Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-15
UNLOADING AN ICE SCHOONER ON THE RIVER FRONT

age house. 10 be piled until wanted by
Washington housekeeperS.
The work of unloading 1,1W'-ton YES
sci requires about three days. as the
work is down to a system. Mess some
accident 10 the hosting machinery oc-
ours. il moves along without a hitch. to
the singing OF the coorcd steNedoreS
employed on the work.
Methods of Distribution
There are four storage plants for nat
ural ice in this city. One of the East ern
branch. one al the foot Of 9th street
soUt invest one at the foot of 10th street
southwest and one at Georgetown.
The total storage capacity of the houses
is about 1900 tons. This season. now
ever the plants at the foot Of 10Th street
and on the Eastern branch are not in use.
The house at the foot of 9th street is
a modern one, built about three years
ago. 1t has four chambers for the keep
ing of the ice and each room Will hold
over "A thousand tons. The plant in
Georgetown is smaller, but several thou
sand tons can be placed there for keep
InS.
In the distribution of ice to all sections
Of city as large as Washington a big
force of men and wagons is necessary,
and at the present time Mere is over a
hundred teams. each with driver and
his helper III the service.
The work of the ice wagon man be
gins when Washington is still wrapped
in deep slumber. Early in the morning
before daylight, he must report TO the
wharf manager and hook UP his team
ready FOR business. His wagon is back
ed to the loading platform and flled
20 the top with huge blocks Of ice. The
load must then he weighed and the driver
is at liberty to start for his beat.
The entire city ard for miles out into
the country is divided into beats. Each
man has his OWN territory to cover. and
oftentmes in hot weather the demand Is
so heavy Ire has TO return to the wharf
for another load.
The men on the wagons work from ten
to twelve hours each day and some
times longer. As general thing, their
work IS efficient and a customer is but
seldom missed, although the ice man has
hundred or two on his list to whom
ice is to be delivered each day. It's
wonder he doesn't forget more often.
Made Ice Increases.
There was a time few years ago when
all the ice that was used III this city was
brought here from the Maine fields. The
invention of the ice-making plant and
the establishment of plants of that char
acter in this city have cut down the
quantity of ice brought here from Maine
until il is small IN comparison with the
output of the ice-making plants.
1t is estimated that in round numbers
oJO,GO tons of ice are used III this city
In the course of year The ice plants
furnished nine-tenths of this quantity in
the past year and the remaining tenth
was brought here from the Maine ice
fields.
So far this season about twelve cargoes
of ice have been discharged at this city
and Georgetown. 1t is probable that no
more will be needed unless the hot
weather continues unusually late in the
season These twelve vessels have dis
charged less than $4,000 tons of ice at the
Wharves here.
1t is only question of a short time
before the local plants will be able to
NEE the demand for ice even in the
hottest weather and the bringing of car
goes to this city from the north will no
longer be necessary. In its equipment of
ice-making plants Washington Is said to
be far ahead of other cities OH the Allan
tic seaboard Ice manufactured here is
of good quality and pure.
As the storage houses are now we'll
filed with ice there is absolutely no
danger of an ice famine between now and
the coming of cooler weather, when ice
will no longer be necessity in household
economics.