SC - Period cooling (was ice)

[Lee-Gwen Booth]

- ----- Original Message -----
From: Balthazar of Blackmoor

> In a message dated 5/24/00 11:29:17 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
a14h at zebra.net
> writes:
> >thin-walled clay pots were filled with water, and hung from the ceiling
near windows, so that the > >water would slowly seep through the sides of
the pots and provide some degree of cooling via > > evaporation.
>
> I think Francesco Sirene, Spicer sells these things at his website, but I
> could be thinking of another url.  I'll check and get back to the list.  I
> believe they were originally used, not to keep the house cool (which they
may
> have, if you hung enough of them up), but rather to keep the beverage
within
> them cool.

This is heading in the direction of the famous "Koolgardi safe" which was
(and may still be) used in the outback of Australia.  A Koolgardi Safe is a
hanging "box" made of canvas and with a water tray at its base.  It is hung
in the breeze and the water is taken up by the canvas the way a wick takes
up oil.  The breeze causes the water to evaporate and thus keeps the
contents of the safe cool.

Gwynydd