Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-03-21
lnsensibility Of the Human Body to
rf Molten Iron.
From the Engineering and Mining Journal

| admirers, II. BOutlgny raised the ques-
ton whether there existed connec-
ton between the spheroidal condition
and the singular fact that if the hand
be wet, it may be passed through
stream of molten iron or lead without
harm. Many months elapsed before
the inquisitiveness of the French in
vestigator was satisfied by witnessing
such an experiment himself. In ask
ing once among the workmen of
foundry in Paris, whether one of them
could toss with his fingers the fused
metal, he was not only ridiculed but
shown the door. But, finally, he be-
came acquainted with metallurgist in
the Flanche-Comte, who promised to
investigate the matter. On the Goth of
March, lS49, this person was able to
write: "The workmen generally
laughed at me when l asked them
whether they could dip their fingers
into molten iron without injury; but at
last workman in the foundry of Mag
ny told me that he considered nothing
more easy, and, to prove it, he passed
a finger through a glowing stream as it
was flowing from the furnace. One en-
ploye repeated the experiment, and
|
None made the finger wet"
Boutigny now hesitated no longer to
try those experiments on himself, and
he was not only able to perform the
same feat, but he passed his hand
through stream of cast iron of two
inches thickness, when it shot from the
tapping hole, and Immediately after
ward dipped the hand into a ladle
filed with molten iron. If it is asked,
he writes, what precautions are to be
taken to protect ourselves from the
fiery glow, answer: Danish the fear,
f and proceed confidently to experiment.
The hand is to be immersed quickly,
but not too precipitately, into the fluid
metal. This is all that is to be OBJ
served. The wonder of antiquity has
, thus been explained, and shown to be
only physical phenomenon. 1t is well
to have the hands moistened, yet the in
f voluntary fear that will overcome any
| one at the thought of such bold I'M
r dertaking nearly always gives rise to a
: peIspiration, by which every part of the
a body will become sufficiently moist.
But, if one will get perfectly invulnera-
: BILE, the hand is to be rubbed with
e soap, so that it obtains smooth sur
= face, or it is dipped into cold solution
S of sulphurous acid in sal-ammoniac, OF
f into water containing sal-ammoniac, OF
0 simply in cold water.
i If the finger is first dipped into alec
) hol, tolerable warmth is felt, if mois
f tened with ether, pleasant GOODNESS
Y Yet, being very inhammable, thes'
t fluids should not be made use of in ex
|, perimenting with iron. Still, they vii
J. not ignite in the molten lead. The non
IS immersed part of the hand will turf
n red and experience painful feeling OIL
d account of being exposed to the radi
e ant heat.
a Though great deal has been related
d of such wonders, it was not till they
) was placed before the public as nake'
truths that they commenced to excit
sensation. When Boutigny repeate
his experiment before Professor Plucke
h in Bonn, the latter, by his own confei
5 sion, left with the impression tha
a. some yet undiscovered laws of natur
if came here into play. Soon after it wa
n reported that mechanic in machin
l. shop in Cologne had made the tris
, with molten iron, and had offered him
l. self to repeat it. In consequence
s. thereof, Plucker, accompanied by seye
is raj persons, started for that city, wher
r. the workman, in their presence
e touched quickly with the dry ends o
e his fingers the surface of metal fur
is mace. Encouraged thereby the by
le ISLANDERS themselves began to manipr
n late One dashed the fat and prev
is ously-moistened hand with such vehe
IF mence against the molten iron that
h portion of it was splashed around an
ID other ladled the metal with the hollo,
" hand Plucker himself dipped the in
le dex finger of his right hand into tn
fluid, Withdrawing it again uniniuret
after moving in it for few seconds
He felt how the iron fled from tn
finger, but experienced no sensation @
y heat. He would not have estimated tn
1t temperature of the metal at IS degree
Il F., albeit it must have been at abou
lg 2,75O degrees F. The little hairs ha'
80 disappeared from his finger, but tn
rs nail had not suffered in the least. F
Mt nallv, an experiment was tried whic
as properly ought to have preceded an
= other. The finger of a kid glove, moi
ID tened inside, was drawn around
to wooden stick, and then kept for on
r. minute in the fluid metal. On with
ne drawing it the glove only indicated
st temperature of 15S degrees F.
sy The testimonials in behalf of thes
OF pulling accounts increased from all d
rections. Professor Rose stated th'
n thirty years ago, during a visit in
ps metallurgical establishment in Ave
he tad, Sweden, he saw workman VIII
se for small remuneration, threw molte
as copper against wall, which he Skin
nd med off from crucible with his han
Id Dumas called attention to a very O
usage, ordinarily performed in glas
works. A molten mass of glass is pourt
into vessel filed with water,
ce which, although glowing it is knead'
on with both hands.
,is In lecture which Boutigny delivers
ce in the Academy of Sciences, in Par
lie on the 14th of May, 1849, he said f: "a
It ter lapse of ten years, it was permits
he to me to produce ice in a white CLOWN
ii. furnace, and to battle myself with il
oh punity in glowing cast iron. The gre
oh importance which thorough study
nv the spheroidal condition possesses M
nd be denied, but that l shall not care fl
he have formerly stated that mention
II u. Z II IL