Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-12
shortage in the Kennebec supply for other

shortage IN the henneoec supply ior oIher
cities.
officials of ice companies have been in
dicted in many cities for violation OF the
antitrust law. It is claimed in behalf or
ants in this city that they have done and
are doing everything in their power TO sup
ply the demand for ice.
The situation in Maine is one factor IN the
matter. The process of handling Ice for the
trade, it is explained, has entirely changed
since Wesley NJ. Oler conceived and per-
fected the organization known as the Amer
lean Ice Company, regarded as the biggest
association Of ice dealers in the United
States A few years ago 1t was the custom
for schooners and barges and sometimes
for old-fashioned full-rgged ships to con-
vey the ice intended for the big cities all
over the. country down the Hudson ana
from Maine leisurely during winter or early
spring when the fruit trade was lax and
other cargoes were scarce.
The ice was stored in the big ice houses
of the cities in question, carefully protected
and the supply made to meet the demand
ascension required. great store was iald
IA during the winter months and the EoTa
shortage was unknown so far as the supply
of ice was concerned
Formerly Stored Here in Winter.
Some of the comparatively young resi-
dents of this city recall seeing big ships
in process of unloading at the wharves OF
the ice companies here at the foot OF TIN
and 9th streets and in Georgetown at times
when snow was falling. Now the pro-
cedure is different.
The American lee Company has great
storage houses in Maine, where the crop
Is harvested. 1t is shipped to the several
cities by schooner as needed Inat Is
where the shoe pinches, 1t is said. Iheze
is not a sufficient amount of the commod-
ity stored in cities to tide over emersen-
cies
Drivers on many wagons that supply the
residential section of the city only rev
days ago gave notice that they could not
leave the usual quantity. All manner OF
messages were received over the telephone
by the American Ice Company. One day
there was not sufficient ICE IN washington
to supply the city for half day.
General Manager Kimberly was IN his
Office. The telephone bells rang. He knew
a schooner was on the way here, but how
long the journey up the river would ol,;t re-
out ice, practically, for the time being, ex-
cept that obtained from the plants whlch
are capable Of supplying not more than
one-half the amount needed when tney
are all running full time and to their ca
pacities
The ice-makng plants in this city are
nine in number, several being small.
Their total output averages about 1Vo
tons a day when they are all running prop
erly, which they have not been doing at
any time this season because Of accidents,
miscalculations and score OF other things
922 tons per day. The Chaplin & Sacks
Company has not been able to get Its plant
going to capacity for variety OF reasons.
The plant, it Is stated, has never pro-
duced more than about 100 tons per day, as
against it's supposed capacity Of $50 tons.
There are discrepancies in some OF the
other plants which bring the figures down
as mentioned. The local situation was re-
lived recently by the arrival of the Ken
nebec, one of the biggest barges that has
ever entered this port
Supplies Received This Season.
The Kennebec hailed from Booth Bay, and
in her hold was a cargo Of Kennebec Ice
that weighed ont 300 tons. Her arrival
relieved the situation for the time being,
and some idea of the amount of ice that is
being consumed in this city may be OBJ
tained from the fact that nearly all of the
Remedies cargo, and a large part Of the
cargo brought by the schooner Frank L.
Stinson-in fact, all Of it with the exception
of a few tons-together with all of the COM
modify manufactured by the local plants.
was consumed in twelve days.
Thus far this season there have arrived
in this city the following vessels laden with
ice:
Schooner Alice Holbrook. .............. 1000 tons
Schooner Van Brunt. .................. 1.750 tons
Schooner Cox and Green 81. go tons
Schooner e H. r Kreger. LOO tons
Barge Kennebee. 5' 199 tons tons
Total. ............ .............. .l<'o9o tohs
The entire supply in question has been
used, and there Is not in storage In this city
today sufficient ice to meet the demand for
three days. Mr.. Kimberly, however, has
received telegram saying that the five
masted schooner Harry o. Barrett has been
sighted off Cape Henry. She has on board
2 90 TONS which, with what is manufactured,
will probably supply the city for ten days.
There is also another schooner, the Henry
Worthngton on the way here. She Is laden
with LOO tons, which, added to the amount
being supplied by the local plants, will keep
Washington we'll supplied for the next two
weeks-that is, provided the vessels arrive
on time and the local plants proceed with
out interruption.
Along Kennebec and Hudson.
In regard to the erection of many big ice
houses along the banks Of the Kennebec
and the Hudson rivers and the abandon
ment Of a large proportion Of the storage
houses in Cities 1t Is contended that the
ice keeps better in Maine than it does in
most cities and 1t Is simpler to market 1t
in accordance with the plans Of the COM
pany from the Maine houses than from
home storage, with very much less loss by
shrinkage The company never anticipated
an entire failure of the Hudson river crop
nor such a marked shortage of the Maine
supply. Although many citizens are of the
opinion that a dearth of Ice here will be
noted before this season is ended, Mr.. Kim
berly insists that he will be able to take