ICE IN TRANSPORTATION.
Refrigerator Cars and Vessels--Value of Ice in Transporting and
Marketing Perishable Produce--Ice and the Fisheries.
On all the important lines of railroads a regular refrigerator car
service is maintained, for transporting perishable goods of all kinds.
Butter, poultry, eggs, cheese, fruit, fresh meat, vegetables, and other
articles, are despatched by this service. The shipping of packing-house
products is an important branch of this department of railroad service,
and a description of it will show the general features common to all
branches of the business.
REFRIGERATOR CARS.--A cursory view of the cars in any freight yard
discloses a decided difference in the appearance and thoroughness of
construction among them. Those styled refrigerator cars fare very much
better than their companions. A critical examination shows that these
cars are models in all details of construction, and their finish casts
the ordinary freight cars far in the shade.
The main features of these cars are found, first, in their walls,
including floors and ceilings, which are variously made of combinations
of filled and air sections, with paper and felt linings; second, an
ice tank placed, sometimes at one, or both ends, and in others in
the roof of the car; third, in the regulation of the air supply, or
ventilation. Some very elaborate designs have been made, covering the
features necessary to the successful working of these cars. Most of
them are patented. The floor, ceiling and walls have several sections,
the outer being usually an air space, or a space filled with thick hair
felt. Following is a compartment filled with pulverized charcoal, or
other non-conducting filling. This compartment is faced with carefully
matched lumber lined with paper. The walls are about six inches thick
all together.
The doors are the same thickness as the walls, with beveled edges,
which wedge into the frame as the door is closed. A fastening is used
that is so made that a strong pressure is brought against the door,
forcing it into its seat, and an extra precaution taken by inserting a
strip of cotton flannel between the door and frame, which thoroughly
excludes air and dust.
In the best constructed cars there is no chance for direct contact of
the cooled air with the ice. This of special is importance in cars in
which fresh meat, butter, and other articles, are carried, which are
absorbents.
Where the ice tank is located in the roof of the car, the circulation
of air is secured by gravity, and is changed by admission of air
through an opening so arranged that a draft is created by the motion of
the car. Very fine brass wire cloth is doubled over these openings, to
exclude the dust; as the air enters, it is discharged against a water
surface, which catches the fine dust carried through the screens. The
waste water is discharged through a trap, which effectually shuts off
the entrance of air.
When the ice tanks are placed at the ends of the car gravity will not
maintain a circulation of air. As the ice melts, the upper strata of
air remains warm. To avoid this feature, resource is had in a forced
draft. The air in the upper part of the car is collected by a fan and
forced through tubes extending through the ice tanks and opening on to
the floor of the car. In connection with the fan is an inlet and outlet
tube, by which a gradual change of air is effected.
VENTILATING REFRIGERATOR CARS.--In some cars there is no provision for
renewal of the air; the object is, no doubt, economy of ice, and for
very low temperature, or for short trips, it is an advantage which does
not have any ill effects on the contents of the car. For long trips and
moderate temperatures, a change of air is beneficial, in most instances.
In some cars, ventilation is so arranged that the air can be changed or
not, as desired. The fans are run by motion taken from one of the car
axles, and are arranged to be run by hand when the car is not in motion.
ICING REFRIGERATOR CARS.--When a train is to be loaded with beef or
mutton, it is set in on a track alongside of the icing platform. By
means of double tracks on either side, as many as fifty cars can be
iced at short notice. Ice cakes are delivered on a staging above the
platform by elevator, suited to the location, and run into the hopper
of a large power ice breaker. Barrows, of a capacity of five hundred
pounds of broken ice, are set below the breaker, and, by withdrawing
the damper, are filled with ice. From two to four shovelfuls of salt
are added, and the barrow is dumped into the mouth of a chute which
runs along the edge of the platform, delivering the ice directly into
the door above the ice tank. About four tons of ice are placed in each
car. By an extension spout the cars are filled in the same manner on
the farther tracks. After icing, the cars are loaded, and at intervals
on their journey the ice is replenished.
