""ich
would thus be formed would be or an INFERIOR
Quality for the foundation of this ice Is no" so''
and spoogy on account of the damp ana warm
weather which has preVai'eo ioi '9 W
weeks. ~,,.
The annual consumption or ice IN New oih VIZ!
"a not far from 2OO0 900 tons. large part or whch
"a consumed by the steamship lines wh'ch run 10
end from New-York An immense quantity OF IL
ole, ,s consumed by brewers and butchers and II
Il had not been for the artificial ice manufactured
., ,,,s city during the last Ice famine the price
a, meat would have advanced greatly as the retail
and wholesale butchers could not afford to buy IN
large quantities. and consequently wou'o charge
more for the meat $500 49,
O,a ~ the most unfortunate things about the
a,,y IN harvesting the present ice crop Qf should
oct In a condition fit TO be harvested at aiD Is the
great number Of men who are compelled 10 remain
IDLE Although New-York and Brooklyn ahhuais
consume about 100000 of ice. yet nearly double
that quantity Is cut every year. because the melt
noe and waste Of cutting. storing retaining anu
delivering the ice reduces 1t to nearly one-hait OF
,,s first bulk so that nearly 100000 tons OF Ice are
harvested every year for the New-fork ihaihe
For the cutting and storing or TINS enormous mass
Of ice about 1900 men are employed every year.
These men largely dependent on the ice nalseSs
for pulling" themselves and their families % IN
the winter AS rule they are men VINO nSos %SrS r
and nm hs hotels osk to the mid
Winter harvest to help them through me VIM, he
months Ta doa FAR in 'a ices har r
man who has been in the Ice business ior many ,
ss cs sa crop 20 this viii total failure
do not see how 1t possibly be harvTstea, dUp
good ice weather anyway Even II we snounT
TO freeze over wide area the ice would be soft
and spongy because the basis ol Co often that it
is valueess the ice days are Jus.
hou What nsS he na
less sun there Is Ice the better Inc necember
day; and os long shs CO..
ice 1t is highly injurious to have ice Tree ,h
at night then r me again at night It
it and makes it unfit for storage 1t VA. ,ae "a, b
crop valuable We have not harvested any ice W
the Hudson as yet. and only i'll pug or Two siIia sra,
Our storehouses have little Ice left over from :ss'
year TO be sure. but that will in no way meet 'he
Robert Maclay the president Of the knicker,
booker Ice Company. said to the reporter ~ ca al
bordix he said that an ice famine Is certainty as
vet although it must be admitted that the preFen!
season. so far ice crop IS CONC erosd mas noa
hsen a good one We have rot gathered mucn Ice
Vet because 1t is OF desirable thickness
IL hone of our securing a good harvest yet lhere
is a cold wave coming in this direction and y may
give us good CROP.