Evening star., 1898-04-30
WARS EFFECT ON ICE
Prospectof a Short Supply for Coming
Summer.
TRANSPORTATION RATES ADVANCED
Small Harvest in Maine and Manu-
featuring Facilities Inadequate.
WHAT THE DEALERS SAY

From present prospects. the price Of Ice
will be raised considerably during this
summer. on account Of the war. Ice deal
ers have been speculating ever since the
trouble began as to what effect hostilities
would have on their business. An answer
has been given to this by the companies
which have been engaged in the trans
portation of ice from the north by increas-
ing the freight rates from % cents to 10
and 30 cents per ton.
If the Spanish warships arrive on our
seacoast it may possibly transpire that
companies will not take the risks of having
their vessels captured, and will decline to
allow them to go out at any price. 1t is
stated that great trouble has been caused
already as vessels have been tied up, the
crews refusing to do their work, on account
of the fear of being captured by the cruis-
ers of the enemy. 1t is hoped that there
will not be an ice famine, though such a
contingency might possibly arise on the
account stated.
Washington has two sources for it's sup
ply of ice in the summer The largest and
most important is that Of the crop harvest
ed on the Kennebec river. and shipped here
by vessels plying along the coast The
second is a small one, being furnished from
artificial ice. This supply is limited to the
products of the Hygienic Ice Company and
one or two small plants. AS usual, OF
course, Washington will have to depend
upon the companies which ship their ice
here from Maine. They are represented by
the Independent Ice Company. the Great
Falls Company, the National Capital and
Home Company. The Hysienic Company
controls the output of artificial ice. The
Independent Great Falls and Hygienic
Companies practically control the trade.
Natural Crop Small.
Washington is so far south that the natu-
raj ice crop harvested here amounts TO very
little. Residents of the capital always In
sst upon the best quality of the congealed
substance. The ice harvested here during
the winter was between three and four
inches in thickness only, and was. there
fore, not of the best quality.
Some means will have to be found TO fur
nish Washington with the kenEebec ice
with perfect safety by ship, as 1t cannot be
handled by train. IT is stated that the last
mentioned method of transportation is I'M
practicable, since the ice would melt quick
ly within short time after it was loaded,
thereby destroying all profits. The freight
rates are increasing greatly. The compa-
MES of course, do not own the vessels
hich bring the ice to this city. They char
ter them. The rates are so high that both
the Great Falls and Independent companies
have refused to charter vessels which have
been so far offered. 1t is a question, also.
man the vessels on account of the risk of
being captured by the enemy.
1t is estimated that the demand for ice in
Washington is between 2:D,OG0 and 100000
tens per year. and that this amount would
be nearly doubled in the event of very
warm summer. The two companies which
handle natural ice have enough stored here
to meet the demand until the first of June
or possibly the middle of that month The
Capital company has two loads on the way,
but there is a limited supply on hand. This
applies also 10 the Home company. The
output of the Hygienic company is 100 tons
per day.
Washington will not be the only city
which will suffer, for there are many others
on the short side, and they will naturally
bid for the supply which would come here
otherwise. 1t is stated that the Kennebec
harvest is comparatively insignificant as
compared with that of other years and
with such supply and so large a demand
1t is expected prices will go to a point
where they have never been before.
The Government Contracts
The bids for the government contracts
for ice consumed in the executive depart
II ents and elsewhere will close next month
This fact is worrying the dealers considera-
kly, as there is no way in which the COM
panies depending on the northern supply
| can estimate the price guarantee that
they fill the requirements, should their
bids be successful. 1t is suggested that a
pool be formed to maintain uniform
price. that none of the companies can
underbid another. An agreement of this
kind existed several years ago, but was
| done away with.
Manager Bartlett of the Great Falls
| Ice Company said i'll regard to the proba-
BILE effect of war on the price of ice that
| 1t would first have to be considered how far
| the hostilities would be carried before the
question was answered The prices which
i have been asked for vessels to be chartered
are too large to be met. The raise, he said.
is at least $500 for each vessel in excess