FRESH-MEAT SHIPMENT TO EUROPE. 315 



cbamber, connected by a belt to a small steam-engine on the deck above. 

 Q'he fans vary in size, according to workrequired The belt is inclosed 

 in an airtigbt box. Flues, or air-passages, 10 inches high and IC inches 

 wide, made of matched boards, extend from tbe fan along the bottom of 

 the floor to the sides of the refrigerator, where they connect with upright 

 tubes or pipes, of half the size, which stand against the outer wall, into 

 which the air of the refrigerator is drawn by the suction of the fan, and 

 driven into the middle of the ice-chamber through a large flue made of 

 matched boards, where it^circulates through the ice and is drawn down 

 and passed back into the refrigerator through an open space about three 

 inches wide left at the bottom of the ice. The fan makes about eight 

 hundred revolutions perminute, and is kept going constantly. These fans 

 are large or small, according to the capacity of the meat-chambers. In this 

 way a constant circulation of cold air is kept up during the entire voyage. 

 A thermometer, suspended in a tin pipe which reaches from the upper 

 deck down into the refrigerator, indicates the temperature, which is kept 

 as near 38° as possible. A cap is kept over the top of the pipe to pre- 

 vent the escape of the cold air from the meat-chamber. A more rapid 

 circulation of air, which can be made by increasing the speed of the 

 fan, will lower the temperature. The steam to run the fan-engine is 

 supplied from the steamer's boiler. 



As soon as the meat is received and put into the refrigerator it is 

 closed, not to be opened until the steamer is ready to discharge her 

 cargo on the other side of the Atlantic. The quarters of beef are sus- 

 pended on hooks and also laid on the floor. When hogs are shipped 

 they also lie on the floor, and the meat, being packed closely, does not 

 move about when the steamer rolls at sea. If the supply of ice should 

 run too low, it can be added to from the stock kept on all steamers. 

 Usually, however, more or less ice remains in the ice-chamber, and is 

 sold at the port of destination. The meat is generally loaded at night, 

 on account of the cooler temperature and the less liability of delays in 

 getting the trucks onto the docks and alongside of the steamers. 



Only the best and heaviest beeves are selected to be sent to Europe. 

 To be the most profitable, they should weigh when dressed not less than 

 800 pounds, although lighter ones are sent on account of the scarcity of 

 first-class animals. 



Mr. Eastman prepares his meat for shipment at the slaughter-houses 

 at West Fifty-ninth street. New York, and at the stock-yards of the 

 New York Central and Hudson Eiver Railroad, where largp refrigera- 

 tors have been constructed by him on the same principle as those on the 

 steamers. The refrigerators, called at the slaughter-houses "chilling- 

 rooms," are situated just in the rear of the platforms where the caitle are 

 killed and dressed, and are so constructed that the sides of beef can be 

 run into them on cars attached to the timbers overhead. The sides of 

 beef are suspended to the cars, hanging by the gambrel-joiut, and as 

 soon as dressed are conveyed into the chilling rooms and transferred to 

 the hooks overhead. These rooms are kept shut except when opened 

 to let in the meat, and th( ii they are closed as soon as possible. In this 

 way handling the meat is avoided, and the animal heat is expelled as 

 soon as possible, which is considered very important in preparing meat 

 for long shipments. Themeat soon becomes hard and firm. Each quarter 

 is inclosed in coarse canvas, before being removed from the chilling- 

 rooms, to keep it clean and prevent wearing or rubbing in handling and 

 while being transported. In no case is the meat allowed to freeze, but 

 the aim is to keep it as near the same degree of temperature as possi- 

 ble. 



