Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-04-21

In 1850 Mr.. Faraday discovered that two
pieces of ice placed IN contact froze to-
gether almost instantly. Mr.. Tyndall says,
Zone hot summer day / entered shop on
the Stand; in the window fragments OF ice
were lying In basin. The tradesman
gave me permission TO take the pieces Of
Ice In my own hand; holding the first piece
| attached all the cher pieces In tue basin
| to it. The thermometer was then sixty de-
grees, and yet all the pieces were frozen
together. ''In this way MIR. Tyndall form
ed chain of ice. This experiment may
be made even in hot water. Throw two
pieces of ice in pail full of almost boiling
water, keep them in contact and they will
freeze together in despite of the high tenn
perature. Mr. Faraday made an other ex-
pertinent OF the same sort. he threw into
a vessel full OF water several email pieces
of ice. They tioated on the surface OF the
water. The moment one piece touched
another there was an instantaneous refreez-
ing Attraction soon brought all the pieces
in contact, so that in an instant an ice
chain was formed.
An ice wheel turning on O surface of ice
refreezes at the point of contact; during
the rotation d series OF cracks are heard
which show the ear that successive refree
zings are constantly taking place. The
phenomenon OF refreezing is easily explain
ed. AT the surface Of q piece OF ice the
atoms, which are no longer In equilibrium
on the outside, tend TO leave their neigh
bors. as happens in boiling or evaporation.
Melting ensucs. But if two pieces OF ice
"A hnr q atn ha
face are restored TO their equilibrium, the
attractive action becomes what 1t was, the
atoms resume their relations with their
neighbors and juxtaposilIon ensues. In
consequence Of this property ice is endow-
ed with singular Elasticity. A rope and
knot or buckle made be made of ice. It
may be nodded The school boy who fills
his hands with snow and compresses il into
a ball produces the phenomenon of refreez
ing, and forms an Ice ball sufficiently hard
TO be dangerous projectile.
This explains the extraordinary ngidity
OF the bridges OF snow which are often seell
in the Alps suspended over deep crevlces.
The Alpine guides, by cautiously walking
ON these snowy masses, freeze the parti-
cles together and transform the snow into
statuettes may be obtained. Fill hollow
ball with Enow, pressed in as hard ms possi-
bic, and you may obtain ice balls admira-
bly, ttansIucid. Nothing would be easier
than TO dine with a service made of nodded
snow-plates, glasses, dCcanters. all of
snow. A gentleman In Paris recently
served sherry wine TO his friends before q
not fire IN beakers made OF snow. Snow
compressed in this way does not melt so
rapidly as might be thought Ice requires
great deal OF heat before il melts. A layer
OF ice often becomes a protection again.
cold. Ii you wUuid prevent anything from
sinking TO temperature below thirty-two
degrees during tile very severest frosts, we
know you have but to wrap 1t in wet rags.
The process OF freezing gives TO the envi-
roning bodies all the heat necessary to de-
stroy 1t. The water in the rags slowly
forms small pieces OF ice on The sag, and in
the meantime dlsengages heat, which warns
me object wrapped IN the rags.
A tree wrapped In rags, or in moss satu-
rated with water, does not freeze even
when the thermometer is several degrees
beioH The freezing point. The sIowness
with which ice melLs is well known. Dur
ing the winter l740 the Car built at Sl.
Petersburg a magnificent palace of ice,
which lasted several years Since then
cannons have been loaded with balls and
fired. They were fired ten times without
bursting. Ii Is consequently Indisputable
that ice melts slowly, and may be turned
TO good account in the polar regions In
Siberia the windows have panes of ice.
The remarkable property with which par
ticles of ice are endowed of molding them
selves into different shapes by reIreezIng
easily explains how glaciers make their
way through narrow gorges and expand in
valleys. Ihe ice is broken into fragments
which retreeze whenever they touch.