in the ice chamber, fit a water tight trough, from the bottom of which, at intervals, pipes should be run into the chamber below. The diameter of these pipes should be equal to that of an ordinary stove pipe. The lower ends of these pipes should be conical in form and close to the floor. They should be connected at their lower extremity with an outlet pipe, to carry off the meltage from the ice. The greater the degree of refrigeration required, the greater should be the number of these pipes, and in some cases it is necessary to run a certain number from the middle of the ceiling, as well as those we have already described around the walls. The central ones may be, when necessary, much larger and if oval shaped are more effective. <Callout type="important" title="Important">The upper chamber should be as low as possible (the lower the better).</Callout> Into the troughs, which should be provided with packed covers, as well as packed sides, the ice is thrown, after having been broken quite fine and mixed with salt. The quantity of salt is from 8 to 10 per cent. of the quantity of ice. CHEAP [ICE HOUSES. A family ice house need not be an expensive structure. It may be built cheaply, and serve its object excellently. A building of 12 feet square and 9 feet high is sufficient for the wants of the most exacting family. <Callout type="gear" title="Gear">A frame building entirely above the surface of the ground (better still if supported on posts elevated a few inches, to be certain of good drainage.)</Callout> built of joists 2 or 8 inches, with an outer boarding, having inside another series of uprights, also boarded. from 6 to 10 inches removed from the outer shell, and a solid floor of plauk Fill the space between the two walls with tan bark, saw dust, swamp moss, etc.; put on a roof of good pitch, and the ice house is complete. A drain for water should be made from the floor, and the pitch of the roof filled with straw, hay or similar dry porous material! On the roof should be a ventilator, the top defended from the rain. The ice should be packed in one solid mass, the sides not reaching the inner walls of the building, but allowing a space of from 12 to 6 inches all round. The top of the ice should be covered with straw, and the doors should be like the sides of the building, or double doors should be made, one in the outer and the other in the inner wall, Two workmen, if not practical carpenters, can put up such a building in one or at most two days. It will prove a useful adjunct to the farm and dairy. <Callout type="tip" title="Tip">It is very useful as a refrigerator on a large scale for preserving food.</Callout> It costs but a little to build an ice house, that will keep ice the year round, where practical utility only is aimed at, and not elegance of structure. A writer on this subject thus tells how he constructed an ice house. I set posts in the ground so as to make a house 12 feet square (three posts on each side), then I boarded it up 8 feet high on the outside. <Callout type="beginner" title="Beginner">I when dug out the surface earth 6 inches deep, and filled in with saw dust, one foot deep, making it 6 inches above the level of the earth,</Callout> 129 I packed the ice carefully, 9 feet square and 6 feet high, leaving a space of 18 inches between the ice and boards, which I closely packed with sawdust. I placed the same thickness of sawdust over the ice. <Callout type="risk" title="Risk">The result is that we have used ice daily and have plenty yet.</Callout> As to the cost, four men with one team cut, hauled and packed the ice, and filled in the sawdust in less than two days. We had to haul the ice 4 a mile.(1) KEEPING ICE IN BARNS, SHEDS OR IN STACKS, IN BARNS OR SHEDS. Ice will keep in a barn or a shed, when properly packed. In the first place skids, small stones and sawdust are laid down for foundation and drainage. The ice is piled in a bed of snow to prevent the air from reaching it. It is then surrounded and covered with 18 inches of well packed sawdust, or three feet of hay or straw. IN STACKS. Construct a pen near a pond, or stream, where the ice is to be gathered. If such a site is not to be had choose a convenient spot outside of droppings from roofs, always making provision for drainage. The pen may be made of rails 12 feet long or of any desired length. <Callout type="important" title="Important">The larger the pen, the better the ice will keep.</Callout> Lay up two rails upon each of the four sides, make the bottom level, and cover it a foot or more with sawdust, tan or straw etc. (1) Youman’s Dictionary of every-day wants. 