The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-17

LIQUID AIR TO KILL FEVER GERMS.
Inventor TripIer Thinks 1t Would
Cure Stricken Soldiers in Cuba.

Cure Stricken Soldiers in Cuba.
From the New York World.
Nearly all medical authorities agree that
yellow fever patients are UNNECESSARILY
benefited by removal to a locality where
there is a low temperature.
In all epidemlcs of the disease which
have ravaged Southern cities, the physi-
clans, 1t may be remembered, always hop
ed for all in the thermometer The dis
ease is unknown in places nearer the pole
than As degrees north latitude, nor Is 1t
found where the temperature is lower than
Y degrees farenheit
Knowing these facts, there Is one man
in this city who believes one of his discov-
cries may be OF incalculable benefit to the
soldiers at Santiago who have been strick-
en- with the fever. And what Is more al
though he admits his dread of the malady,
such faith has he in his appliances that
he is ready to go to Santiago and do what
good he may.
He is Charles E. Trpler whose new
method of manufacturing liquified air at
a small cost created stir in the scien-
tific world recently and whose invention
is familiar to the readers of the World
The air IS reduced to a liquid by an extra
ordinary degree of cold, and in such state
il may be used to diffuse its cooling prop
critics.
The government officials are cognizaut
of Mr.. Tripler's invention. For, before the
departure of the troops for Cuba the au-
thorities had considered the danger of yell
low fever and the measures necessary to
lessen it. 1t was then a friend of Mr.
Trlpler put himself in communication with
the officials in Washington, telling of the
good that might be done should an epi-
demic come by Mr.. .TTiplers discovery
But the officials decided the matter was
too embryonic as yet to be adopted
But Mr.. Trlpler is not dismayed He
certainly has the courage of his convic-
lions.
Il am not a physician" he said to a re-
porter of the World last night land I
can speak of yellow fever only from the
layman's standpoint But 1 know, as
every other man knows, that frost or cold
viii do as much to rout yellow fever. as
any other agent, If not more. A tempera-
ture at the freezing point, as L take it,
viii kill the germs.
With this as a starting point, I ar
gued that If a man stricken with the fe-
Yer is removed from the heat of a tropl-
cal country his chances Of recovery are i'm
measureably increased. l can put every
one of our soldiers in Cuba suffering from
this disease in a room where the atmos-
phere will be as frigid as that OF the North
pole, If necessary.
with my liquiAed air I can produce
that temperature or any approximation 10
it in a speedy, wholesome, sanitary way,
and at such a small cost that money win
have no bearing on the undertaking. And
it viii be absolutely pure, dry air, too, and
can be produced right In Santiago.
Now, in times of peace. the government
couldn't have hired me to go to a fever
stricken district; but now / feel that If
our boys are dying and l can do anything
10 help them, it is my place, my duty, TO
do 1t.
I'm less than ten days l could set up a
plant In Cuba, and at the highest 1t would
not cost more than 5000. That would in
ciude the equipment of room large
enough to accommodate one hundred pa
tents, IA liquitler and "A compressor. and
if couldn't get one of the latter l would
take that in my own laboratory.
About $40 a day would be the cost OF
maintaining the plant-for fuel, engineers
ana a manager. All heat would have to
be kept from the room, and to do this
there should be double doors, windows and
partitions, with a padding of hair or as
bestos.
II would have my liquid air evaporated
outside of the room and the cold air thus
obtained forced into the room through
pipes running along the ceiling. From
holes It would leak into the room, lower