New-York tribune., 1919-02-08
Mild Weather Prevents Har-
vesting of Usual Winter
Crop; Plants Are Building
Need a Huge Amount
Dealers Alarmed at Small
Hope of Early Freeze to
Relieve Present Situation

New York City's ice supply next
summer will be from 500 900 to 100000
tons below the normal demand. The
city faces the greatest ice shortage in
it's history. This announcement was
made yesterday by ice harvesters and
manufacturers, who have been franti-
cally endeavoring during the past few
weeks to find means for meeting the
situation.
The continued mild weather, it was
pointed out, has practically cut off the
city from a supply Of natural ice.
There has been almost no crop in the
sections which normally furnish New
Workers with approximately 1900, 900
tons.
A terrific cold spell during the next
supply, it was said, as the harvesting
season usually ends about February
10. Reports of the Weather Bureau
yesterday indicated that such marked
change is quite remote.
Lakes and rivers of New York State
it was reported yesterday, are almost
devoid of ice. For the first time in
years the Hudson will produce scarcely
a ton. Lake George and Lake Cham
plain are not even frnged with ice.
Need for Manufactured Ice
A slight freeze-over on the upper
reaches of the lakes, with a maximum
thickness of an inch and half on the
Hudson and other rivers of the state
has marked the full extent of the crop
None of this has been collected
Many ice harvesters, according to
Samuel NJ Schatkin, vice president and
general manager of Burns Brothers,
are combing the edges cf creeks and
canals, which they formerly ignored
From present Indications, Mr.. Schatkin
said, the city will be forced to depend
en- manufactured ice and supply of
approximately 100000 tons left from
last year.
New York City needs at least 1000.
GOO tons of ice, Mr.. Schatkin declared
All the ice manufacturing plants in
and about the city, running full blast.
could turn out only 100000 tons of
Ice. he asserted. He declared that the
warm weather has prompted the con-
struction of three new plants, one re-
modelled from the Lyon Brewery and
two being built by the Burns Brothers
Ice Company
Called Record Winter
Ice men do not recall a winter as
disastrous to the natural ice supplies
as this Mr.. Schatzkin declared yes
terday. "There is no doubt of short
age, although | do not expect private
families to be very hard hit.
1--WE have on hand about 700, 900 tons
OF ice. 1t was gathered last year when
1t was believed that there would be an
ammonia shortage. AS there proved to
be no ammonia shortage, ranufact-
urers turned out large quantities and
we have big supply on hand. This is
fortunate"
The nearest natural ice source to
New York now is the Maine district
Mr.. Schatzkin said. Due to the high
transportation costs, he declared, it is
scarcely possible that Maine ice will
be harvested for the New York market
Discussing the effect of the shortage
on the price Of ice, Mr.. Schatzkin said
at is hard to tell at the present time
just what ice will cost. With the I'M
certain labor conditions and possible
demands for increased wages by the
workmen the price may soar
Prohibition next summer will make
little OR no difference in the ice mar
ket, Mr.. Schatzkin said. Practically al
breweries have ice plants of their OWL
and these will probably be continued.