The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-05-14

ket.
The temperatures indicated by this
investigation to be most desirable for
the transportation Of dressed poultry
are considerably lower than those gen.
orally accepted as satisfactory
Efficiency Of Cars.
The information furnished by these
l2O car shipments of dressed poultry in.
dicate that most Of the refrigerated car.
riers of the United States are not built
to maintain optimum condition during
warm weather for the transportation Of
a highly perishable commodity, such as
dressed poultry. Certain refrigerator
cars are much more efficient than 9th.
ers, and their increased efficiency ap.
parently results from their construction.
The insulation of the car in relation
to temperature is its most vulnerable
part, with the character of the ice bun.
ker next in Importance. In the past
the insulation has not been sufficiently
heavy to maintain the low temperatures
produced by the refrigerant, and the
bunker has not been SO built as to dis
tribute its refrigerating effect evenly
throughout the car.
This last was fully established by the
use of thermographs and the electric re.
cording Thermometers in various parts
Of the car. The use Of dead air space
in cars is not found to be successful.
Cork, the best known insulator, which
is almost impervious to water and con-
tains practically no nitrogenous ma.
terial which might produce decay, has
not been used to any great extent in
car construction. Wool and hair felt are
good insulators, but their high percent
age Of nitrogenous material makes them
good bacterial media when moist.
These materials when once moist sci.
dom dry out, and the result is putrefac.
tion, giving rise to offensive odors,
which contaminate goods. Some Of the
vegetable or cellulose fiber insulators
are perhaps slightly moro resistant to
moisture and basterial action, but in
time they also become moist, and the
alkalies is for this reason that car.
builders are exerting every effort to
prevent moisture from reaching the in.
sulation. Mineral wool is least SUBJ
ject to decay, but on the other hand,
its non-adhesive qualities hinder the
manufacture Of strong material.
Insulation Is Alike.
The insulation in the side walls and
floors of the cars used by six different
lines shows no radical difference in
quality or quantity, though methods Of
construction in certain cases are pre-.
ferable.
The roof of the car theoretically is
most severely taxed to prevent trans.
mission of heat. The most efficient cars
studied were those with the best In.
sulated and best built roofs. More at.
tention should be paid to roof and floor
Insulation, and the floor should be built
with its insulation more effectively pro.
tected against moisture.
The wire-basket principle of ice bun
ker is sound because abundant air &C.
cess to ice and salt results in increased
efficiency. A serious shortcoming Of
the present types Of cars is the impossi.
bility of equalizing the temperature at
the center and at the bunker so that
all parts of the car are sufficiently
cold Good bunkers and any additional
insulation, together with the slowing
of the load so as to provide passages for
cold air between packages, should ma.
terially help to improve results.
The well-cooled package does not show
changes in temperature corresponding to
those in the air Of the car, but long
continued increase Of temperature or
direct contract between the package and
the wall Of the car, and therefore, the
source of heat, affects the goods in
the course Of time. The daily rise and
nightly fall of temperature in the car
sometimes result in slight changes in
the packages, but it is the constant or
maintained rise in the average tempera.
ture of the car that is responsible for
Objectionable results noted at the OK.
|piration Of long hauls.