The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-08 00:00:00

U N
ROYAL INSTITUTION. 4
A lt.:..r.,„Tr\--
Professor Faraday devoted the greater portion of h
ture last week to describing the results of previous at . .:-17;c:
to liquify liquifv and solidify different gases. He first exp
the distinction between a gas and a vapour. The 1'
though resembling in all its mechanical properties a pernkg_.- .
nentiv elastic gas, is nevertheless easily condensed into4rjavrf s v'liquid, by reduction of the temperature by ordinary meant':
:under the pressure of the atmosphere. A ✓gas, on. the con-
trary, cannot be condensed by auy ordinary reduction of tem-
perature. He had originally succeeded in condensing
carbonic acid gas, by generating it enclosed in a tube,'
by which means the pressure was • increased to thirty
atmospheres, and then the liquid carbonic acid appeared at
one end of the tube. He had subsequently succeeded in
liquifying some more of the gases, and other chemists had
added to the number, so that there were known to be nine
gases capable of being condensed, by pressure, into liquids.
M. Tillorier discovered that by the expansion of liquid car-
bonic acid in escaping so much cold is produced that the
liquid becomes sohd, and assumes the form of snow, but all
the other gases had resisted the many efforts that had been
made to reduce them into a solid form. He had
now to announce, as the results of his recent expe-
riments, that he had succeeded in liquifying six addi-
tional gases, 'and had solidified seven that had never.
previously been known in that form. The principle on
which he had proceeded in those experiments was to subject
the gas when under pressure to the lowest temperature at-
tainable by artificial means. It had been an error in other
experimenters to endeavour to succeed by pressure alone, for •
each gas may be considered to have its freezing and its
liquid point as well as water; it would, therefore, be as,.:
reasonable to expect to freeze water by subjecting it to
immense pressure without cold as it would be to freeze a
gas by pressure alone. Acting on this principle, he sub-
jected the gases to be operated on to the lowest possible •
temperature under great pressure. Solid carbonic acid was
the substance employed for generating cold. When mixed
with either, it produces a degree of cold equal to 105
deg. below the zero of Fahrenheit, that is 137 deg. below the
freezing point of water. To diminish the temperature still
lower,he placed the vessel containing the solid carbonic and
ether tinder the receiver of an air-pump, by which means
the ether was made to boil and the temperature was re-
duced sixty degrees lower. Into this " cold bath," as Pro-
fessor Faraday termed it, he placed a strong tube of green
bottle glass, connected with a series of small force-pumps, by
which means he was enabled to obtain a pressure exceeding
one hundred atmospheres. The pumps were fed with gas to
be operated on, and thus he obtained his results.
Professor Faraday illustrated by experiment in his feli-
citous manner the various parts of the process he described.
From a reservoir containing liquid carbonic acid, he ob-
tained a large quantity of it in a solid form ; this he handled
without inconvenience, for the film of gas formed between
the hand and the solid body prevents actual contact. When,
however, ether is mixed with the snow-like substance, the
absorption of heat from surrounding bodies is very rapid,
and a mass of quicksilver exposed to its action speedily
became a solid metal, and a piece of wire with which it
was previously stirred became as firmly fixed in the
mercury as if it had been solid lead. Of the sensation' of cold
produced by the mixture of solid carbonic acid and ether,
when placed under the air-pump, no more idea can be formed
than of the heat of a forge, for the nerves would be destroyed
by contact with a body much less cold. Pursuing his ex-
periment whilst operating on (defiant gas, Professor Faraday
exhibited liquified " olefiant" in the tube ; that being, as he
observed, the first time that any one, excepting himself and
the assistant operator, had hitherto seen olefiant gas reduced
to the form of a liquid.
In commencing the course of experiments, be hoped to
have been able to liquify and solidify hydrogen gas, which,
however, he had not yet accomplished, though he did not
despair of succeeding. He expected that that gas, when so-
lidified, would prove to be a metal. One of the compounds
of hydrogen had been obtained as a liquid. He had also
operated on oxygen, but hitherto -without success. Most
of the gases which had yielded to his process were com-
pound gases. In the course of his lecture the Professor
dwelt upon the great advantage he had derived in con-
ducting his experiments from the use of tubes made of com-
mon green bottle glass, which are much stronger and less
liable to break from sudden changes of temperature than
flint glass. Without those tubes he questioned whether he
should have succeeded, or at least the experiments would
have been attended with much more danger. He produced
some tubes containing liquified gases, obtained by his formet
mode of operating, which he offered to the inspection of the
company, with the caution to handle them
.cautiously, as
they were bearing a pressure of eight thousand pounds, and
might, if knocked, burst with great force. The lecture ex-
cited great interest, and was listened to with the greatest
attention, by an audience that compris3d most of the scienti-
fic men of eminence in the metropolis.

GIRVAN.

