The Washington times., 1906-07-03
Five Overdue CargoeS
From Name Only Hope
of Relieving Present
Scarcity.
TUG AT CAPE WAITS
TO RUSH NEW SUPPLY
Dealers Declare That the
Situation is Due to Natural
Causes and Not to
Combine.

II Washington escapes the terrors
or a prolonged ice famine. she will owe
her salvation 10 the hand OF Providence
and favorable winds and waves
five vessels are on their way from
Maine 70 this city loaded down with
enough ice 10 supply the city for three
weeks. according TO a statement today
by the American Ice Company. None
Of them has YET been heard from. and
II will take twenty-four hours 10 get
them from the capes 70 washington
after they have been heard from Tn
less they get into port within the next
thirty-six hours. Samuel 4. Kimberly
will call on New York for assistance II.
getting more fee.
From all sections Of the city TODAY
complaints came that there is an ice
famine in Washington. Excursion boats
had their allowances OF ice cut down.
Some druggists got little or nc ice. and
many deliveries Of the now precious
commodity were delayed for hours.
The Home Ice Company frankly ad-
Hitted that II had been obliged 70 turn
a deaf ear to hundreds Of people try
Ing 70 buy ice" but conteuted Them
selves with the statement that they
were looking after their regular Gus
NellEAS II regular prices
Caterers and confectioners in 1.auv
instances, said they were horribly han
dicapped By the scarcity OF ice
Purity Plant Broke Down
The Purity Ice Compsny's plant broke
down at O'Clock yesterday afternoon,
and viii not begin 20 turn out ic.- again
until late this afternoon. This. accident
cut on about 100 tons OF the city's SUD-
ply in this critical condition Of the ice
market
Small dealers throughout the city raise
the unanimous cry that they are not
able TO get their regular supply OF ice
and that all they can do is TO supply
those OF their customers who hold tick
cts calling for the delivery OF the COM
modify daily
But Mr.. Kimberly, of the American
Zee Company, takes a rosy view OF ths
situation.
No Rise in Price.
First OF all" he said today. 'this
talk about raising the price Of ice IS al
stun and nonsense The American Ice
Company cannot afford 70 raise the
prices. We are here TO do business all
the time, and il would be a poor move
for US to boost the price at such a time
as this. OF course, II the price has been
raised. then the middle men and the
smaller dealers are making a profit on
the sids. We have nothing 10 do with
that and cannot help IT. But, 80 far as
the ice we sell IS concerned. it goes at
our. regular prices.
Also this famine talk is all a lot OF
exaggeration l think know the iC9 sit
uatiOn as well as any man in Washing
ton. This whole ice scarcity, PRACTICAL
ly was caused by our delay IN getting
our ice out Of the storage houses. Same
of the eleVa tors broke down and there
were other things that happened 10
cause delay.
Situation Under Control.
However. even this delay has been
remedied. and think I am safe in say
ing that we have the situation entirely
under control. We have enough ice at
our disposal right now. counting what
is IN our storehouses and what our
plants turn out. TO supply the city ~
Washington over next Sunday.
There are now on the way from
Maine to Washington the following ice
laden vessels with the cargoss mem
"The Alice HoIbrook. 1.26o tons; The
Van Brunt. 1900 tons. barge WITH SziAH
tons, the Idaho, 2l00 tons. and tho
II. +. Kreger. l.s0o tons.
Tug Awaiting Them.
I'VE expect to hear from the. first two
named vessels at any moment We have
a tug down at the capes waiting Tor
them. After they are sighted, they VIII
get up 10 Washington in twenty-four
hours. The others will come in prompt
! ly. we are led 10 think We do not fear
any harm for the ships, and every
thing indicates that they will come IN
all right.
when these ships and barges do get
in they will have brought enough, taken
| with the product Of our manufacturing
plants, 10 supply Washington with ice
| FOR all Of tnis noah. . addition 70
I mis-. we Rave contracted for about 10.000
/ tons for August, and about 300 tons
/ for September All this VIII see US
/ through in good shape.
.'Our manufacturing plants in the Dis
| trIct with their daily capacity, are as
/ follows: Hygienic, $50 tons Grace and
/ Potomac streets plant, thirty-l1ve tons,
and We can get 105 tons 4 day from
/ Weaver & Smith IN Georgetown. Also
We can draw on the surplus In tho
/ Chapin-Sacks storage EouseS-
/ sAItogether." concluded Mr.. Kimberly.
/ Il think the American Ice Company has
| done very well to provide the people OF
Washington with ice so wei In this
crisis without raising the prices. Ins
/ whole matter arose from delay IN de-
/ livering the ice. There need be no more
/ fear of ice scarcity.
Takes a Different View.
A. b. Wits, OF the Home Ice Com
panv. had another story to tell He said:
I'VE are succeeding in looking after
our regular customers at regular prices.