250 



HOW TO BUILD ICE-IIUUSES. 



Fig. 65. Tlie common Tee-house heloio ground. 



pie roof on a level with the ground, and fill 

 it with ice. Such ice-houses, built with 

 trifling cost, and entirely answering the pur- 

 pose of affording ample supply for a large 

 family, are common in various parts of the 

 country. 



But it often happens that one's residence 

 is upon a strong loamy or clayey soil, based 

 upon clay or slate, or, at least, rocky in its 

 substratum. Such a soil is retentive of 

 moisture, and even though it be well drain- 

 ed, the common ice-house just described 

 will not preserve ice half through the sum- 

 mer in a locality of that kind. The clayey 

 or rocky soil is always damp — it is always 

 an excellent conductor, and the ice melts in 

 it in spite of all the usual precautions. 



Something more than the common ice- 

 house is therefore needed in all such soils. 

 "How shall it be built ?" is the question 

 which has been frequently put to us lately. 



To enable us to answer this question in 

 the most satisfactory manner, we addressed 

 ourselves to Mr. N. J. Wyeth of Cambridge, 

 Mass., whose practical information on this 

 subject is probably fuller and more com- 

 plete than that of any other person in the 

 country, he, for many years, having had 

 the construction and management of the 



enormous commercial ice-houses near Bos- 

 ton — the largest and most perfect known.* 



We desired Mr. Wyetu's hints for build- 

 ing an ice-house for family use, both above 

 ground, and below ground. 



In the beginning, we should remark that 

 the great ice houses of our ice companies 

 are usually built above ground ; and Mr. 

 Wyeth in his letter to us remarks, " we now 

 never build or use an ice-house under ground; 

 it never preserves ice as well as those built 

 above ground, and costs much more. J, 

 however, send you directions for the con- 

 struction of both kinds, with slight sketches 

 in e.xplanation." The following are Mr. 

 Wyeth's directions for building: 



" Is/. An Ice-house above ground. An ice- 

 house above ground should be built upoa 



Fig. 60. Section of the Ice-house above ground, 



the plan of having a double partition, with 

 the hollow space between filled with some 

 non-conductins: substance. 



* Few of our readers are aware of the ma^iitiuie which 

 the basiness of supplying foreign countries with ice ha.s at- 

 tained in New-England. Millions of dolhirs worth have been 



