The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-08

he extended the trade TO Charleston. Sa-
vannah and New Orleans. His ultimate
success prompted competitors TO enter
The field as exporters. The growth in
the exports OF ice increased steadily until
about 1870. After this date they steadily
decreased, until, in the year 1890, the
number Of tons exported was SO insigniti-
cant that the foreign trade in ice may
now be considered practically extinct.
The growth OF the domestic trade was
simultaneous with the early increase in
the export trade. It has been impossible
70 obtain data relative TO the production
Of the entire country, but some indica-
ton of the extent of the industry may be
derived from the quantity OF ice harvested
in Maine and on the Hudson river. Al
though these are the greatest harvesting
regions Of the country, their annual pro-
duct probably does not represent much
mere than half the ice harvest OF the
United States. The capacity of Hudson
river ice houses now reaches 4215.97o tons
Efforts have been made TO get esti-
mates of the consumption of natural ice
in the great cities In New York the an
nual consumption of ice is believed 10
be about 100000 tons. If this figure is
approximately correct the manufactured
ice consumed during the census year
amounted 70 So per cent OF the total
consumption. Census Office correspond
ence with several OF the leading ice man.
ufacturers indicates that the average
cost OF production was approximately
$3.50 per ton, and the average wholesale
price 81; while the average retail price
varied from fifteen to thirty cents hun
dred pounds, according 10 the season of
the year. In Philadelphia the annual
consumption of ice was estimated at
frcm 100000 to 100000 tons. 1926 tons
of which was represented by the local
production of manufactured ice In San
Francisco from 100000 TO 1900 tons of
natural ice was used, brought from the
Sierra Nevada mountains, but owing 10
climatic conditions the consumption there
IS much smaller than in eastern cities Of
ike size.
Some time before the natural ice indus
try became a factor of commercial i'm
portanee attempts were made TO produce
ice by abstracting the latent heat from
water by artificial means. The first ma
chine for the manufacture of ice was in
vented in l755, by DR.. William Cuhen,
and was based on the principle that the
creation of a vacuum increases evapora-
ton of water, and by this means pro-
duces ice.
Prof a. c. Twining of New Haven.
Conn. took out patent for an ice ma
chine in England in 1850, and in the
United States in 1858 In 1855 he operated
a machine in Cleveland, o., which pro-
duced over 1.6O0 pounds Of ice in twenty
four hours, and was operated intermit-
tently until 1857. In the infancy OF the
industry the ice was opaque, and it was
not until about 1858 that transparent ice
was made by the use of distilled water.
Capt. David Smith, of Chatham, Mass,
was the originator of the plate ice sys-
TEN. He erected in Oakland, Cal, the
first machine of this character.
The United States patent Office, up to
January l, 1902, has issued 4,SS7 patents
for various processes of refrigeration.
OF this number 6S1 are for the manufac-
ture of ice machines.