The Opelousas courier., 1896-10-17
ICE IN SUMMER,
FLOW 1T IS MADE ARTIFICIALLY
NOWADAYS,
The Industry is Comparatively New
and Requires Expensive Ma
chinery-CoId Produced by
Means Of Ammonia.

process, whereby the Welt-hHoWH cHheS
are frozen separately. This is i'll dis
tinction from the same principle ap.
piled in a totally different way when
the ice is made in large sheets, and
afterward split up into cakes. Upon
entering the engine room the first
things seen are two enormous Corllss
engines that drive the condensers,
popularity known as the "ice ma
chimes" 1t is through this instru-
mentality that all the power needed
in the factory is supplied. The con
densers are two huge, upright double
cylinders, whose dimensions are re.
spectively 1892 and 17x92 inches. 1t
is to these that the bulk of generated
horse power is applied, and it is upon
them that the heaviest work falls.
They are built to withstand a very
heavy pressure and are possibly
twenty-five feet in hight, rising from
q ponderous masonry foundation.
They are separate and independent,
but can be gearcd to work in unison
as one machine. This is done when
the plant is at its fullest capacity.
It is a well-known chemical and
physical law that ammonia, which in
q pure state is q gas, can be COM
pressed and CONCEALED like all other
gases into a liquid. Ammonia
is light, diffusible and capable of
comparatively safe transportation
in this liquid form, which is
maintained, OF course, only under
pressure. When that pressure is re-
leased the liquid Immediately returns
to it's original state, but gives off ian
intense degree of cold during that
transportation back into the form
er condition. If this were brought
in direct contact with a YES.
sci containing water it would
necessarily freeze it, but the
process while being a speedy one
would be far from economical. Here
enters another chemical law; pure
water freezes at thirty-two degrees
Fahrenheit water with any foreign
admixture at a much lower tempera-
ture. If then we would take a tank
and fill it with a specially prepared
water whose freezing point was below
that of puro water We could immense
a vessel containing the latter in the
former and form ice in the vessel.
This is taken advantage of in the
manufacture OF ice on a commercial
scale. The liquid that has been found
most suitable is a lime, a solution of
salt contain ing eighty-si1 pounds to
every 100 p7nts Of water. Naturally,
if a contain er of pure water is sus-
pended in nhis lime and e Hnlime is
kept just.a0ove it's freezAg point the
waite MHsolidifying at Q much higher
temlJerature will be %lSrozen solid if
kept there long enGs,ggh. This being
the theory itn1raH> 9 easy to put it into
practice in a way that shall be CONNER
cially valuable.
The ammonia gas, liquiied and
under strong pressure, is brought to
the factory in wrought iron cylinders,
weighing several hundred pounds each,
and is taken to the top of an adjoin'
ing structure. Through q series Of
heavy pipes it is conducted, still under
pressure, to the space beneath the
floor of the tank room. Below this
floor, which covers about two acres, il
the brine tank containing many gal
Ions of the salt solution. This is per
meated by miles Of pipe. through
which the Q pressure-reduced am
monia flows.
The brine is pumped and kept il
constant circulation by q couple o:
rotary engines. The temperature o
the brine falls far below that of thu
freezing point of water, and is bount
to CONCEAL anything that is immersed
On the floor are square openings, pro
tected by stout covers of oak and pine
all of which have a number. Their
are 1880 Of these openings on thi
floor, and a similar tank room allow
gives 140O more. Through eacl
n of these openings heavy
water-tight sheet iron c%ontainer
are lowered, open only on tn
top. These are filled with the dis
titled and filtered water, and as it fill
automatically, the can sinks. TIL
opening is then closed, and for thirty
six hours the process goes on in tina
particular can. In the meantime tn
workman has gone to another can tina
has been in the brine for the requ1sit
number of hours, and by a peculia
winch and chain, raises the can fror
the freezing mixture. The water ha
frozen fast to the container and tn
can contains a finished cake of ice. A
one end of tho floor is another tan
filled with boiling water, and b
means of a mechanical trolley the ice
pan and it's contents are dipped for
moment into the hot water. Thi
| loosens the ice, and it is emptied GU
where it goes by gravity to the storag
house. The can is then ready to b
reflled and immersed for anothe
thirty-six hours. Ali day long, an
i. all night long, the lids are never o
5 the brine tank, as the frozen produe
) makes room for the continuation of
/ chain of manufacture that is endles:
The ammonia in the meanwhile, s
+ il has flowed through the pipes,
gradually losing pressure, and
! finally useless in that form. Aftf
, being driven through the circulatin
pipes in the brine it is taken in its d.
based condition to the compressor
!. In this case the COMPRISING engine
. are the two enormous, towering He
> cules machines, double pistoned, {
tremendous girth and power. With
1 their cylinders the ammonia gas, pei
fectly cool but entirely expanded,
I. compressed again into its origins
Q LIQUID condition, the twin Corliss Ell
s gines keeping up steady throb. A