The record-union., 1898-03-27

show a disposition to dive to a greater
depth. but always returning to the sur
face again. The dancing of these
spheres, seen from the side, was fas-
cinating spectacle. The air remained
distinct from the water, and did not
mix as one might expect. So nearly
the same was the specific gravity of
the two that only the most trifling
change was necessary to alter the bal
ance. And every now and then the
plunges of the upper element would go
deeper than before, until finally, for
second, the bottom of the vessel was
touched. The little masses of LIQUID
air looked like glass alleys or jackson
balls, nearly an inch in diameter, but
colorless. They glittered like jewels.
The increasing density of the air. in
consequence of partial evaporation, as
shown by this experiment, was attrib-
uted by one of the bystanders to the
carbonic acid gas in the atmosphere.
A copper tube having a thickness of
nearly quarter of an inch, a dame
ter of an inch and a half or two inches.
and length of ten inches and open
only at one end, was fastened upright
in wise. A tablespoonful of the
liquid air was poured in, a wooden plug
was quickly driven into the mouth
with hammer, and then the company
was warned to step off to a short dis
lance. A moment later there was an
explosion like that of a small cannon,
and the plug snote the ceiling violent
ly. The warmth of the metal had
vaporized the liquid, and a great pres
sure was thus developed.
Mercury poured into a mold was
frozen into solid block three inches
long, an inch or more thick and an
inch wide. The threaded ends of two
screw eyes were laid in place at the
outset so that casting was made
around them One screw eve was
then caught over a stout nail and a
weight of 100 pounds or so was sus-
pended from the other. The mercury
did not yield enough to let the weight
tall for fifteen minutes, and it did not
all return to liquid form again for
more than half an hour.
Tin dipped in basin of boiling liouid
ar ana thus reduced to a temperature
OF oOu below zero became as brittle as
grass Rubber treated in the same
way was much hardened, but also
crumbled like stone under a hammer.
copper, leather and aluminium, how
N'~A' ASIolI tHe4I ueX1Dllty IN spite of
the extreme cold here utilized.
The method employed by Mr. Tripler
to reduce air to a liquid form is ORIG
mai with him in some respects. Al
though Linde lin Germany and others
nave also adopted it, Mr.. Tripler saws
that he was the first TO do so. VA
rlous scientific men have supposed that
there was a theoretical absurditv i'm
the explanation given by the New
ork experimenter, but, as Mr.. Tripler
pelleVes he not only produces liouid
ar IN larger quantities but much more
cheaply than foreign chemists. he
laughs at the skeptics He saws that
ne produces about ten or fifteen gall
Ions of the fluid with an expenditure
OF about half a ton of coal.
One of the practical uses to which
this wonderful stuff can be put is re-
migrating 1t is asserted that a
coId-storage system using LIQUID air
would be much cheaper than if on
Grated by ammonia. In time. engines
may be run with it, perhaps. IT can
be exploded, like gun cotton. and used
IN cautery. When once the various
other practical applications of Mr.
Irlpler's product are recognized If ia
possible that he may figure as a bene-
FACTOR OF mankind.-New York Tribune