The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-08
NEW a
Ethrrion-A Description OF IL Read Before
the American Association for the Adj
vnncsment OF SCIENCE, AuG. rs, IsoS,
~ "a. nt.novarar. Chnriea n. Brush.

IL to announce the discovery OF n new gas
presumably elementary. and possessed oil some
extraordinary properties, II isa constituent
OF the atmosphere. and is occluded by many
substances. Its chief characteristic thus far
aseortained. ls pormous heat oonductivity at
low pressures. In orderto appreciate this pho
nomonon, II is necessary TO consider the heat
conductivity OF some OF the well-known gases.
A year ago l had the honor to read before
this section q paper on the OF
heat by gases, and illustrated BY numerous
curve sheets showing the heat conduetivity OF
several gases at all pressures from atmos-
pheric down TO tho best vacuum obtainable;
also an allied paper on the measurement OF
small gaseous pressures. Abstracts OF these
papers appear In tho current volume OF
"Transactions.'' and their full text maj DO
found in tho Philosophical Magazine for jan
uary. 1893. and November. 1897. respectively.
The apparatus used for the described expert
ments in heat transmission consisted In partof
n long -stemmed thermometer hanging In a
long -nec glass bulb, the bulb OF the Their
mometer being In the centre OF the glass bulb.
Two bulbs were used for ifferentexperiment
the larger one 112 nm. in diameter. the
smaller one only 20 nm. A tank Of water aud
crushed leo under the bulb was adapted to be
raised when desired. so as to immerse the bulb
In the cold mixture. The neck OF the bulb
WINS COuueCU5u WIN al III pump ubep VI
ducing the internal pressure to a very small
fraction OF a millionth Of atmospheric pressure;
also with an elaborate pressure gauge adapted
TO measure small pressures with very great
precision. and q barometric gauge for measur-
ing larger p%ressures.
In using this apparatus the gas to be tested
was introduced ut atmospheric pressure: the
ice tank was raised. and the falling Temporal
ture Of the thermometer, which could lose heat
only by radiation. conduction and convection
through the surrounding gas. was observed
through a telescope. The time required for
the temperature to fall through q given range,
usually from 49, to 10' Centigrade. was care
fully noted. Then the ice tank was lowered.
permitting the thermometer to regain the tenn
p~erature OF the laboratory: some OF the gas
was pumped out. and the cooling OF the Their
mometer again observed at this reduced pres
sure. This process was repeated many times.
until the pressure was reduced to the lowest
point attainable.
The results obtained with each gas were
plotted in a curve showing its heat conductive
ity at all pressures from atmospheric down the
ordlnates representing the reciprocals OF the
time Of cooling in seconds. whi.e the abscissas
represented the pressure.
A very brief account Of the circumstances
which led to the discovery OF the new gas
may not be out OF place. I had long been
engaged In high vacua experiments. and had
observed that glass apparatus when highly
exhausted and heated evolved gas for an in
definite length OF time-rapidly at first. then
slower. but never stopped until the temperature
was reduced. On cooling rapid reabsorption al
ways took place. but was never complete indi-
eating that two or moro gases hadbeen evolved
by heating, one OF which was not absorbed on
cooling. The percentage Of reabsorbed gas
Waa an larQa that / usad n ANAL uuantitv ~
pulverized glass in several experiments to alb
sorb a part Of the residual gas after the highest
attainable exhaustion was reached. The pull
verified glass was always lead glass like that Of
the apparatus. and was heated nearly red hot
for several hours before and during the final
exhaustion.
During these experiments a curious phenom-
enon was noted; the pulverized glass lost its
snowy whiteness. This l thought must be due
to reduction Of some OF its lead probably by
hydrogen evolved on heating. If so. l argued
that the hydrogen must have been absorbed
from the atmosphere since the Manufacturing
OF the glass ASIA and Id Its I pre-, presence nee in nth the e. class II
the normal presence OF hydrogen in the at
Following the line Of experiment thus sug-
soda glass Tree from lead. and placed about 120
nected with the apparatus already described.
The glass was made from an old stock Of tub
It all passed through a sieve Of so meshes. to
the linear Inch. but would not pass through a
When the exhaustion approached a good
v vsSf . 2 sa sa %ifilonthss prs pasRsG The fssid asii
5 6esr SSn as well as nss syd Ewise a. at $ $ss n iii on an t
conducted seyen times as rapidly as hydrogeni
one millionth twenty times as rapidly; / did
not carry the exhaustion lower than: 80 NJ, At
mos Rasss from ' t. t to ios 9! vas SsS only III = t seee snfs;
while pure hydrogen would have required 2S8
Evidently a new gas Of enormous ,heat-con-
Quoting ~caTacity was present. mixed with the
last small portion Of afr. 1t must have come
only a small fraction OF the mixture. The last
c. C. Of gas pumped out was collected. and
upon subsequent analysis OF it nothing but air
Long continued moderate, heating OF the
some air. much carbon dieoxlde and hydrogen.
some carbon. monoxide. and more. Of the new
gas: The s%electiye absorption which occurred
ate heating and thorough exhaustion. | raised
got the results EN- bodied In the curve gh show
Ing that much Of the new gas vas present; the
the curve. being twenty-seyen times that Of
fh EsaSsSt ex ssTs5al da }KsII OF f 81 Rb hsnIi,inaE sD wiss
the puIverized glass Of It's new gas, though the
output was greatly, diminished. For this and
e essides rf IN and | not se sl%ely te "a the fae sn aeE ge az
Nsp'NSS 80 SAN ASs ANAft 49, SS "
subsequently, exposed this lot of glass sew
eral days to the atmosphere. spread out In o
thin layer. When tested again after this OK;
posture, II yielded the new gas, both before and
after heating, as freely as, at first. This re-
ipvenation OF Pulverized glass by exposure, 70
the air was fully confirmed with another lot
made from common window glass and. In con-
nection with the results obtained by the dif-
fusion Of air. hereafter described, leaves no
room for doubt that the new gas is a constituent
Of the atmosphere.
Pulverized glass appears to begin evolution
Of the new gas as soon as the atmospheric pres
sure iB reduced. In one case. while making q
slow preliminary exhaustion, / tested the air
which remained when the pressure was still
1872 NM. and to my great surprise found 1t
contained not only a trace but a considerable
quantity Of new gas. The amount increased
rapidly as the pressure was further reduced.
This leads to the belief that finely pulverized
gu sin g pie ss SR she gr re nnes past q 70 i ! low new po gas
gives up occluded hydrogen.
Several other substances than glass were ex-
amined, and nearly all were found to contain
the new gas. A specimen of old charcoal made
from pine-wood sawdust by long exposure TO