New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-08
A NEW ICE CONCERN.
THE GENERAL COMMERCIAL COMPANY
INCORPORATED
TO BUILD GREAT PLANT ON STATEN
ISLAND WITH A DAILY CAPACITY OF
ONE THOUSAND TONS-wHY ITS
PRODUCT CAN BE SOLD
AT LOW RATES
AT LOW RATES.

There has Just been incorporated under the
laws of tho State of New-Jersey new COM
pany. which. II the declared expectations OF its
promoters realized will give the ice COM
panies at present operating in this city the
liveliest kind of competition. The rev corpora
ton. which is named the General Commercial
Company, has a capital of 81, 900. 600 which can
be increased to S5000OOO and the corporators
are r. B. Ayres. W. J. Woodcock and A. L.
Ayres. The company is registered with the Cor
poraton Trust Company Of Jersey City. in the
offices Of which company meeting is to be held
on Thursday for the election OF officers OF the
new concern. 1t is the purpose Of the manage
ment Of the General Commercial Company to
install on Staten Island an ice-making plant OF
the daily capacity Of one thousand tons; to
transport its product by the nine boats which
1t will acquire to piers In New-York City. dock
age rights for which wharves 1t will lease, and
to deliver it's ice 1T tn. piers to the 500 to 300
dealers who II is alleged have been forced out
OF business by the so-caled Ice Trust the Ice
TO be distributed to consumers by these men
The plant of the new company will he several
times as large as any plant heretofore erected
for the manufacture Of ice the daily capacity Of
the Hygea Ice Companys largest works in this
city it is said being only one hundred TONS
The General Commercial Company purposes
erecting its plant at point on the Staten ISL
and waterfront where coal can be delivered
to II at the minimum Of cost. and water can be
obtained at no expense, being drawn from wells,
whereas II is estimated that II the works were
located in this borough the company's water
rents would amount to $4,000 year. The
plans are now being draughted for the build
ings, four of which will be 800 feet each in
length. one will be $50 feet long and one 2oO
feet: and the machinery is being contracted for.
Each unit Of the ice machine will weigh about
forty tons No new methods of manufacture
are to be introduced. but the plate ice system
will be adopted, which is said to be now In sue
cessful operation in Philadelphia and Brooklyn.
The ice will be frozen as ice is formed by nature,
the freezing being done from one side only.
Each cake will be 10 by IA feet in superficial
area and will weigh 10000 pounds, and the
process Of freezing will take eight days. Elec
trio cranes will be used in handling these enor-
nous cakes.
According to the calculations Of the manage
ment of the company. the cost OF manufacturing
its ice and delivering 1t alongside the wharf In
this borough will aggregate only 30 cents a ton.
and it's price to the consumers Will be materially
lower than the figures heretofore ruling. The
extensiveness Of its plant, IL Is argued, will
enable many economies Of operation to be ef-
fected and the location of the works on Staten
Island. where real estate Is relatively low and
no water rates must be met, and on the water
front there, where there will be no coal carriage
expense, will reduce the fixed charges to a
minimum On the other hand, the cost Of
manufacturing ice In this borough, 1t Is said by
men interested In the company. is fully 81
a ton. and the fixed charges add 20 to 30 cents
a ton to this amount. The General Commercial
Company expects TO begin delivering ice by
July |.