This, the first full-size rink in the country, was never used a fire occurred in the building as it was being finished and it was completely destroyed.The player: Schmidt was arguably the greatest defensive player in Lions history. In conjunction with the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, a large (54' x 208') mechanically refrigerated ice rink that used brine was installed in a beautiful Mohammedan-styled building built by the Hercules Iron Works. The Paris, London and Munich rinks were circular. During the late 1880s and early 1890s, several rinks were constructed in European cities like London, Paris, Nice, Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. The opening of Rankin's rink featured a gala ice carnival, a popular event at the time. The installation had an ice surface of 6,000 square feet, about one-third the size of a modern hockey rink. Rankin installed a mechanically frozen ice surface in 1879 in New York's Madison Square Garden. Economics aside, as a piece of engineering, the ice sheet in Southport was the first successful large ice surface. This 70' x 170' rink (12,000 square feet) operated continuously for 10 years until it closed in 1889 due to financial problems. A few years later in 1879, a large rink was built in Southport, England. the rink ran for one year, being used by figure and public skaters. In 1876 the Rusholm rink in Manchester, England used the Gamgee process successfully in a larger rink than the one at Chelsea. The 100-square foot surface was built with copper pipes, and through these a mixture of glycerine and water was circulated after it had been chilled by ether. A mechanically refrigerated ice surface was constructed by Professor Gamgee of Chelsea, in Charing Cross, London, England in 1876. Using the invention of Matthew Bujac of New York, he produced ice by circulating ammonia gas, ether, and carbonic acid through tubes placed below the surface of the water. William New ton constructed a building in New York suitable for skating in 1870. Post-World War 1 found the discovery of halogenated hydrocarbons such as Freon 11, 12 and 22 which proved to be safer and superior to ammonia as a refrigerant.Īrtificial ice rinks first appeared in the 1870s. The biggest changes were improving the compressors and finding a substitute for ammonia. Subsequent inventions involved only modifications and improvements in the machines and processes. The basic principles on which refrigeration machines operate were developed prior to the end of the 19th century. The successful combination was used throughout the world. In 1859, Carre introduced ammonia as the refrigerant with ammonia-water as an absorbent. The refrigerant vapor is absorbed again in the liquid, thus completing the cycle. Evaporation of the liquid produces the desired cooling. This solution is heated, driving off the refrigerant as a vapor, which then is condensed. In his system, the refrigerant (normally a vapor) is absorbed in a suitable liquid. Harrison's machine, which was produced for several decades, employed ethyl ether as the refrigerant.ĭuring the 1850s, Ferdinand Carre of France developed a second type of refrigeration machine. James Harrison in Australia became interested in refrigeration and, after surveying the machines of Gorrie and Twinning, developed the first vapor-compression machine for use in the brewing industry and for freezing meat for shipment to England. Another American, Alexander Twinning of Cleveland, produced the first commercial ice in 1856 by means of a vapor-compression machine. He was granted a patent in 1850 on a closed-cycle air refrigerating machine which made ice. John Gorrie in Apalachicola, Florida, developed a machine to provide ice and air conditioning for his hospital. He built one successful machine but did not pursue his invention. In 1834, Jacob Perkins obtained a British patent on a volatile-liquid, closed-cycle system using a compressor. The first man-made refrigeration was produced by the evaporation of ethyl ether into a partial vacuum and is credited to William Cullen of the University of Glasgow in 1748. Many scientists and technical people were involved in the development of mechanical refrigeration - the initial step towards the creation of artificial ice rinks. Bob Johnson Memorial "Badger Bob" Award.Michel Briere Memorial Trophy - Rookie of the Year.Three-or-more Goal Games, Playoffs 1918 - Present.When Scoring/Trailing First Goal of a Game.International Ice Hockey Federation HOF.Active Players All-Star Selection Records.Position Leaders in All-Star Selections.