The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-08-04
CHARLES E. TRIPLER.

CHARLES E. TRIPLER.
compression, III returning to it's
gaseous state immense power lies in
it's expansion: This power, of highest
efficiency, is easily controlled and
utilized. Two distinct fluids are pres
ent, liquefied nitrogen and liquefed
oxygen. The normal temperature of
liquid air is 312 degrees below zero
Fahrenheit, or about 26O degrees cold
er than the perpetually frozen arctic
regions.
During the past ten years Mr..
Charles E. Tripler, of New York, has
devoted his time to improving and
cheapening the process of liquefying
air, and experimenting with the
fluid. His machines now liquefy air
at the rate of 40 gallons per day and
the cost is less than 25 cents per
gallon. Mr.. Tripler expects to produce
it at a much lower price. It will thus
become of ines Unable commercial
value, and promises to revolutionize
present agencies for refrigeration and
power production. It's general use
would discontinue the demand for coal
in the production of-power. The new
force is much more powerful than
steam and farther reaching in its pos
sibilities than electricity. Proposals
from capitalists to develop his inven-
lions have been showered upon Mr..
Tripler, but his own large fortune
will enable him to go forward without
their aid. His apparatus, taking the
heat from the air, creates cold so in
tense that incoming air liquefes at at
mospheric pressure. At the beginning
steam power and a strong compressor
force air into series of coils, copper
pipes and leather valves. In Is min
utes from the beginning of the process
liquid air pours from a faucet at the
end of the route traversed. It is then
passed into another apparatus produc-
ing a more intense cold, and the ex-
ternal air, driven by natural pressure:
through the inlet tube to fill the
vacuum caused by condensation, be-
comes liqueied.
It has been found difficult to confine
the liquid for transportation. Mr..
Tripler has succeeded in transporting
it from New York to Boston and Wash
ington, keeping it from evaporation for
36 hours, and now claims that it can
be handled without danger if the gases
are not confined. If by chance
the tops of the cans were entirely
closed the fluid would explode with
terrific force, gallon being sufficient
to wreck a building of the strongest
construction. Yet it may be dipped
with an ordinary cup and poured from
one vessel into another as one pours
water; but if tinNdipper which had
been immersed in liquid air for a
few. seconds should be dropped it
would shatter like glass.
A few weeks ago a number of scien-
tific men were invited to witness Mr..
Tripler's experiments Among them
were DR.. Cyrus Edison, Mr.. James j.
Pearson, an authority on explosives,
formerly with the Armstrong;, war
ship builders; Mr.. Herbert Tweddle,
one of the constructors of the pipe line
built by Great Britain across Sahara
desert; Lieut.. George Kuenzei, invent
or of airships, and Mr.. w. E. Mum, ed
itor of the Scientific American.
During two hours bewildering Sc
ries of experiments were performed
Before these witnesses. A tumberful
of liquid ali was poured into test
tube about a foot long and little
more than an inch in diameter. The
top was closed with a cork through
which three slender glass tubes two
feet long passed. These were open at
both ends and dipped beneath the
surface of the fluid. This prepared
tube was. taken into the street
and there. its bottom was inn
mersed in: tumbler partly filed with
water. The pressure of the 'air steam
was SO great that the cork could hard
~ be held in place and the liquid was
forced through. the small tubes in
snowy Jets rising amid clouds of vapor
to height Of about IS feet, and falling
in storm of snow and rain. If the
test tube had been held in the hand the
result would have been the same, but
in few seconds the hand would have
been frozen. There is hence no doubt
that liquid air would be of incalcula BILE
value in cooling rooms in summer.
In the next experiment fire was
frozen. A tea kettle partly filled with
liquid air was placed over the intense
heat of six Bunsen gas burners. It
began instantly to boil. Near the first
kettle q second, also partly filed with
liquid air, was placed upon cake Of
ice. This liquid air began to boil harder
than that which was over the fire. On
lifting the kettle from the fire sheet
Of ice was found over the bottom, thick
est where the flames had been hottest.
Dropping ice in the kettle made it boil
harder, and a few ounces Of water
caused II to gurgle, spout and spit and
the lid could be held on only with great
difficulty. At the close Of the expert
ment the kettle was inverted and
Jumps OF ice were found inside, as dry
az chalk Scientists estimated that
power enough had been generated to-