Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-07-20
POOR ICE YEAR.
Shipments on the kennebec
Are Far Behind Average.
The Coolest Season for Many Years
is the Principal Cause.
Interview With Well Posted Ice Man on
the Situation.

Gardiner. July 1S.-(Special)- There
doubtless is an Impression among peo-
pie generally, after surviving the swell
tering weather of the past two weeks.
that a great boom must have resulted
therefrom in the ice business, and that
the ice men must be up to their eyes in
the work of shipping the sparkling
crystal to New York. Philadelphia.
Baltimore. and other markets where
Kennebec ice is acknowledged as the
standard of purity.
Imagination, however, often paints
for cur eyes a picture in far brighter
colors than it proves to contain when
subjected to closer examination, and
this explains pretty well the condition
of affairs in ice circles along the river
today.
Excepting the past two weeks, the
season has been the coolest and most
unsatisfactory one in the history of TIL.
ice business. May. for "a starter. fur
nshed total Of four pleasant days fo.'
the month. Then came June with
weather more suggestive of early fall.
than of the balmy days which by rights
are hers. July mas. up To date, done
better and the advent of the heated
time has doubled the amount of ice
shipments.
But with this little futter. the bust
ness is not what ii should be. at the
height of the season, and some of the
dealers are discouraged at the prospect
They experienced an expensive and
at the time which shipments should lie
the liveiest they lind them exaspera:-
ingly slow. Buf few concerns ara
making regular tlme. and some but one.
two and three days per week All are
playing more or less of waiting game
OF the 1907 900 tons of ice housed last
winter there has been shipped perhaps.
100000 tons. and there is prospect that
all viii carry over more or less.
In conversation with prominent
Gardiner ice man, today. who is in close
touch with the business on the Kenne-
bee. as well as the entire State where
the ice industry Is carried on. the work
being done along the river was learned
to be substantially as follows:
At Farmingdale. where the first ice
on the Kenncbec was housed. there is
not a block, the first time at this sea-
SON of the year since 1866. This con-
dition of affairs was not wholly due TO
shipments, however, as by the recen.
destruction of the old Rich houses a.
tarmingdale. 10000 tons of ice were
destroyed. These houses, owned by
the FarmingdaIe Zee Company and the
Consolidated Ice Company, had ca
pacity of $4,000 tons, and the latter had
shipped 5000 tons previous to the fir
After the destruction Of the houses
l5,oe0 tons We're shipped from the ruins.
The knickerbockers began shipping
from their Randolph houses, last week
and are loading about 1900 tons per day.
Haynes and Lawrence have an occa-
sional vessel at Randolph and at the
Hancock houses at Pfttston
The knickerbockerS Shutdown houses
are about half cleaned out. Work is
going on at the new houses of the
Great Falls Ice Company at Green's
Lodges, and the Independents are ship
ping regularly from their houses at
Pittston.
The Consolidated ice Company. since
finishing the fire ice" at Farmingdale
he'' hiiiaiiNd SiiipPlHS IfbIn It's
Hathorne block Of houses at Dresden
Consumers, hodoc and Sagahahoc
This company has ice not yet opened,
at its Haley houses, Lincoln houses.
at Thwing's point and Bowdoinham.
Clark q Chaplin. at Goodwin's point,
are making some shipments. but not
regularly, as also are Cochran-Oler
from their CedarGrove houses. Haynes
d Dewitt are shipping at Iceboro The
knickerboc1ers will finish shipping
from Iceboro by the middle of August.
Charles Russell, at Richmond. is
shipping four cargos per week The
Consumers lee Co has vessel load
ing this week at Swan Island c. r.
Deering ise doing some shipping. but
nothing regular.
Altogether this weeks shipping will
foot up some 10000 tons.
1t Will thus be seen that the seasons
business is hardly up to par, and unless
there should be much warm weather
later on the shipments win not come w
to the average. Meanwhile the dealers
are all ready for business. and when
the time comes. if it does come this
year, there will be a general hustle all
along the line