The Portland daily press., 1900-06-16
In Connection With 1t a Grain Ele-
water To Be Erected.
Grand Trunk Is Also To
Build New Ele vator.
The Plant Alone To Be Built
Here VIII Cost 100000.

The PRESS Is informed by the promot-
ers of the enterprise that it now only
pemairs for them to close the deal where
by they become the owners of extensive
property along the water front of this
city, for Portland, to be in u fair way of
seeing a modern and mammoth cold
storage plant in operation. The plan
has grown somewhat since it was first
mentiontd in the PRESS. The promot-
ers and investors in Tire enterprise now
contemplate the equipment of set Of
docks which may be utilized for big
trans Atlantic Steamships independent
of those now in existence at the Grand
Trunk They also contemplate the build
ing "a soon as possible of n giant eleva-
tor of steel construction, after the latest
and most approved designs. The Inter-
national Cold Storage and Transit Com
pany, as this new corporation is termed,
believe it will be more for their advan-
tags to have an dependent plant than it
will to depend upon that at the Grand
frank, which is already inadequate for
the Grand Trunk business. In fact, the
PRESS learns on excellent authority
that the old elevator at the Grand Trunk
will be torn down within very few
months and will give place to steel eie-
vator, and that the dock at that point
will be enlarged 50 as to give the Grand
Trunk chance to handle more business
at once.
The cold storage plant which is to be
built here win not have any connection
with any particular railroad. 1t will
handle its own steamships which will be
thoroughly equipped for the cold storage
business and it will take all of the bust
ness that comes to it from the Grand
Trunk OF by any other means. The total
Investment in Portland will be in the
neighborhood of $500, 900, exclusive of the
cost of the property which is to be pur-
Chased for the location of the plant.
The investors in this enterprise which
means so much to Portland, are some of
our own capitalists, Boston and New
York bankers. The plan has met with
favor in Portland and everywhere else
that it has been preached. This port has
been selected only after the available
points along the Atlantic coast north of
found that Portland offered better adj
vantages than any others and so this
point was selected.
The plans have already been outlined
in this paper. They included the erec-
ton of cold storage plant here and the
plant in Portland will be operated even
tually in connection with Southampton
and Havre, the ships owned by the COM
pany being especially fitted up for the
transport of perishable freight. At
other points throughout the United States
and Canada cold storage plants are to be
located and cold storage cars operated on
all railroads connecting these cold stor-
age stations. The idea is to make Port
land the outlet for the perishable pro-
ducts such as butter, cheese, vegetables,
meats and eggs and general farm produce
as we'll as fish Tor the entire Northern
section of the continent.
Cold storage is no experiment. 1t is
an established branch of business and it
mays immense dividends. Cold storage
space in the existing plants in New York
and further south is leased for months
in advance The system is subsidized
10y the Canadian government because 1t
brings the producers of perishable goods
next door to the market, though the
market may be on the other side OF the
globe.
Maine apples may be held In cold stor-
age in perfect condition for months at
a time without deterioration. The
FARMERS of this state who are within
reach of railroad can sell their
eggs, butter cheese and fruit right at
the railroad station to be transported to
European markets in perfect condition.
In addition to all of this Portland will
have refrigerating system and its hotels,
grocery stores and meat markets Will
not be dependent upon ice combines for
their Ice Norfolk, Va, has refrigerat-
Ang system, as have many other cities.
,Pipes are laid through the streets like gas
mains with branches extending into the
places where refrigeration is needed.
These pipes conduct the refrigeFating
medium, anhydrous ammonia, to the
spot where 1t is required, and II can be
furnished at paying rate for prices
equivalent to 40 cents ton for ice, the
cost of the natural ice being about 81 a
ton. The possibilities of this system OF
refrigeration re enormous, and 1t means
much TO Portland TO have this Inter
national Cold Storage and Transit COM
kpany select this port for one OF Its big
plants. The PRESS is informed that in
a few days more it may announce the
purchase of the site for this big plant and
give more of its plans in detail.