Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-16
Maine Ice Harvest
Will Reach Hundreds
of Thousands of Tons

~ eNOSVAAN40 Va u VAk0
Portland. Maine. Feb. 15.-Harvcst-
ing OF hundreds of thousands of
tons of ice in Maine for local con-
sumption is wen under way, and in
some localities completed. Despite
adverse weather conditions. continu-
cd snow storms and the January
thaw accompanied by rain, the cut
Is considered to be of as excellent q
quality as ever has been harvested
from the rivers. streams, lakes and
ponds of the State.
Thousands of men have been given
employment. many of them for l0ug-
err periods than usual because OF the
necessity of repeatedly planins off
the snow. which has added greatly to
the cost. The ice ranges in thickness
from IA inches to two feet, according
to local conditions.
At Bangor several dealers intend
to continue operations as long as
conditions will permit, and the OK
cellent cut will be stacked outside
or the houses which were nearly
empty when the cutting began. Ii
is estimated that tire total cut will
| be between $4,000 and 10000 tons.
The ice measures % and 20 inches in
thickness. 1t Is crystal clear and of
a firm freeze.
Operations began there month
| ago under uncertain conditions, one
| snowfall following upon another in
close sequence, so that cutting
| spaces were cleared only to be COW
cred again almost Immediately. A
thaw with rain followed. but since
that time continued cold weather
has brought about conditions which
indicate that the season will go
down in history as one of the best.
Dealers have been hauling direct
from the fields to the consumer to
meet the shortage there.
In Western Maine the snow handi-
cap was greater than in the eastern
part of the State.-contrary to the
usual situation,-a record breaking
fall of SO inches in January being
recorded at the Portland Weather
Bureau. This has been overcome,
however. and plenty OF ice has been
or will be housed for next Summers
delivery.
Portland dealers reported thai the
long continued cold weather had pro-
duced ice Is inches thick after Le-
ing planed, and in some instances in
still water it was two feet thick
Heavy snow storms have multiplied
so rapidly that it has been expensive
to keep the ice fields cleared but
the harvest is abundant and of the
usual excellent quality. One of the
larger dealers will store about co.
900 tons for retail and wholesale dis
trlbution, from the AOtter ponds in
Standish, near Sebago Lake.
Biddeford and Saco dealers who
In,
from the SacO river. reported they
have not been bothered as much by
snow for quarter of century as
they have this year. After filling their
houses. they are stacking the surplus
ice on the banks of the river, ana it
is estimated that this will supply the
local needs of those cities until the
middle Of May.
On the kennebec river. once lined
with big houses from which ice was
shipped by the American Ice Co. by
rail and water to New York and the
larger cities. and to the South IN
great quantities in the days before it
became more profitable to manu.
facture artificial ice. none is being
cut by that company.
In fact. the company's Maine man.
aSer stated this week that the days
of ice harvesting by his company on
the Kennebec had passed. He added
| that there are only two places on the
Hudson river where ice could be OBJ
| tanned this year. and tlat the com
pany is now depending almost exclu-
| sivcly on the artifically manufactured
product.
There are now only two houses
| here in which ice may be stored. The
| others have been blown down or
burned. They have been filled with
about 5000 tons of super quality ice,
all clear and Is inches thick. The
planning has been an expensive pro-
| cess here. as in other sections, some
| seven inches of snow ice beins re-
moved.
An ice company further up the
| river at Augusta has completed its
crop, filling three houses with 49,
| $40 cakes, or S,5S2 tons. When
| operations began a month ago the ice
, was a foot thick. hut it rapidly
| tfiickened until it was at least 20
| inches at the conclusion of the work.