Year: 1871

w. f. h. communicates to the


IecIHOiO9ist the following directions


for constructing an ice house:


An ice house, he says, may be
economically built in the following


manner, and will give entire satisfac-


ton, if the dimensions be not less


than twelve feet square by twelve


feet high for the space to contain the


ice. PIesuming that the house is


only for family use, select a shady


position and dig cellar two feet deep.


and let the floor or bottom be properly


smOOthed of with q descent Of eigh-


teen inches to the twelve feet, leading


to one corner. It should be made


perfectly water-tight and smooth with


a coating Of cement; and a wall, also


laid in cement, should be erected


therein three feet high, formed on


the top with a rabbet on the inner
edge of two sides for the purpose Of


receiving the joists for the inner lin
ing of the house; make the size any
you please, Ouly not less than twelve
feet square inside; erect on this wall
your double frame, carefully boarded
With-tOngue-and- groove boards on the
inside, and made as tight as possible.
Pack the space between the inner and
outer lining with dry sawdust or
tanbark UP to the beginning of the
roof; let the roof be steep, and also
lined inside with boards, but not
filed, and let a space under the peak
be left open three inches to conduct
the warm air to a ventilatOr on either
side Of the peak, secured by wide stats
in such a position as to make ingress
Of rain impossible. Another ventilR-
tor must be placed in the center of
The peak, the openings of which must
be larger in proportion to the house
say one foot square inside), and
entirely secured from rain. Let the
1oor for filling and taking out be on
the north side of the gable, arranged


ike the roof, not filed, and drain
pipe of three to four inches, properly
run from the lowest point
IF the bottom of the pit at least ten
ieet Fifteen feet is better) under
ground, with good descent for taking
IF the water, and your house is ready
o receive the ice, and it will keep il
YeIl for all purposes.


The filing of tie house should be
lone in this manner: Place, at the
)Ottom of the said pit, clean corn
talks, eighteen inches deep, closely
packed and leveled then cut your
ce in square blocks, as even square
Is practicable, and place them on the
.Orn stalks close together, like tiles
n a hall and when six layers are
take a watering pot with
middling fine nose, and pour clean
water gently over all the crevices left,
a. h
f said water; continue the filling,
epeating at intervals the watering
lrOcess until you reach the beginning
f the roof; then let the ice settle.
nd if you find that the creviees have
lot been frozen, choose a very cold
ay to finish the watering operation.
lou can then put in ice enough to go
alf way to the peak, and you can
nJOy the luxury of ice until the new
rOp. To make the handling of the
ee easy, have beam extending three
set from the roof outside for block
nd tackle, and another one inside
ear the peak for the same purpose;
lso fix an easy ladder on the inner
fall on the side where the door is.
nd the ice can be nicely removed
7ith the tackle and ice tOngs without
ny trouble. When taking the ice
Ome distance from the house, il
lOUld be advisable to use a blanket
mt it in while is being transported,
7hich blanket should always be kept
ired, and should be cleaned every
.me it is used Such 8 building
hould be painted from time to time
n the outside, and whenever the ice
finished, the eOrnstalks should be
emOved and the house well ven


lated, so as 70 be free from any un-
leaasant OdOTs. III so cared for, il
ill last a great many years, and will
eCuire very few repairs