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In the 1800s natural refrigeration was a vibrant part of the economy. Natural ice harvested from the pristine rivers and lakes of the northern United States, particularly those in New England, was in demand. Harvested ice was stored in large quantities in ice houses and covered with sawdust for insulation.
Later, merchants loaded the ice in sailing ships as ballast. Again, the ice was covered with sawdust. Ice was delivered to as far away as India, where it was welcomed, and to England, where interest was low. The supply of harvested ice was erratic, depending on the weather where it was harvested.
During the 1800s many mechanicaltype refrigeration systems were being invented and used refrigerants such as sulphur dioxide, methyl chloride, ether, carbon dioxide, as well as wine, brandy, vinegar, etc.
The early refrigeration systems designed between 1850 and 1920 produced ice year-round to compete with harvested ice. The harvested ice producers advertised that-when it was available-their natural refrigeration did not fail like the early mechanical systems.
Several approaches existed for ice manufacturing during the early days. A very labor-intensive method used a series of 10 × 14 ft* plates immersed in water with a refrigerant of ammonia or circulated brine. Ice formed on both sides of the plates. This approach provided ice without any air bubbles and used potable water. The ice was harvested with warm brine or hot gas and cut to size for sale.
The other approach, still used today, was the can ice system. The complaint then was that it required distilled water to prevent air bubbles in the ice. This ice manufacturing method prevailed because it was simple and less labor-intensive than the plate method. As in the early days, 300 lb** cans are used today to manufacture ice.
As early as the 1880s, Carré ammonia absorption systems operated in south Texas. They were used to manufacture 1,000 lb of ice per day. The absorption machine was fired with wood. According to one author, O. Anderson, this ice competed with harvested ice shipped to Texas from Boston. The machine was in Austin where two ice plants existed, one a plate ice machine and the other a can ice machine. In Chicago a company built several plate ice machines that were...