New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-02
ICE FACTORY FOR GUAM.
A TERRIBLE THIRST PREVAILING IN
GOVERNOR LEARY'S DOMAIN
But IT CANNOT BE sLAKED FOR ABOUT SIX
MONTHS. IN SPITE OF THE NAVY
DEPARTMENTS EFFORTS
fBC TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBuNE.l

tBG TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE.l
Washington. Dec. 1--Ciovernor Learys cahed re-
iteration Of his last summers requistion Tor an
ice machine has had its calculated effect In stirring
the authorities Of the Navy Department TO re-
alizing sense Of the thirst that Is consuming the
colony Of the isle Of Guam" and imbued them
with relative activity in the direction OF affording
some measure of cooling relief 70 the almost desic-
Gated garrison The result. however. putting the
best face on IT, is bound to be disheartening TO
Governor whose powers in his own dominion are as
absolute those Of any autocrat on earth' out
whose influence is strictly bounded by the three
mile limit around the shores of his island paradise
"a paradise without potable water. lying In the
middle Of a wide ocean, for. according 10 the or
fetal estimate made after every resource hao peen
canvassed the festive iceman cannot make the
rounds Of Aganas streets for at least another hai
year. and lukewarm fresh water from the con-
densing boilers mast remain the only means OF
easing the parched throats Of the little American
community living nearly two thousand miles lTohn
their closest civilized neghbors
II seems that the Navy Department long ago an
ticipated that Guam would prove unenduraoie 10
officers and accustomed TO the comforts OF
artificial refrigeration which included In every
United States warship and that contract was
made with firm In York, Penn. to build an am
monia machine, with \ capacity OF supplying TWO
tons of Ice day. and at the same time OF main
tanning n temperature in two storage rooms many
degrees below the torrid heat OF night as well az
dav in the Ladrone Archipelago Under the terms
Of the contract signed two months ago the ap-
paratus was 70 be delivered at the New-York Navy
Yard in sixty days. and 1t is now about ready TOT
Shipment Its weight is little more than ten
tons and this fact is fatal 10 Governor Learys
early relief. When his cable dispatch arrived the
FIRST impulse of the Department was to sene the
machine across the continent 10 San Francisco ana
put It aboard the collier scndia which is to start
fr hon
Manila On reflection. ii was recalled that guns
new shafts and other heavy nava had
taken several months 10 traverse the sLetCh o,
mis- season OF the year when delays on the tans-
connental railways are freGIent h anp sSpft AZ
San F sn six months waiting for
from the East Besides the scindia was not
adapted for carrying tent packages IN additi9n
10 the cargo already assigned to her and as she
cannot approach within half a mile or me sho6e
he able to land the machine there at all, but would
have to take IT 10 Manila ana place. II aooaro
There were other objections OF the Scindia method
OF solacng Governor Ieary. and atogether 'nese
nIan for charte=ing tramp steamer at New-9ork
and shipping the ice machine wa las suea ,ba Isyx
York Yard destined for the Philippines. the Surgeon
General had medicines and hospital supplies in the
East for Cavte. suu, Iloilo and Agana and these
items speedily decided the authorities 70 secure me
would carry them all including an extra boiler for
Governor Learys cooperating plant Inc Iat'er ~
Of the natural water the island is fit to drink.
except perhaps in the mountains where Tvs duaIty
and quantity are extremely uncertain.
Nv 'chartering a steamer II Is expected that the
refrigerating plant will be landed at Port Louis
Ara in about three months, and then Governor
Tearv will be confronted with the puzzle OF hauling
II six miles through the sand TO his headquarters
at Agana with no help but reputation that has
never been induced 10 work, without draught anil
mails and with only enervated force OF ma
lines THE nnachinist who Is TO 10 out 70 Agana
10 set up the apparatus thinks he can put II IN
running order in about two months after arrival
its destination, on the whole, the prosper for
iced rotations next summer in the colony Is not
cheerful.