Hi Cecil,
I know this is being picky, but I expect unfailingly accurate answers from putatively the world’s smartest human. In the column How was ice made and sold in pre-industrial times, you stated, in describing ice houses, “An opening at the top vented the latent heat released by melting…” I believe that melting ice absorbs heat, rather than giving it off. Thus the effect of an opening at the top of the ice house would only serve to let in air that would hasten melting.
Heat rises. An opening at the top of the shelter would only serve to let the warmest air out of the building. Hopefully, however the air got into the building to replace tha loss would come from someplace cooler, say, sub-terranean, or at the least from a shaded area.
But, yeah, the “heat released by melting” line is suspect.
When I was a first grader, or before, the men of the neighborhood got together and cut ice on the mill pond. The ice house was a quarter of a mile from my folk’s. It was 4 walls, and no roof. Ice packed in saw dust. I don’t know why rain didn’t melt the ice by soaking the saw dust and lowering the insulation value. Ice used mainly for ice cream. Along the Hudson many ice houses were built, with capacities up to 20,000 tons, cakes weighing 250-300 pounds. Men were paid $2 a day for dangerous work in below-freezing weather
One of my earliest jobs in the late 50s/early 60s was as a cellarman in a London pub. We had twice weekly deliveries of ice in an open truck covered with sacking. It was cut into huge blocks weighing a cwt or so (112lbs) and was lowered into the cellar.
I had to break it up ready for distribution to the bars. It also helped to keep the cellar cool, since contrary to popular American opinion, we don’t like warm beer - it should be at 10-14°C.
Before any arguments start, an Imperial hundredweight is 8 stone, or 112 pounds. A U.S. hundredweight is 100 pounds (the U.S. system lacking the stone altogether).
That is warm compared to the 3-5°C at which Americans prefer their beer.
Powers &8^]