130 Cut the cakes of ice in the usual manner and pack them closely, filling the interstices with pounded ice. Pack the outside with a foot of straw, saw-dust or other material, and put up the fence as the pile rises. The pile can be conveniently made from 8 to 12 feet high. Cover the ice with at least 18 inches of saw-dust, or two feet of straw or hay trodden down closely, make a roof of boards, or slabs, slanting to the North, sufficiently steep to shed water, and fasten with a few nails. AN ICE BOX. In connection with such a start, a cheap ice box made with double sides, and packed with sawdust will be wanted. The ice chamber should be about 2 feet long, 2 feet deep and 18 inches wide. This will hold a single cake of ice weighing one hundred pounds, or more and leave room on the top for cold storage, If the stack is not disturbed more than once or twice a week, it will probably supply the family through the summer with an abundance of ice. As the stack diminishes, care must be taken to see that it is kept closely packed, THE OPENING OF AN ICE FIELD. FOR LARGE ICE HOUSES, On running water, cutting a hole in the ice and dumping the snow into it, is a very good plan. <Callout type="warning" title="Warning">On still, shallow water it is impracticable as the hole will soon fill up with the sinking of the snow to the bottom.</Callout> If banked up on the field it may, in some places, sink the ice, and let the water on. When the snow is loose, it can often be got rid of, by running a V scraper or snow plough, thus throwing the snow into the water. But this method is only available where there is only one elevator to feed. In very large ice houses it is too slow. A good way, to dispose of this greatest of nuisances, is to run it ashore in scoops made for this purpose. Fig. 53.—Ice field marked in blocks, The field is marked with very ingenious ice-markers driven by horses. It is then furrowed to a certain depth, with specially constructed ice cutters called ploughs, also driven by horses. FOR SMALL ICE FROUSES, Having chosen a place where the ice is clear and sound, clear off the snow. Then with a plank, 12 feet long and 10 inches wide, to serve as a ruler and a chisel, mark off the field something like a checker board. Making the blocks 20 inches long, by 40 wide. (See fig. 53.) Enough should be marked at a time for a day’s work. Having made a hole in a corner with an axe, sufficiently large to pass a saw, saw one block, push it under the ice, then saw off in rows. To get the blocks out of the water a ladder about 12 feet long and 20 inches wide, having at its extremity, two iron hooks, is very convenient. (See fig. 54.) Push the ladder under the blocks, and pull them on the field. A pike pole may be used to move the ice in the water. THE STORING OF ICE Ice houses should be filled when the weather is cold and dry. The durability of ice depends on its density. In all ice houses, and with all methods of packing, when the blocks of the first layer are placed lengthwise, these of the second layer should be placed crosswise, and so on alternately, thus hinding the whole mass together, and preventing any undue pressure upon the sides of the house. <Callout type="important" title="Important">The projecting points of each layer should be adzed off, and swept before the next layer is put on.</Callout> In small houses, and cold store rooms, ice should be closely packed together, and all the interstices, should be filled with broken ice. In large houses, where the ice is to remain for some time, and then to be taken out, the best way is to place the blocks on the edge, pack them closely together, but leaving a space of about 24 inches between the ends of each row. In this manner ice can be removed without chiseling each block, thus saving much labor and <Callout type="risk" title="Risk">ice.</Callout> The 3 or 4 top layers should be laid on the flat, closely packed, and all the interstices filled with broken ice, According as the ice is taken out, flatten down the upper layer, to prevent the air from entering. COST OF CUTTING AND STORING ICE. The cost of storing ice in favorable circumstances, and where machinery is used varies from 15 to 25 cts, a ton, For smaller houses and in less favorable circumstances the cost may run up to one dollar a ton and in some cases slightly over. DUNNAGE OR ISOLATING MATERIAL. Of all materials used for dunnage, in the walls on the loft floors and on the ice, saw-dust is the best. Saw-dust and dried peat dust, are used mostly for filling the walls, and prairie or swamp hay, rye straw and swamp rushes are often used as loft floor dunnage, and also as a covering in the ice chamber. When good walls are built, we would not advise using saw-dust over the ice, because it soils it too much. Straw is more liable to retain moisture, but it keeps the ice cleaner. The best covering for ice is swamp rushes. From 10 to 12 inches of saw-dust, or 12 to 16 inches thick of well packed straw or hay, is all that is necessary to protect ice, in an ice chamber. The dunnage should be replaced when it becomes too discolored and dirty. In small houses, dunnage should be kept in the loft when not in use, and dried to prevent rotting, and firing (in the case of straw), as it is apt to do if put in the walls wet. In large establishments it is best to have a dunnage house, near the ice house. It should be well supplied with ventilation. 