Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-27

One of the great topics of the
day, and one which occupies the
inner circle of the lilnelight of
speculation, is the Maine ice har-
vest, and the question which is
now being asked thousands of times,
and for which there is yet 10 answer,
is What shall the harvest be-" Not
only is the question one of vital inter-
est to those of us in Maine, along the
valleys of the two great waterways of
the State, the Kcnnebec and Penobscot
rivers, hut throughout New England
and New York and also in the Southern
states. which depended wholly III for
mer years, and even now in the days
of artificial ice, depend to large eX-
teat uron the frozen product of Maine
rivers.
The reason that all eyes are turned to
Maine, for such is the fact, can be
given in these few Words-thc mild
winter. In average winters ice can be
secured in other places than Maine.
For instance. the average ice crop of
the great hudson river is something
like ?.5c0,000 tons, and the lakes OF New
York furnish their quota To the har.
vest. Ice is also cut in Massachusetts
and others Of the New England states,
and even farther south. But that is IN
ordinary winters when the snow lies
deep upon the ground and the mercury
courts the vicinity OF the zero mark.
1t need hardly he said that the pres
Ont Niutpr i. npt ordinary winter
On the contrary. il is an extraordinary
winter. From the beginning the wealth
er has been characterized by unusual
mildness. and now even in Maine, with
the month of January almost gone. the
ground is free from snow except in the
Northern sections of the State, and the
Ice in the rivers. in such sections as are
the bases of operations in tho ice IL
dustry, is less than Il foot in thickness
and on some of the ice fields there is
open water.
The results which the mild weather
has produced in Maine and which III
the present time render the date Of the
commencement Of the ice harvest a
most difficult pro!icm to solve are of
much more serious nature i'll other
states where ice is usually harvested.
The latest adviccs received from New
York state that there is no ice in that
state. There is no ice on the Hudson
river ana the ice on Lake Chanplain
has gene out. The same is true of the
New England states. and the only sal
vation of the ice operators of those
state; is the possibility of Il long pc
rod of rigorous winter weather. But
at the present time this possibility is
considered in the light of forlorn
hope.
II is for this reason that the eyes OF
The ice harvostcrS arc turned to Maine
There is not within the memory of man
winter which failed to clothe the sur
lace of the Kennebec river with ice
enough for an ample crop. and over
though tie heaviest ice in the river to-
Gay is but nine inches. and that. too
along the shores and in sheltered
places, and even though it runs iron
That thickness down to two inches ans
even to open water in some of the ice
heids. the fact occasions but little I'M
easincSs and The indications are con
sidcred good for profitable season.
The present condition of the ice fields
Is due to the mild and almost spring
IKE weather of the first part OF the
present week. Up to that time the con
oltions had been fairly favorable, al
though there. had been some GelaS
caused by the absence of cold wea Their
Some of the down-rivcr fields on the
Nennebec had been cultivated ana
housing operations would have speedi-
!! followed. bat Il long came the miiu
weather ana called halt everywhere
The only place along the river where
Ice has been harvested this winter is
st Iceboro, and at that point they have
'Wo tons of the article to the good anC
Vi thickness of y inches.
one of the officials of the American
Ice Co. said Friday afternoon wher
asked about the amount of ice thai
would be housed this winter on the
Aennebec river, that the compan!
would house every pound that it could
vi course. because of the uncertaint!
oI the weather no very close eStimat