Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-11-02
COnnn0unifu
|CeCheStS Bombs
Can't Crash

IT MAY be that Uncle Sam Us worrying too much about
i the possibility of foreign foe invading his broad
y domain But he is taking chances and is working
nightly himself and others who fighting the
enemies of the democratic way Of life
Americas ambitious and costly program for defense Is
making many changes in the landscape. What were
peaceful fields have now become army camps military air
ports industrial centers Other and radical
changes will be made the American in the interest
defense protection of this countrys future
Not the least interesting of these changes may be huge
community chests studding the landscape in and
sizable cities and towns These super refrgerators
packed with meat good as the day the animals from
which it slaughtered and with supplies OF vege
fruit fresh the day they taken from
garden and the orchard probably would be designed
and built to withstand any attack from enemy bombers
authority for this interesting conjecture IL Amon
Fordyce welkn New York City architect who knows
great deal about community iceboxes, which COM
monty called frozen food locker plants Mr. Fordyce
Gently designed the structure for of these plants in the
western part Of the State Of New Jersey.
The New York architect that there at the mo-
men something like 5000 frozen food locker plants In
America and that they are being built at the rate OF
than so month
frozen food locker plant does much than keep
food cold storage although IL does that too In 1t meat
vegetables processed, chilled and then put
away in individual compartments usually rented by nd
vdual families at much month just the use OF
deposit box would be rented from bank.
The smallest Of such plants have 800 lockers each with
about cubic feet of and the larger community ice
boxes have many times that number Of compartments
Thousands Of American families finding economical
lockers in which they keep supplies of their
foods-usially bought the best market priceon
tap for future use.
Such family might, for example buy whole lamb
locker plant butchers would convert the
Commercial cuts'lons legs steaks and chops
after the had been cooled to 80 degrees
Then pieces of meat, ready for family
wrapped in moistureproof paper and frozen quickly at
temperature ranging between 20 and 30 degrees below
zero tucked away the familys locker with all
freshness and food value captured until such time as the
ready to serve the meat on their table
The procedure slightly different for fruits and
tables-Vhich should be delivered TO the locker plant
possible after being picked This food is first
scalded boiling water for short time "blanched
Then is quickly and thoroughly cooled to at
least degrees and wrapped in moisture proof cartons
The step is to quckfreeze the fruit vegetables at
30 degrees blow and then pack away
in the family locker.
Architect Fordyce Is aarmst He does believe, how
ever that much frozen food locker plant is built
underground anyway that 1t would be simple matter
and wise move-to put calls "a bomb proof skin
of the community refgerators now cropping
UP here and there about the country.
drawing illustrating this article shows the simple
type which Mr.. Fordyce would put his prac
ticaIy bomb-proof ice chests. Being architect who
understands the mechanics of stress and strain he
that such when properly built would Withstand
thing except direct hit at its topmost point.
To further befuddle enemy and protect the food
supply country the thick steel and concrete tops Of
the community iceboxes could be covered with sod or with
foliage and otherwise camouflaged that they would
be difficult targets to spot from the air.
These food locker plants" says Mr.. Fordyce,
ARE already American institution. Even we were not
faced the possibility of they would be important
10 millions of our citizens of the world being
what IL is I think would be wise to make certain
number ultra-modern community iceboxes which
going up into fortresses as important to our health
and morale military forts along coast lines
Probably than authority charged with getting
this country ready for any emergency will with the
New that the safe and convenient storage
Of great quantities fresh food is important to the
American way of life good army and navy and an
increasing supply of planes, ships, tanks and guns.
Bomb-proof refrgeraors for army training camps may
already consideration by the experts Of the de-
Tense program whose job is TO think about such things
because the fighting forces would certainly be in tough
70 If all air "a
and lines Of food supply temporarily cut
The army already experimenting with big cold stor
age motor the transportation of food and might
wen construct its frozen food locker plants