New-York tribune., 1896-11-22
ICE CREAM FOR OCEAN JOYAGERS.
THE BIG STEAMERS TAKE 1T FRoM NEW
YORK FOR THE ROUND TR1P-HOW II
IS PACKED AND KEPT.

Ice crsarn has such a peculiar power of disap-
pearing or rather of speedily resolving itself INTO
substance which bellies Its name. that IL might sc"'
ul-adapted for an article of export Yet when
properly packed il may be kept tor weeks ana e'e"
months. This being true. it can be and is trans
ported by land and water 10 great distances. All
the ocean steamers leaving this city for Europe ana
for the Southern and West indian ports are sup
piled here with ice cream not only for thelr out-
ward but for their return voyages as Well. ->cN
York has monopoly Of this trade and 1t Is chiehy
confined TO two, or. most, three companies Inc
cream which is TO travel thousands Of miles before
being used Is made in precisely the same way as
that for the domestic trade and there Is piac'icS
no difference in its taste after weeks OF freezihg'
All steamers have a cold room in the hold, in
which is placed huge refrigerator maze esPeclai
" for the purpose Of holding ice cream. 1t consists
OF a square wooden box. very heavily built ana
lined with zinc Within this is square recep-
tace for the Ice cream. much smaller than the IN
side OF the box so as to allow plenty of space Tor
ice all around it, The ice cream is brought down
to the in large tubs each containing ioTty
quarts put up In the usual oblong quart bricks
The tubs taken aboard the vessel ana un-
loaded below. One by one the quart bricks are
packed snugly away in the great. square receptacle
In the refrigerator These cans. as they may be
called vary in size the largest such as Is used ior
instance. the steamer New YORK: containing
about go quarts Previous TO the filing solid
mass Of cracked ice and salt has been packed INTO
walls The employees CT the ice cream company
direct the ships hands to the proper repleiish-
mcnt of this ice and salt, process Whlch lnuSl
be gone through each day. The temperature OF the
cream il kept in the neighbornood of zero an IN"
time. When needed for the table. the bricks are
taken out through a small door in the top OF the
box that there may b. as little exposure as posi-
bic to the comparatively warm outside air.
Although the ice cream thus shipped L. IN almost
every case meant only for use aboard the steamer,
there is at least one company IN this city which mas
customers in the West Indies. and thus actually
exports its wares. in the common meaning OF tic
word. The trade is small yet. and WAS brought
about entirely through the steamship companies.
Sending ice from this city out into the
country by rail IL also an important branch or the
business. The distances are far moro limited than
when ii can be sent by water. owing 10 the amount
Of the express charges. The process also is simpler
for on account OF the rapidty OF the transpcrta-
tion no rcfrigerators are necessary and the tubs
are placed directly upon the cars. Towns and
country villages within radius OF from 100 TO .'p
miles OF NCWYork are supplied with most or their
ice cream from here. Despite the number OF pat
cnt home" frecZcrs advertised the methods OF
which are warranted to be lightning quick ana in
fallibc. the number of people who make their own
ice cream Is comparatively small. Many have tried
IT, and many have failed After course OF watcry
or gritty concoctons which bore only an extremely
faint resemblance to the desired article the anna
tears have usually returned TO tho kind manuiact-
ured by some weknown metropolitan firm