The storm of Sunday week was the most violent
that has visited our coast this season, and has left with
us, as evidences of its fury, one large schooner ashore,
and one that fortunately succeeded in riding out the
gale at anchor, a short distance to the westward of
this harbour. The first schooner is the Ellen Stewart,
of Dundee. She was on her voyage from Waterford
to Glasgow, with a cargo of flour. The latter is the
Liska, of Waterford, also for Glasgow, with bacon
and marble. Both vessels were descried from this
port immediately after daybreak, and their precarious
sivation created the most intense excitement and
alarm for their safety. The Liska drove her anchors,
and was brought up on good ground about half IL
mile from shore; and, to the admiration of every one,
rode out the gale in safety. Her rigging, however,
is completely dismantled, the sails having been blown
into rags, and the foretopmast, spars, &c., carried
away. She is left, in fact, without a stitch of sail to
enable her to remove from her anchorage, and in con-
sequence, a tug steamer has been sent for to take her
up the Clyde. The Ellen Stewart was not so fortu-
nate. Being farther in shore she was obliged to make
for this harbour to prevent her being driven among
the breakers to the northward; and the tide being
little more than ebb at the time, she struck heavily on
the bar at the harbour-mouth—the sea making its
way right over her. The master and crew immediately
took to the rigging, with the exception of a bow, a •
passenger, who was lashed to the windlass ; and from
this time, about nine o'clock, a.m., till half-past
twelve, the situation of both vessel and crew was
perilous and distressing in the extreme. Every means
was tried, for a time in vain, to get a line from the
shore to the unfortunate vessel, but at length this ob-
ject was effected by those on board attaching a line to
' a small buoy, which floated ashore. Having by this
means gut a hawser on board, which was made fast
ashore, the vessel was kept more steady, and the wind
being right in shore kept her head on, and thus saved
her, for had she broached to in the bar she would
inevitably heve gone to pieces. As the tide flowed.
she was driven gradually up the river, and the seamen
were got off in safety, but much exhausted. They
were carefully and kindly attended to, and soon re•
covered their strength. The greatest praise is due to
the shipmasters and seamen of this port, for flip energy
and humanity displayed by them in doing everything
that could be devised to save the vessel and crew,
whose escape altogether was most providential, and
was deeply sympathised in by thousands of anxious
spectators ashore. The vessel is very much damaged,
and the cargo of course destroyed to a considerable
extent.—Ayr Observer.

_
LOSS OF VESSELS IN THE NORTH CHANNEL
On Saturday evening, and all day on Sunday last, a tre-
mendous gale of wind, commencing about south-west,
and suddenly veering round to the north-west, swept,
with fearful violence, along the north coast of Ireland.
During the hurricane, two vessels went down, near
Larne Lough, one laden with coals, and the other with
lime. The crews of both are supposed to have perished.
A large sloop, laden with iron, for Belfast. • '
went down at Garron Point, near Cushendall, the
crew of which escaped in the boat, and, after enduring
much hardship were driven into Cushendun. A
schooner was observed to go down between Ballintoy
and the Giant's Causeway ; and on Sunday, about three
in-the afternoon, a large brig, bound from Sligo to Liver-
pool, laden with corn, was dashed on the rocks, at
the Bull, on the west end of Rathlin Island. Three
of the crew were drowned, the captain had his thigh
broken, and was otherwise dreadfully injured. He
lies on the island, with little hope of recovery ;
for, unfortunately, there is not a medical man upon it,
to render him any assistance. Between Ballycastle and
Portrush, feather-beds, sea chests, ship's round-house,
painted green ; topmast, painted white ; Baltic planks.
twenty-one feet in length, together with many other
articles, have been cast on shore, which leads to the con-
clusion, that much more damage than has been witnessed
has been done by this gale.—Correspondent of the
Noithern Whig.
SHOCKING AFFAIR.—A few days ago a young
female from Borgne, gave birth to a child in a lodg-
ing-house in Maxwelltown. A rumour of the eh--
cumstance having gone abroad, and no child ap-
pearing, suspicion was excited, and search was made
bytim tehdeipscooli,c,eeredofl! in a
officers premises,aboduutngthheui,theremains
of a who in a short
new-
born infant shockingly mutilated, the head, arma
and legs being cut off, and the body otherwise mangled
in such a manner, that it was impossible to distinguish
the sex. APCartney, the female who kept the lodging-
house, was immedia.ely taken into custody, and the
midwife
who had attended at the delivery of the
mother was examined. She stated that the child was
still-born, and that she had dressed it in grave-clothes
before leaving the house. The mother also asserted
that she knew nothing further of the matter than
deythaallt,
e
thhe e
s lay. r e
e Ahle`Crsa,ratnn
that the corpse was removed from the apart-
gas dthin
eetZtere:
tmheant tt
the
grave-hel Os
had nothing to pay for them, she had taken
them off the
corpse and disposed of the body in the
stated. The mutilated remains of the child manner above
were then
taken up and interred in the Troceer church-yard,
and the female M'Cartney in
retained
custody.
PILOTS.--411 consequence of a correspondence
between the Earl of Morley, Chairman of the Chamber
of Commerce of this port, and the authorities at the
Trinity House, two of the Elder Brethren, Captain
Wheeler and Captain Bax, visited Plymouth last week,
for the purpose of examining the pilots. They were as-
sisted
by the local Sub-Commissioners, Mr. W. Walker,
Queen's llarbourmaster, Mr. W. Cuming, Lloyd's Sur-
veyor, and Mr. George Jones, Collector of her Majesty's
Customs. The Elder Brethren expressed themselves
satisfied with the general appearance and qualification of ,
the pilots, two or three of whom are to be superannuated,
through age and deficiency of vision. The pilots have
sent in an application for an increase of pilotage from the
Channel to the harbour of Plymouth Sound, and for
modification of the rates when bringing vessels in the
second tiine.—Plyineuth JuzirnaZ
THE GAME-PRESERVING MAMA.— Farmers are
at last beginning to speak out respecting the destruction
committed committed upon their crops by suelociusth'eg,r;racet-ai
them go on in right good
abated.earnest,
By speaking out,
preserving propensity
will t.l-e even grasping and selfish
they need not ftar dischas
to. have farms upon their owns
landlords will not like
hands. 'Farmers have only to act independently to pro-
tect their own interests, not only
as regards the injury
by game, but in other respects. Depend upon it they
may shake
oil their bondage if they will.