Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-07-28

SO much is needed. But the artificial
one. as the recent experience of the
Chicago man in Washington will at
test. He started in to do a big thing
and laid his plans accordingly. The
storage men told him they would buy
of the people that could furnish the
ice the cheapest and best, which was
quite reasonable. He offered battle
with the natural ice, and drew out
after two years, $130,000 behind the
game. That's what they say. At any
rate he went back to Chicago.
But it's a long fight, and time is the
only settler. OF course. with the ad-
vancements in science. the artificial ice
business in time is likely to be quite
a business
A visit to an ice house in summer
might seem out of season Perhaps il
is compared with the winter. But
nevertheless, there is u lot to see there
now. l had a trip to the plant of the
Haynes & Dewitt Co. at Iceboro, a few
days ago that l shall long remember.
The plant is doubtless the most COM
plete of any on the river. 1t has all
the parts. so to speak, including the
farm. that is run along with the bust
ness.
There are 20 acres of it, all told, and
much of it is. after some years of cul-
tivation. first class tillage. 1t nets a
crop of 80 or 60 tons of hay year, and
also considerable barley, which goes
to feed the four horses kept on the
place the year round. and also others
which work in the winter.
The courteous superintendent. or
foreman, Mr.. Baker. met me at the
station. We passed on towards the
great ice houses, but short distance
away. Indeed they are great. and the
cvenness of their structure. after hold
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ice. and being buffeted by the wind. is
really remarkable; for their sides are
big and broad and must catch a lot of
wind. The larger of the houses is 403
feet long, by 151 wide. and 16 high at
the gables. The other nearby is 200
feet square, a little higher and con-
tains about $4,000 tons
You've no idea Mr.. Baker said,
as we passed along the runs to the
office in the elevator building. "of the
wear and tear there is each year to
an ice house All summer long there
is shop, including blacksmith
attachment busy all the time Along
towards the fall | set some eight men
at work at it, putting the buildings
into condition. The spiked shoes OF
the men wear away the stairs. and the
strain of the ice is something terrible.
Nine of the Il houses had been va
Gated. Each one of these looked for
all the world like a giants tomb. dark
and gloomy. as We entered. In the
one they We're at work on. the ice was
about half out. About Is men We're
packed in firmly together. while others
poked the Jumps about with picks and
pushers. starting them on their jour
ney to the door, where they slid along
towards the pier. 1t was somewhat
chilly there and one didn't care to
linger very long.
Now we might just as well follow
this ice down to the vessel remarked
Mr.. Baker. " and see it through to the
end and he led the way along to the
door. There is a great cow bell used
as a signal, which. with the winter
climate, completed the impression. and
gave one a horrible feeling that winter
had suddenly jumped in on us.
Along by one of the runs, the ice
was being let down by lifts, not unlike
dumb walters in their action Two
cakes at a time were slid on, and
regulated by a friction brake, We're
lowered to the tracks on the ground.
where they were pushed out and
started on their merry run towards
the ship. The lift, relieved of the
weight, shot up the gallery for more.
the pulley weight attached doing the
business
At the pier. the cakes of ice, like
sheep, about to await shipment. We're
gathered in a procession, awaiting
their turn. They are weighed and run
aboard and let down the hold by the
same method that they are lowered
from the upper tiers of the houses.
when the slide is high" the fore
+, man explained, Z" or the vessel is high
out of water, or both, the ice has to
, be pushed up by means Of a horse and
f, tackle. geared from the vessel. 1t is
raised to height, whence it can slide
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