The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-01-03
VISIT TO A ZERO ZONE.
MAMMOTH NEW ICE PLANT wIrB
ITS COLD STORAGE.
A Labyrinth Of Pipes-,ireat Pan Area
Fifteen Chilly Rooms Arctic and
Tropic.

The new ice plant Of the Hawaii
an Electric Company is in operation,
and the cold storage rooms are
about ready for the reception of
goods. The whole scheme of this
refrigerator is OH mammoth scale
and supersedes anything of the kind
ever seen in this country. AS is
well known, the cold storage is the
business aimed at. The Peoples
Ice Company will handle the ice,
Enough will naturally he turned
out to supply the market at all
times.
The new plant necessitated an
enlargement of the Electric Com
pany's building. 1t is now more
than twice its original size. The
building is of brick, two and three
stories. Inside is an intricate
arrangement of machinery, gas
pipes, ice rooms, cold storage de-
partments, etc, etc, which takes
considerable time to look over.
In the first big room, downstairs,
is the monster engine of the entire
works that turns every wheel in
the establishment and lights the
town. In front of this is drive
way to the streets, with turning
room.
On the left entrance is the ice
plant or more properly the pans in
which the ice is made. The pans
are about 3 feet long, IS inches
wide and IL deep, though any size
can be used. The size referred
turns out ice for the trade. The
hole in which they are placed, rest
ing on gas pipes, is about 40 feet
long and IL wide, representing a
big piece of ice, were it solid. AID.
joining this is the ice storage room
connecting with the street on tht
inakai corner. Adjoining this room
are half dozen storage rooms fol
meats, etc, in which very low
temperature may be obtained
In all there are fifteen cold storage
rooms.
Upstairs are practically three hal
stories, or at least two and piece
On the makai side are rooms TO
heavy meats with hooks strong
enough to accommodate beevcs
etc. Mauka, down the center aisle
are storage rooms for poultry
groceries, meats, drinks, etc. Here
shut in as it is, the cold is intense
In the aisle the temperature is a
the freezing point constantly, ant
snow hangs thick around the pipe
that run here and there.
In the storage rooms still lowe
temperature is easily reached
There are more gas pipes and tn
pipes are fitted with lobes, increas
ing their surface and consequent
strengthing the power Of absorbing
the heat of the air. In one Of tn
rooms, open save for a canva
screen, the thermometer registere
IL degrees above zero; in another
where the temperature was ?
above, pigs, turkeys, etc. hangin
upon the hooks, were f Oxen hard
After the close fitting doors are pu
in the temperature will remain i
the-neighborhood Of zero with pos
sibility of all reduction necessary
The material used in this process
of freezing the storage rooms is am
monia gas. 1t is condensed at tn
) refrigerator works for use both b
freezing and by compression. B
, compression the vapor is reduce
| one hundred times which with til
aid of the GOODNESS to which it
subjected, reduces it to liquic
Therefore, when it escapes as ga
: and traverses the pipes it carrie
with it a temperature sufficient
: cold to freeze water left in the close
rooms through which the pipes e'
tend.
A trip through the cold storas
y rooms is interesting. Thick
t clad, one enjoys it. The chang
!, from the heated air in the worl
without is noted by degrees as Il
: front aisles of the works are i,
e spected. In the open rooms it &c
quite chilly, and it is noted tn
the thermometer is about IS to a
The entrance into the upp
apartments is marked by chillir
blast, which ceases immediatel
however, and the visitor steps in
! cold, motionless air. The farth
the inspection goes the colder
s gets. Finally coat collars a
l. drawn closer about the neck, Il
:. hands get cold and seek the war;
=, est pockets, the ears are pinch
% by the frost and the tee
e begin to chatter. A glance
lie the thermometer to find the liqu
!. resting near zero does not help ms
d tiers particle. Even thoughts
e how many cold it used to get ba,
). In Massachusetts, Minnesota
N England, as the case may be, do
not help it.
is Walking from that freezing pla
II into the warm, genial air outside
% what strikes one so forcibly, al
% impresses the perfection, the gra
S deur of Hawaii's climate. The wi
k tiers OF other countries and of II
is may be experienced in a IL
lie seconds, and the contrast com
i'd home to the student in the rig
(. way.
of The building has been put up a
lie the plant installed under the dir,
e. ton of Theo. Hoffman,, super