Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-07-01
CORVALLIS ICE WORKS.
A Thriving Industry-How Ice is
Manufactured.

One of the foremost and most
fourishing industries in our rap
idly-growlng city is that of the
manufacture and sale Of ice. Ice
is shipped from Corvallis to all
points westward on the c. & E.
railway and many points east
ward. 1t also ships to Dallas,
independence, Monmouth and
as far north as North Yamhill,
half way between here and Port
land. The hcme trade of course
is the heaviest OF all; with the
plcnics, banquets, socials, ice
cream stands, saloons, hotels,
butcher shops and a score or
more of other demands the plant
is kept running night and day to
supply orders. There is no time
!of the year, in fact when the
plant is idle. At the present
time, Mr.. Elk, the genial, whole
souled proprietor, who enjoy S
the possession of one of the short
est of names, finds the limited
capacity Of his plant So stralning
under the burden of supplying
the heavy trade that he may have
to enlarge before the summer is
over.
The story of how steam is con-
verted into ice this hot weather
is a very interesting one as well
as reassuring to us who are users
of ice, because When the story is
tod you will agree that there can
be nothing purer than artificial
ice.
The water is pumped fro,n@ a
we'll fifty feet deep, herlnetically
sealed and is clear and sparkling
like the waters of a mountain
stream. This water is boiled and
converted into steam. The steam
passes through a cooler or con-
denser aud becomes water again
soft, velvety sterilized water.
Ply slcians of this city purchase
this water for medicinal purposes
as none purer can be found. The
process by which this purified
water is drawn from the air-tight
tank into the freezing tanks is a
precautionary one, no m1crooe or
germ or bug OF any kind can get
into the water in any possible
way. The water t,nks are sur
rounded by numberless iron
pipes, through which ammonia
gas is constantly being pumped.
This gas readily absorbs the heat
from the water and this extrac-
ton of heat is what really causes
the water to freeze.
The gas which becomes heated
is kept constantly circulating
through a cooler or condenser re-
ducing its temperature. 1t is
constantly absorbing heat from
the water and constantly losing
it in the condenser. The am
monia gas will not liquify and
freeze when the water freezes as
it will stand a very much lowe,
temperature. If one were to visit
the ice works the hottest day in
summer he would find the am
monia pipes coated with about
an inch of snow. 1t requires &
pressure of $50 pounds Of am
monia gas to the square inch upon
the inside of the pipes these ho
days to cause the water to freeze
solid. In winter the weather i:
cool and only 90 pounds is re-
quired. When the temperature
of the water registers 81 degree:
the freezing point, the ammonis
will be just a little lower. The
water tanks are partially sub
merged in strong solution o
brine to keep them from freezing
to the pipes. Each tank con
tains about 100 pounds of ice
When it is removed from tn.
freezing box warm water i
poured over its galvanized Gov
ering and it slides out easily upol
the washing board.
Mr.. Elk has lived in Corvalli
about three years and is one o
those men you are always glad t.
meet and with whom it is Away
} a Measure TO transact hrsiness-