New-York tribune., 1910-08-21
As TO OUR ICE
The Amazing Growth of the
Artificial in Popular Favor.
Kill


1t is fitting that this series should be con-
cluded with some statistical evidence OF the
extent to which the artificial product has
usurped the place of natural ice for most
purposes. And. as the tale would be but
partly told should only the figures of arti-
fetal ice making for domestic use be given.
IT will be necessary TO consider as we'll it's
employment in manufacturing and other
lines to gather any understanding of its
comprehensive service. Then too. il is
the artificial ice, plus the employment
of its twin. mechanical refrigeration.
which is so swiftly freeing communities
from the menace of the impure natural ice
harvested from surface waters that are all
more or less polluted even where they are
not infected-which is so constructing the
use of the latter. II is not TO be denied
that, although a better understanding or
sanitation is the principal cause or
this rapid turning away from the Use OF
natural ice, economic considerations have
a certain weight For example the brew
ing of beer is an incessant warfare against
germs. the brewers chief foe. Naturally
he welcomes the opportunity TO rid himself
once and for all" of hosts of these in
visible foes. and SO ne shuts out the natura,
ice and substitutes mechanical refrigera-
tioH- Incidentally ne saves and utilities
for other purposes the vast floor spaces the
irregular ice blocks would occupy There
fore. whereas in 1904-sccording 10 the rig-
ures for last year of Ice and Refrisera-
tion, which publishes the blue book Of the
industry there were in the ul.tted States
Less breweries equipped with machines
equal in refrise-ating capacity to the melt
ing of 1es.025 tons of ice per day, there were
in 1903 1.2iS, with an aggregate equipment
equal to the melting OF IiS.031 In the sams
period Of time.
Then. to quote again the above mentioned
ice trade authority. the development of the
great packing house industry, where th''
economical ard sanitary preparation o.
meat food is accomplished, would have
been impossible without this art over
81 per cent Of the meat from between
9o0O0,0J0 and I000oo.00V animals slaush-
tered in the packing houses is aru-
1t is shipped either under refrigeration over
long routes. or for lesser distances.
blue book" gives the refriseratins capacity
of the packing house trade for 1903 as t-ot5
tons per day Of twenty-four hours. And y
calls attention 20 the fact that mechanical
refrigeration is brought into service again
ana again, even after the food has been
delivered by the carrers-in the public oei1
storage warehouses. the distributing houses
OF the packers and the refriSerstors of tbs
meat dealers and butchers. Meat markets
equipped with TefrlSSratin& machinery num-
hered in 1854 some GOO; in 1863 there wers
leo with aggregate refrigeratins ca
pacity of s,i53 tons for twenty-four hours.
In the fields Of creamery refrigeration, OF
Ice cream freezing. and hardening, Os re-
for fruits and for furs and
fabrics. OF FISH freezing and storing. OF
Motel. restaurant rsS!dencs. apartment
house, store. candy manufacture bottlins
plant. oil refinery refrigeration. and that
OF most o. other industries. even blast
furnaces and powder works. equally W0R-
derful advances are shown
In every ncid of endeavOT here msn-
toned mechanical refrigeration. where
Industries thereof And in most of ina
HeldS wns1e the use Of ice has always essa
required. 20 Is the ma tuTal Ice that has
seen shouldered aside. This has been
ineNitabia, both for economic and sanitary
reasons. especially where food products,
INDUSTRY. In most eases the mechanical
refrigeration service has 10 b. supple nsntsf
with that Of ice itself, and 10 is 70 be eX-
nScted that the clean. pure and ssFm-fres
a. Iiucial product wouli commend itself.
since, brought In contact with The foods is
lraL its Use entails no cleaning up ana
removal % dirt and refuse matter. And
thus it H. accounted for that. while arti'
ntt8l tcC ii-sktus X 4 cCmparativeiy new
tnuJsty, tt.s aaa-si sale o. lis product IL
the nItsG States WSS valued in .9oe as
twhoIesaiel SIS. .JuU. 600, the people and
their Scvernmsnt look 20 the pTeserva ation
of health; tire industries look mainly. ts
The preservation Of the integrity Of their
goods throughout the process OF manu-
facture and the periods of storage AMI
during transportation and delivery, And
i'm both eases 1t seems to be very fast be-
coming a conclusion that the artificial and
not the natural, Ice Is the sure reliance.