The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-23
ICE SHIP OFF FOR TROPICS.
Frosted Things the supply Takes 10
the Fleet.


Pearing all sorts Of good cheer not
snsciec,fiv Included In her sailing orders
he rcfrigerating ship Supply sailed from
This mort Yesterday to join sampson
eeet saws Fridays New York sun. Her
arriyal will undoubtedly arouse more
enthusiasm In the fleet than any event
since Cervera's defeat, as the bill OF rare
80, a n,an-of-war becomes decidedly con-
,racted after a short stay in the enemy 5
waters. and luXurles are conspicuously
absent. or both the solid ana suDslah-
tial foods and the luXuries unconsiueIeu
bv the Navy Department. the supply car
,ies very large assortment, and owing
10 the refrigeratlng arrangements every
thing IS sure to get 20 its destination IN
GOOD condition She has been ten days
Ina those parts Of the hold not special
~ fitted out are piled the hard tack, can
ned goods etc. which do not spoil In
warm temperatures A large space In the
hold has been made into the refrigeratng
room and IL IS here that the meats are
carried. not merely kept cool. but actual
lv frozen stiff. The temperature or the
room is g degrees.
The men who have been working IN II
during the heat Of the past week have
Leen Obliged 10 exercise extreme care in
going from the outer air into the Icy
temperature. Any one who undergoes
such a change when perspiring renders
himself liable 10 pneumonia, or even 10
death by shock. There was case or
death ensuing I'm a few minutes from
this latter cause I'm the ice room OF a
western meat refrigerator recently. MANY
OF the Supplys men at first compliance
Of dizziness severe pains in the head, and
difficulty I'm breathing. until they became
somewhat used 20 the plunge into the
freezing air Very soon they learned 10
cool their heads of by wrapping them
IN wet towels before going down.
In this refrigerating room are 10000
pounds Of beef all in hind quarters the
biggest Of which weighs 3l2 pounds.
These were shipped from Chicago in re-
frigeratOr cars. which required four re-
laws OF ice between the two cities, and
when they reached the navy yard they
were frozen to the consistency OF hard
wood. In this condition they were swift
~ transferred TO the cold room. There are
also other meats kept in this room, put
the beef IS the staple. The contractors
who furnished IL say that 1t was sold at
the lowest price ever paid for FIRST quail
ity beef In this country, and that their
Droft IS entirely from the hides ana
bones. This meat is, Of course, supplied
By the Navy Department.
There are 800 barrels in tn cold room
not thus supplied. They contain botteld
beer. and the Supplys officers, who came
I'D with her from Santiago not long ago
saw that il value Is measured by the IN
tensitv Of demand. iced beer IL worth
about $1,000 a bottle down there. Ranged
in long rows on cakes OF ice are thirty
luscious watermel0ns bought by the ON
GERS as special presents for their TREND
I'm the fleet One OF them is for Cohmo-
dore Schley There are also unnumbered
packages Of tobacco and boxes or cigar
cites going 10 places where smoking ma
terial is very scarce.
ION our other trip down, said one OF
the officers Of The supply I'VE found
everybody bowling for cigarettes. inc
feet was practically out of them. ana
tho tackles on the other ships were ohet-
ing our men five cents apiece for them.
You see. they were long or money anu
there We're no prospects OF smoke except
right there Just before we LETT there 1
asked a friend Of mine on one OF the
cruisers II there was anything he'd par
ticularlv Ike TO have brought 10 him.
"Ts therer he exclaimed. Wen, i
should say there was. You bring me a
dozen of beer. n ripe watermelon, ana
some decent cigars. and l w0uldnt can
Queen Victoria my aunt
"That chaps voice fairly trembled with
eagernoss. An the things he asked Tor
are on board and ought 10 be IN his hands
I'm a few DAYS I expect well be ABOUT
the most popular ship that ever hoated
when We get there