The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-27

double tin can, not unlike an ice cream
freezer. which is insulated from the ac-
ton of heat by means of a wrapping OF
felt. The top of che freezer Is always
left open, except for a thin wad of felt
around which the expanding vapor passes
readily. Liquid air is very tender of its
liberties for every gallon of 1t contains
500 gallons of ordinary air, so that it's
expansive properties are something tre-
mendous. A little of the substance con-
fined in a tight iron pipe will blow It into
atoms In two seconds. 1t Is understood,
however, that II can be handled as easily
as water, and with quite as much safety;
and Mr.. Tripler says there will never be
any necessity for combining Il TO make it
useful for commercial purposes.
Meaning of These Low Temperatures
The cold necessary TO liquefy air is 312
degrees below zero of our Fahrenheit Their
mometer. Some idea of the terrible inten-
sity of this cold may be had by compar.
ing it with the freezing point of mer-
curry, which is only 40 degrees below zero.
Alcohol, which has been used for register
ing all the degrees OF low temperature,
freezes at 202 degrees below zero, so that
air liquefies 40 degrees below the lowest
limit which spirit thermometer will reg
lister.
In one of MIR. Tripler's experiments he
pours a little liquid air from a saucepan
into glass containing some pure alcohol.
This he stirs up with glass rod. The al
cohol boils vigorously, and in few min
utes freezes until IL resembles wet snow,
and a the stirring is continued the Il ozcn
alcohol can be lifted out of the glass as a
hard icicle. To freeze liquid air into air
ice, as Mr.. Tripler Is able to do without
difficulty in his cold-Lroducng machine,
temperature of $40 degrees below zero must
be attained. Mr.. Tripler Is certain that
he has gone even tower than this, although
he has had no accurate means OF m fasar-
ing srch inconceivab.e temperatures 1t
Is certain that Prof John Dewar of Eng
land, in liquefying hydrogen, pro luced IA
temperature at least $50 degrees below zero,
which Is probably The coolest ever obtain
ed by artificial means. Scientists are now
agreed that the absolute zero-that is. the
cold of interstellar space, where there IL
absolutely no heat--is 461 degrees below
zero. Therefor MIR. Tripler has reached
degree Of cold on" III degrees above Ito
absolute cold, and II may be safely pre-
dicied that some day science win go even
further, perhaps discovering the real
North Pole of temDerature.
How a Temperature of 312 Degrees
Below Zero Feels.
To the human sense OF touch a temper
azure of 312 degrees below zero Is most
extraordinary. Mr.. Trintar dips his hand
fearlessly into pail OF liquid aif. but he
Is careful to withdraw 1t Instantly The
reason that IL does no. freeze him at once
Is the same that enables tie workman TO
dip his hand into molten lead the moisture
of the human flesh forming a little
cushion Of vaoor which keeps away for a
second the effect of the cold or the heat
A few drops held In my hand for an instant
felt exactly like red hot coal Ii does not
really burn, of course, but II kills leaving
little red blister not unlike a burn. For
this reason, one of its prospective uses
will be for the purpose of cauterzation In
surgical cases. il is not only a good deal
cheaper than the ordinary caustics, but is
much more efficient, and its action can be
absolutely controlled. Indeed, we'll
known surgeon has already performed a
difficult operation on a cancer case with
liquid air furnished by Mr.. Tripler, and he
has reported the case to be absolutely
cured
Mr.. Tripler showed me some of the curl
Gus effects of intense cold by dipping a
beefsteak and an egg into liquid air. The
egg was frozen until 1t was as hard as
a bit of quartz, and when struck il with
a hammer IL cracked open and the inside
was sharply crystaized The beefsteak,
when frozen, was as stiff and brittle as
glass. Mr.. Tripler crumbled 1t up In his
hands like so much cracker, and piece
OF il dropped on the floor shlvered into
thousand pieces.
mot long ago, / was in Boston, said
Mr.. Tripler, exhibiting some OF my iiq-
uid air to a number of scientists We
were dining at the hotel and waiter
brought in a fine piece of beefsteak.
dipped It In the liquid air, froze 1t stiff, and
returned II 20 the platter Then we called
the chef and asked him how IL happened
that II served such beefsteaks; then /
proceeded to break IL up into little bits
with my fingers. You, can appreciate his
establishment"
Freezing Iron and Mercury.
Liquid air freezes iron and steel just as
readily as II freezes beefsteak. Mr. Trip
Ter accidentally dropped one Of the Tin
cups In which he had been labelling out
liquid air, and IL at once shivered like SO
much glass. 1t has, however, an exactly