New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-07

TINE ANNUAL. CONSUMPTION PERHAPS 100000
roNs-rcE-MAKISG AND RErRIGERArrNd
MACHINES on LAND AND SEA
According to the testimony Of an exper. with
whom the writer had interesting conversation
a day or two ago. there are probably 3UDU tons
Of ice used in Greater New-York in the course OF
every year. About one-half OF this prodigious
ouantity Is consumed in the four hottest months
The consumption in June. July, August ana Sep
TENDER is therefore, at the rate OF ABOUT Nv"
tons a day. and OF that. in the opinion OF the ex-
pert about 900 are manufactured Gues-
ton or two on the subject set the expert TO talk
ing and he did not contne hinset 10 Single
phase OF the topic.
There are suppose" said he. about thirty
nlants for the manufacture OF Ice In the Greater
New-York Some OF them are carried on IN con-
necon with other businesses. such as cold-storage
warehouses and brewerles The first ice-making
machines were invented back in the ifties but
the product was little better than snow Some
twenty years ago great improvements were made.
and within the last few years there has been a
marked reduction IN the cost OF these machines.
The process of improvement has also gone on rap
idly Such a machine to-day costs less than half
OF what cost five years ago. and the business OF
making ice can now be gone into on commercial
basis lust like the milling business. for example
by the improved processes II is possible TO
manufacture Ice that is chemically pure. and all
artificial ice far superior in point OF purity 10
almost all natural ice. Where the latter is taken
from a mountain lake which Is so sheltered that
no dust can get into the ice and II Is frozen under
the right conditions. IT Is practically pure But
such conditions IRE hard to md and mos. OF the
natural ice sold in tho city is far from pure Ar''-
fetal ice howeyer-at least that made with mod
ern machines-is made from distilled water. and II
any sort Of carr is taken it can be kept absolutely
pure It can b made cheaper than natural Ice
can be put on the market, and Will probably driVe
out the natural sort in time In certain establish
ments II is found economical TO use the exhaust
steam for making ice. for It saves distlins water
for that purpose.
CHEAP ICE HERE.
..r t,ow q, an establishment where one ice ma
chine "a used FOR cooling a warehouse; II Is neces-
sary TO have a second. In case OF breakdown and
the second machine Is used regularly IN making
ice which can thus be turned out AT low cost.
They make sixty tons day II II should De neees-
sarv 10 use the second machine for the regular
business they would have TO draw on their re-
serve or else buy ice from some one else to sup
pIy their customers temporarily In such a ware
house 1, IL easy TO keep ice In reserve II there Is
room for IT, and as the temperature IL readily kept
below the freezing point such ice does NOT de'eri-
crate as does that IN an ordinary icehouse
There are n good many interesting things about
a colds storage warehouse. Meats. for example. must
9ansrene at the centre account OF the animal
heat After being cooled thoroughly. they can be
frozen and then kept for an indefinite length OF
time Apples are kept best at temperature OF
2s degrees or 30 degrees at this temperature they
Wilt n little. but when taken out OF tho warehouse
they plump up again. In keeping berries. melons
and things OF that kind there are many difficulties
I, the berries are broken the least bit. or melon
Is scratched they will not keep we'll. melon
that Is to be preserved In cold storage ought TO
have a piece OF waxed paper placed under II as
soon as II forms the vine. as TO keep II from
getting injured by contact with the ground Then
when Il IL taken from the vine the stem should
be covered with or shellac. Sometimes tho
whole surface OF the melon Is shellacke, but that
does not work we'll.
DIFFICULTIES IN TRANSIT.
Now as 10 meats. frozen carcasses OF sheep
have been carried from New-Zeaand and Australia
10 England for a number OF years. and most OF tho
mutton now eaten In London from the other
side OF the world II Is first cooled and frozen. and
after being put on the ship the chambers In which
II is stored kept cool by the constant use Of
reirgerating machines There Is no difficulty about
this except near the mouth OF the Red Sea. whore
the temperature OF the water Is invariably high
II will average 100 degrees ut the surface but by
going down below the surface stratum they can
got 1t at about 10 degrees Even then the refrig
Grating machine does not work we'll IL water Is
the machine II will BE- 1t lao degreeA That u.