184 STORING OF SNOW. In places where ice cannot be conveniently had, snow may be stored, and used as a cooling agent, with nearly as much advantage as ice. A cubic foot of snow well packed weighs about 48 lbs. The softest and heaviest snow contains 40% more cooling power than light dry snow. It must therefore be gathered when soft and wet, in layers of 4 or 5 inches in thickness, and tramped with the feet, or otherwise. Tramping with the feet is about as good a means of pressing as any. One man can in a day’s work press about 700 cubic feet. Snow keeps just as well as ice, Cover well with straw, hay, or rushes as in the case of ice. Do not use saw-dust for snow. GENERAL REMARKS ON ICE HOUSES, 1st. The ground should be banked up round the sides of the houses (about 18 inches high,) that the water from the roof may run off, and that the air may not pass under the walls of the house. (See fig. 48.) 2d. A good coat of lime (whitewash) should be given to the walls and roof. (1) (1) The following recipe for whitewash is considered one of the best. It is almost as good as oil paint, and will answer on wood, brick or stone: Slack 4 a bushel of lime, with boiling water, keeping it covered during the process. Strain it and add a peck of salt, dissolved in warm water!; 3 pounds of ground rice put in boiling water, and boil to a thin paste ; half # ib, of powdered Spanish whiting, and a lb. of clear glue, dissolved in warm water. Mix this well together, and let it stand for several days. Keep the wash thus prepared in a keg, or portable furnace, and when used, put it on as hot as possible with painters or whitewash brushes. 155 3d. See that the ice is kept air tight as much as possible and to effect this, close up any chinks or crannies in the walls or floor, and keep the covering on the ice and floor of the loft. 4th, If the house is not to be opened until the end of the season, dispense with ventilation in the ice chamber by closing up the aperture in the loft floor, and keep the room close. 5th. If the house is opened frequently, supply the ice chamber with ventilation, to carry off the moisture produced by the warm air admitted, when it is opened. 6th. Go over the house carefully from time to time, and see that every thing is right inside, and check anything that may be amiss.
Key Takeaways
- Build an ice house using cheap materials like sawdust and straw for insulation
- Pack ice tightly in layers to maximize density and longevity
- Use a water-tight trough with pipes to manage meltwater
Practical Tips
- Use sawdust or straw as insulating material, which is readily available and inexpensive.
- Regularly check the ice house for leaks or gaps that could allow warm air in, compromising its effectiveness.
- Store snow as an alternative when ice is not easily accessible.
Warnings & Risks
- Be cautious of using sawdust over ice, as it can soil the ice and make it less effective.
- Ensure proper drainage to prevent water from entering the ice house through the floor or walls.
- Avoid opening the ice house frequently during storage periods to maintain its effectiveness.
Modern Application
While the techniques described in this chapter are rooted in historical practices, they still offer valuable insights for modern survival preparedness. Understanding how to store and preserve food using natural cooling methods can be crucial in situations where refrigeration is limited or unavailable. The principles of insulation, air-tight sealing, and proper stacking of ice remain relevant today, providing a foundation for building sustainable cold storage solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How should the ice house be constructed to ensure it stays cool?
The ice house should have walls filled with insulating materials like sawdust or straw, and the roof should be well sealed. Additionally, the floor should be elevated above ground level to prevent moisture from entering (Callout type="gear" title="Gear").
Q: What is the best way to store ice in an ice house?
Ice should be packed tightly in layers with alternating directions, and any projecting points should be adzed off before adding the next layer. This helps prevent air from entering and keeps the ice dense (Callout type="important" title="Important").
Q: How can I ensure that my ice house stays dry?
The ground around the ice house should be banked up to allow water to run off, and proper drainage should be ensured. The floor of the ice house should also be elevated above the ground level (Callout type="gear" title="Gear").