Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-19
TOGUS ICE BOX.
The Big Refrigerator Being Built al
the Home.
The New Facilities for Keeping the
Rations in Summer.

! ''Whew, Hot, amt it?" So many Il
/ Togus veteran will be heard to remark
during the coming summer; and likewise
many visitor seeking some shady place
about the grounds or the inviting cool
ness of the reception room with its gen
erous tank of ice water occupying con-
spicuous place. But in the new refriger-
ator, new a refrigerator but built In
an old building, it will be far otherwise.
For a contrast, picture for a moment q
perspiring citizen hopping the sweat
from his heated brow and then imagine
the interior of the ice box of this refriS-
Grating plant, containing 10 tons of the
North pole. There are two compartments
to this box, and they will be filled each
winter when the ice is being cut, and
then probably at two or perhaps three
different times during the summer other
lots of say 80 tons each will be put in.
The work of constructing this refrig-
orator is being done by the Quinn Refrig-
orator Co. of Portland under contract,
using for the purpose the basement and
first floor of what was in the earlier days
of the Home the location of the main
, heating and boiler plant. 1t makes an
'iuliiiiiDIc place, HOt o!lls q" - "N~N'S
bility from the outside but as well by
reason of the ease with which food can
be removed to the kitchen.
The ice will be run up an inclined plane,
the endless chain being actuated by the
electric motor which runs the elevator
connecting with the kitchen. This Gle
vator, which is made by the Morse Ele-
vator Works of Philadelphia, is one Of
the handiest features of the plant, COM
ing up directly beside the kitchen, into
which the shaft opens. Meats cut up
ready to cook, in the butcher shop below,
and all butter, milk. vegetables and sup
plies of the culinary department will thus
be moved from the store rooms to the
hands of the cooks with a minimum eX-
penditure of effort and little loss of time,
an essential feature when there is a fam
lily of 1000 men to be provided with three
square meals each day.
Another handy feature and one which is
especially noticeable to the novice in me-
chanical contrivances is the scale. sec
ton of the overhead trolley on which the
quarters Of beef will be suspended when
taken from the cart the beam and rail
running out over the sidewalk at the
outer door, is suspended from one end of
a pivoted steel beam, the other end of
which is attached to the arm of an APP
parently small Fairbanks scale, which,
however, is capable of registering sew
eral hundred pounds, so that as soon as
the trolley wheel carrying a quarter of
beef runs upon this section of the rail its
weight is registered on the scale. 1t can
then be pushed along into the inner meat
room where by an ingenious device it is
switched off onto one of the several rails
running along the ceiling of this room
and there allowed to remain, still sus-
pended on the trolley wheel ready for in
slant use.
A description of the arrangement of the
rooms and the quantities of beef butter.
vegetables, etc, which can be stored here
at & freezing temperature while the mer-
curry of the thermomet II is climbing
ilously near to the top of its glass tube
has already been given in these columns.
Mr.. Doe of the Quinn Co., who has
been experimenting the construction is a
very capable workman and everything
has been done in thoroughly workman
like manner. The work is now nearing a
point where a few days will see its COM
pletion. Material of the best descrip-
ton has been used
Captain Gallagher. under whose imme-
date charge this department is, is an eX-
perienced careful and painstaking Off
Ger, familiar with all its details, and thus
equipped, a favorable showing as to cost
and quality OF the ration compared with
the other branches of the National Home
is assured.