St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-05-26

Hvgienic Ice Co. on the south end Of
Railroad street is attracting numerous
visitors, who manifest not little in
terest in this new St. Johnsbury in
dustry, which is serving up pure and
healthtul ice to the people. The old
mill has been entirely rebuilt and the
company now have a machine room
2Ox25 feet in size, with basement OF
the same dimensions. Their tank room
is 281a by 21 feet and contains IL
freezing tanks with capacity of $780,
222 gallons of water, which makes no
tons of ice. The refrigerator is 43x22
on the ground and SO feet high. Its
capacity is 600 tons, but the demand
for ice has been such that they have
been able to store only about so tons
to date.
The system used in the plant is the
Hill-Ray Plate Freezing system, recog-
nized as one of the best in the country,
and the plant was installed by Engineer
Peter Sweeney of the Hill.Ray Engine
Co., of Boston.
To the average layman the first view
of the works presents nothing but a
tangle of pumps, coils, and valves, but
expert Sweeney kindly explained to a
CALEDoNIAN reporter the workings of the
plant, in manner that left no doubt in
the reporters mind as to the efficiency
of the system and the purity of. the
product. Ammonia is the freezing agent
employed and the plant is charged with
10 drums, or 1000 pounds, years
supply. The ammonia comes down from
the condensers on the roof to 60 into the
freezing coils through the expanding
valve. After going through the ex-
panding valve, which transforms the
ammonia from a liquid to gas, it is at
Is pounds above atmosphere and the
freezing point is zero. After performing
its work in the freezing coils the am
monia is sent to the ammonia COM
pressors in the basement and from there
back to the condensers where it COM
mences the work over again. In course
of years work the supply of ammonia
decreases one-third. The freezing coils,
which are all concealed. contain 1920
feet of one-inch pipe, and although their
Office is to transform the pure spring
water into beautiful transparent ice,
they do not come in contact with it at
any stage. The coils OF the foor cooler,
which is employed to cool the con-
densers contains 432 feet of two-inch
pipe.
A Sturtevant No. 2 air compressor
keeps the water in the freezing tanks in
circulation all through the process and
by means of overflow pipes banishes all
foreign substances and impurities.
oh, IN no n
power pump, which pumps water from
the cistern into the freezing tanks, and
Dean plunger power pump, which takes
water from the river tor use in the con-
denser cooling coils. The motive power
of the plant is derived from two water
wheels on Sleeper's river, and a 35
horse power electric motor, which can
be used as an auxiliary or independently.
The water which is transformed by the
process and finally finds its way into the
punch or iced tea in the shape of hy-
geinic ice flows by gravitationfr from three
springs across the river. 1t has been
examined and found to be pure and
wholesome and the supply seems to be
inexhaustible.
Probably the most interesting part of
the whole process is the harvesting of the
ice. After four days in the tank the
work is completed. The expansion is
then shut off which rids the freezing coils
of ammonia and is left off for one hour.
Hot gas is sent through the circulating
coil for an hour to release the ice from
the bottom of the tank and then hot
gas is put through the freezing coils for
two hours to release ice from the plate
which is bolted to the coil. After the ice
releases from the plates and circulating
coil, hot water is poured into the cross
cuts, and the ice cakes, % inches wide,
10 inches thick and six feet long are
then lifted out by means of travelling
crane and are ready for the cart or
the refrigerator. The capacity of
the plant is II tons daily, and al
though four days is required in the freez-
ing, the tanks are regulated so that
three are ready for harvesting every
day.
The plant is in charge of W. F. Drew.
and the company employs 10 hands on
an average throughout the summer
The officers are DR.. w. ]. Aldrich, pres.
dent: DIR. F. L. Farmer, vice president;
Arthur r. Menut, manager; and W. T,
Parks, secretary and treasurer.
This new industry has undoubtedly
come to stay and with the ST. Johnsbury
gas plant across the road, gives this
section OF St. Johnsbury busy and pro-