In shipping other goods, which are not wanted below the freezing point,
ice is used without salt. Even with such goods, the more frequent use
of ice would often be advisable.
VALUE OF ICE IN TRANSPORTATION.--It is difficult to imagine the state
of affairs which would ensue upon a withdrawal of all refrigerator
service upon our railways. The amount of privation and actual suffering
which would follow would be felt directly in every community in the
land. To most people the blessings which follow in the wake of the
refrigerator car are of a kind which are accepted without question,
as a matter of course. It would be a long list, to enumerate all the
advantages which are now mutually divided between the producer and the
consumer of the products of our farms, gardens, vineyards, dairies and
fisheries, dependent, in whole or in part, upon this service.
It is but a short time since hundreds of bushels of fruit were left to
decay on the ground in California orchards, while many other sections
were destitute of fruit. Now a refrigerator car service delivers these
fruits at all the Atlantic coast cities, as well as points between.
Trial shipments have been despatched to London, with gratifying
results, and it is more than probable that large quantities of the
products of these famous orchards will delight our cousins across the
sea.
REFRIGERATOR VESSELS.--On board the fastest steamships plying between
our Atlantic ports and Europe, are found extensive refrigerator
compartments. Dressed beef and mutton are exported in large quantities,
as well as fruits, vegetables, dairy products and oysters. The
temperature, for meat, is maintained a few degrees below the freezing
point. Air machines are principally used on the ocean, the brisk
circulation of air which they maintain being an advantage. The enormous
quantities of dressed meat transported from the United States,
Argentine, New Zealand and Australia, to Europe, requires a large fleet
of steamers, some of which are equipped, at considerable expense,
for this special service. In connection with these vessels, at both
shipping and receiving wharfs, are large storehouses, where the frozen
meat is held, awaiting shipment, or received after its voyage.
IN TRANSPORTING FRUIT ON THE OCEAN, a large fleet find employment; in
it are found steamers built with insulated hulls formed by lining the
outer steel hull with wood and packing the inclosed space with powdered
charcoal. Refrigerator service is essential to success in transporting
the more delicate fruits such as pears, peaches, cherries and plums
which have been landed in London from California and South Africa in
excellent condition in this way.
Ventilation, in connection with insulated hulls, is depended on in
handling most of the tropical fruits imported into this country.
Bananas from Central and South American and West India ports form the
staple commodity, giving employment to an extensive fleet of very
excellent boats. From Southern Europe large quantities of fruit are
exported, oranges, lemons, grapes and nuts forming the bulk of the
shipments which are carried in steamers in well ventilated compartments.
The development of the fruit traffic from different districts is
attaining huge proportions with the control of the proper conditions
for transit which shippers now have within their reach. Fruit shipments
are now made to England from Florida and California, Southern Europe,
South Africa and Australia. The shipments from one land forming the
complement of those from others, a continual supply of the finest fresh
fruits is available.
ICE IN THE FISHERIES.--It is now long ago that fresh fish were to be
enjoyed only at places near by the fishing grounds. Now they are in
the market the year round. During the season when fish may be caught,
those not entering into immediate consumption are placed in cold
storage rooms and frozen, to be taken out at any later time as they are
wanted. Such storage houses are found in connection with all important
fishing stations on the New England coast, along the great lakes, and
among the salmon fisheries of the Northern Pacific. When the fishing
boats start on a cruise they are loaded with ice, with which the fish
are preserved, and the fishermen are not obliged to return home with a
small catch to prevent its spoiling.
In shipping fish to inland places, a beautiful sight is often observed
in a slab of crystal ice about three feet square and eight inches
thick, within which a dozen or more fish have been frozen. They are as
beautiful in appearance as when seen in their native element, while
no occasion exists for commenting upon the utility of this method of
transporting them. Altogether ice is a prime necessity in this business
in all departments--the fisherman, the shipper and dealer, and the
consumer.
It would not do to close this chapter without referring to the oyster.
The association of oysters and ice are so intimate that they are
usually seen together. The trays of oysters and ice may be seen in
every direction during the season, on their way from the oyster beds to
delight the palates of their admirers who are found everywhere.