Smyrna times., 1871-06-28
Facts About Ice.


Ice has its peculiaritles. While, chemically,
it is only crystalized water, we find, on inves-
tigating the circumstances Of congeaation, some
things which surprise US, or would If we gave
them thought. The freezing point of fresh
water is said to be 320 Fahr yet il the water
be kept perfectly still, and nothing be thrust
into it, the temperature may fall TO l4o or, as
some chemists assert, to s., before it cOngeals
the moral of which is, " Keep still if you do
not want to get into fix" Another of its
peculiarities is that, while most liquids con-
tract on assuming the solid form, water ex-
pands. 1t does this, however, only within
certain limits. Till it reaches the tempera-
ture OF 39' water, in giving up portions Of its
latent heat, contracts. though very moderately
between 39' and 320 1.-THE point of sOdi6cation)
10 expands about eleven per cent, or One-nnth
OF Its previous bulk, and this expansion is so
Irresistible as to form an explosive force nearly
equal to that Of gunpowdeT, and calculated by
physicists at twenty seven hundred and twenty
pounds to the cubic inch. The reason for this
departure from the general law in the case of
the solidi6catiOn of water is obvious, though it
has never, so far as we know, been adduced as
among the evidences of design on the part of
the Creator. If water, like the oils and the
mineral salts became heavier when it became
SOLID, it would sink to the bottom of the lake,
pond, or stream on which it formed. In cold
season, sinking as it CONCEALED, the body or
stream of water would be wholly solidifed, and
would only become liquid again after long
season of excessive heat. This would lead to
the destruction of the fnny tribes which in
habit the waters-to the diminution of the
evaporation from their surface, and the con-
seQuent diminishing of the rainfal-to lower
mean OF animal temperature, backward sea-
sons and small and imperfect crops The re-
gions where the ice sunk as it froze would soon
become bleak and barren desert. Under the
existing natural law, the water beneath the ice
retains temperature not below 320.
Another pecullarty of ice is its greatly in
creased density and tenacty under the pro-
t:acted and severe cold Most liquids, on as
suming the solid form, retain that form with
out material change SO long as the tempcra-
ture remains below the point of liquefacton.
further decrease of temperature etfectng no
perceptble difference in their density but the
ice formed at temperature of 25o to 30o Fahr
is as different from that which is formed when
the temperature has ranged for some time be-
tween lO0 and 10 Fair. as chalk is from gran
lite. The ice at the lower temperature is dense
and hard as flint. 1t strikes fire with the
prick of skate; and as in ST. Petersburg in
1870, when masses of it were turned and bored
for cannon, though but four inches thick, they
were loaded with iron cannon balls and charge
of quarter of pound of powder, and fired
without explosion.
Still anOsher peculiarity Of ice is that, in the
process of freezing, the impurities (salts, etc. J
held IN solution in the water are eliminated,
and only the pure water takes on the crystal
zing form. This is very important fact, and
is often made use of, by practical chemists, in
concentrating tlnctures, vinegar, alcoholic
preparations, etc, by freezing out tho water
which they contain.