The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-06-29
CUTTING ICE.
Cakes Pass Through Many Hands
Before They Are Delivered.

Cakes Pass Through Many Hands
Before They Are Delivered.
The cutting of the ice on a pond is an
interesting process, and the equipment Is
peculiar and varied. All the fall and win
Ter, until the harvest is closed, men and
horses after every snowstorm scrape the
ice to the glare with snow scrapers.
When the cutting begins, horse draws
Il marker across that portion Of the pond
Immediately to be cut, leaving light
straight incision along the surface. This
is repeated until. the surface is all mark
ed off one way. each line being "a inches
apart. Then the greover goes over the
same COURSE making the incision deeper
and broader.
The process is repeated. except that
this time the mark goes at right angles
to the lines drawn first. and at 4 distance
of ST inches. upart. Then the course Is
gone over; by the plows, until the lines,
each way are cut to q depth Of nine inch
es. The ice gone over for the last time 10
ready for the canal"
After the: last passage OF the pillow
which makes the narrow groove q few
quick. we'll directed blows from an lee
chisel in the hands of a skilled cutter.
and large float" containing 100 or
more of. the ordinary "A by 80 cakes is
broken from the field. Ready men with
pixies on the end of long poles push IL
through the open water to the vicinity OF
the elevator. The canal Ut course is
longer the farther away from the elevator
the men are cutting. The course must be
kept open. and should 1t freeze during the
night the new, ice must be broken.
The first men who receive the float at
the elevator break it with their chisels
Iengthwise, and the smaller piece is sent
under the plank bridge, where the cross
sections are broken off. Each cake is
then at hand ready for its upward jour
uey. The feeder" drives it with his pike
to the proper position. when 1t is caught
by section Of the eRdless chain, aud up.
up, up. it gllies. The feeder must be
careful and quick Of eye to see that every
piece of the 40 each minute that passes
through his. hands is whole. of the right
size and gets it's correct position upon the
chain. A cake askew might wreck the
whole elevator.
As an. additiuaal precaution way up at
the top of the tower is stationed the
Clutch" who watches the cakes not only
before they arrive at the planer. but after
they have started down the galleries. to
Should n hitch occur electric bells with
buttons at convenient distances give him
and the other men the alarm. or all he
Is the one to stop the danger. In his
place Of duty there is n clutch with which
he can threw off the belt, and without
stopping the engine the motion Of the
chain stops at once.
But the cake has almost completed its
Journey up the elevator. Before being
stored away the thin snow on it's surface
which hus escaped the planer when still
in the lake must be got rid of. Every
| cake before it goes into the st0rerooin
has between two and three inches planed
I from its surface. A machine also groves
| the plnned surface with inch deep creases
| backward and forward to prevent frcez-
| ing together when finally packed away IN
| the rooms
The "plancr man" has his hands full
| and after leuving him break in the ele'
vator run sends il flying along the house
| galleries to the room where it is to he
| stored away Practiced men with pixies
| hurry il on its way. each room has its
| turn. and tier after tier is piled up until
| the ice can be more conveniently handled
| should the ice enter the room at a higher
| point.
| The break in the runway closed, it only
| remains to open another on n level with
the next gallery to fill the room from that
| point, where the cakes remain until
! wapted.-Nashua Telegfaph