dryice.html

The West Klickitat County News, August 21, 1936, page 4

DRY ICE PLANT IN KLICKITAT IS INTERESTING

You, no doubt, have heard of dry ice, rock and perhaps never heard that dry ice is made from natural gas, is one of the products from the town of Klickitat in this county. However, it is not one of the two plants in the United States, as has been reported in the past, but one of many hundred. Plants have been erected the past year all over the country.
The dry ice plant at Klickitat is located about 3 miles east of Klickitat on the Goldendale-Klickitat road. The plant not only is a dry ice concern, but has production of the famous Klickitat Mineral waters as well. The mineral water is bottled on the west side of the Klickitat river and the ice made on the east side of the famous river.
The ice is made from natural gas taken from the earth near the plant. About 4 tons of the compressed gas is made every 24 hours. A cake of the ice weighing about 80 pounds will last a couple of days. The ice evaporates, it doesn't melt, as many people suppose.
The gas is first compressed and condensed under 150 pounds of pressure. It comes out at zero degrees. It is then water cooled and the second stage entered 500 pounds of pressure and ammonia cooled at zero degrees. The pressure is then cut to 150 pounds. When the gas enters the final stage it is expanded in what is called the snow press and is formed into a solid block of ice at 109 degrees below zero.
The cakes of frozen dioxide gas are stored in large vats at the plant and shipped away in quantities when ready. The plant can't keep up with its orders, reported manager L.J. Robinson.