The Topeka state journal., 1919-05-22
Gaylord Lawrence Tells ROta-
rianS How It's Made.
DR.. John Cory Was the First To
Freeze Water.
MADE DISCOVERY rs YRS. AGO
All Water Used Now Is Freed
From All Impurities.
Industry Great Aid in Trans
porting Perishable Food.

Gaylord Lawrence, secretary and
manager of the City Ice Delivery, told
the Rotarians all about ice at their
regular weekly luncheon at the Cham
Der of Commerce today.
According to Lawrence the history
of the production of ice dates back
only seventy-five years when DIR. John
Gerry of Charleston. S. c.. demOnstrat-
ed at Tallahassee, Fla. that ice could
be manufactured by mechanical
energy.
The development of the ice and cold
storage business along with the use of
the insulated refrigerator car has
made possible the transportation and
; use of fresh meats, fruits and Vege-
tables in any section of the country.
According to Lawrence the principle
of manufacturing ice is the taking up
or absorption of heat by ammonia,
and while there has been no change in
the principle since the first machines
were invented its application by i'm
proved methods and systems has rap
idly brought the business to a CONNER
cial basis.
Use the Can System Now.
! "At the present time" said Law
renee, I'VE have what is known as the
can system, cans being placed in large
steel tanks containing coils of pipe for
the ammonia to circulate thru; am
monia being the agent that is used for
| artificial refrigeration, is a compound
| of nitrogen and hydrogen, and has a
great affinity for heat. Liquid air
! could also be used for the same pur-
pose, but requires too high compress
| SION for practical purposes. The am
lmonia has cycle which it travels. 1t
i is pumped into the machine in a gas
| form, compressed to a high pressure,
passed thru the condensing coils over
which cold water flows and which
! takes the heat out of it and is carried
by pipes to the coils in the ce-malsing
| tank where it is released under pres
| sure into the coils and expanding
| takes up the same amount of heat
! from the brine in the tank as has
been taken out of it by the condens-
! ing water. This ice-making tank is
| filled with salt water, which will not
CONCEAL.
| THE ice cans are suspended in the
tank, filled with water and remain
forty hours. which is the usual time
| required to freeze a cake of ice. The
cans are then taken to 1.-The thawins
apparatus. where they are either
| dipped in warm water or water
sprayed on them to release the ice, the
ice dumped from the cans passes
/ down a chute into the ice storage
room and the cans refilled. The water
used in refi1ling these can is distilled
water mades by evaporating it into
steam at 100 pounds pressure; the
steam being FIRST used to drive the
machinery, afterwards condensed. re-
| boiled and odorizeda before going to
| the cans This gives chemically pure
distilled water free from organic or
| mineral matter. Freezing the water
does not take out the impurities, and
water obtained from melted natural
ice contains the same properties that
/ it did before it was frozen, with the
/ exception that most of the mineral
| matter held i'll suspension is precipi-
| tated as the ice is frozen downward.
! While water distilled at 337 per cent
ity for at least 5000 tons. The annual
Profit Season Short
In his discussion of the distribution
and sale of ice. Lawrence described it
as being a problem. for the profitab BILE
| part of the season covers a period not
| exceeding four months.
! "For this reason" said Lawrence
| sit is necessary for most plants to pro-
vide sufficient storage space for ice to
be used when the peak load comes in
the summer. If the season proves to
be a cool one, the manufacturer has
! the alternative of closing down the
plant for a time during the summer
months or being left with this storage
ice on hand and refrigerating it for
| another year. If the season is a hot
one he is confronted with the question
of whether it is better to sell out the
| storage ice at profit when the out
| S1ue deIndnd comes ana take a CndnCe
| on the weather cooling off or to wish
that he had at the end of the season.
! About 1000 cars are iced annually in
Topeka. The balance of the output
goes to the surrounding smaller towns
Ice Costs Money.
| There is an impression among
some people that the ice man is a sort
of robber," said Lawrence, who then
! went on to explain the cost of ice.
People seem to think he pumps a
| few gallons of free water from the
ground, freezes it as a matter of con-
venience for handling, and sells it to
the public for the eXorbitant price
of SO cents per hundredweight. For
| this reason, 1 presume, there have
| been in the last three or four legis-
latures bills introduced providing for
the establishment of municipal ice
plants. There has also been agitation
by one or two local organizations for
something of that sort for Topeka
! You Shave had an example of govern
ment operation of public utilities dur
ing the past two years with the result
of increased freight and passenger
rates expenses and deficit. l cannot
see where there would be any mate
rial difference in results with a mu-
nicipal ice plant or water plant either
for that matter. So far as private
capital now invested N these plants is
| concerned it would be just as fair to
establish a municipal flour mill OF
clothing store and would be just as
logical so far as Topeka is concerned
There are in Topeka five commercial
plants with combined capacity OF
! 275 tons daily and ice storage capac-
ity for at least 5000 tons. The annual
consumption of ice in Topeka, e&clu-
sive of car icing, is about $4,000 tons
or sufficient to keep these plants run
ming for three months.
! Lawrence completed his talk with
a discussion of manufacturing ex-
penses and delivery expenses He also
| described the delivery system in force
Preceding Lawrence's talk, Robert
| Billiard, also of the City Ice Delivery
read a biography of Gaylord Law
| renee.
Attention G. A. r. Auxiliaries.
All organizations of the above Or
der are reuuested to meet at their sew.