Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-25

and SO eyansscent that it was not until
recent years that chemists knew of its
existence. II is found i'll the deep crevices
Of the earth where it has been confined
through all the ages. If it were permitted
20 escape into the outer atmosphere, it
would Immediately fly away into space and
disappear. Hydrogen gas, which is next
in order of lightneSs. has recently been re-
duced from gas to a liquid substance by
Prof. John Dewdr of England-an achieve
ment as remarkable in the realm of science
as the discovery of the north pole would be
Il exploration.
Indeed. the effort to produce low tenn
peratures is much like arctic exploration.
Scientists have gone downward slowly, dis
covering method after method for getting
nearer to the north pole of temperature.
Continental experimenterS have We'd with
Eugiishmen- and Englishmen have WED
with Americans; but we can take pride in
The fact that none of them has been as
successful in the field as Charles E. Tripler
Of New York city. who is able to produce
4 greater degree of cold for a longer period
of time than any other experimental.
l visited NJ. Tripler's laboratory rot
long since. and he explained to me his cold
producing machine. by means of which he
reduces the rdinary air of his work room,
no matter how warm it may be. to liquid
that looks not unlike water, although it is
not wet. This liquid is so cold that 1t
actually burns like red-hot iron, and 1t
boils as violently when placed on block of
ice as water on a red-hot stove. Mr.. Trip
Ter also showed me how to freeze this
liquid air into air-ice, curious. fakey
substance somewhat resembling half-crys-
tallized sugar sirup.
When the World Crows Cold.
Wonderful as it is to see ice that is made
If air. it is not so wonderful as Mr.. Trip
e III. Of ~
enon- He tells how at some remote age in
the future all of the atmosphere which We
now breathe will fall in drops of liquid,
Just such as ne produces in his laboratory,
and great lakes and oceans of air will
form on the earth. much resembling the
present lakes and oceans of water.
When the Garth grows so cold that the
air is liquefied." Mr.. Tripler continues. of
course all the water on the earth will long
ago have been frozen solid. Indeed it will
he as hard as rock crystal and not unlike
that substance in color and texture. After
the air IS all in the form of lakes or oceans
the cold will continue to increase until they
in turn are frozen hard. After that the by
drogsn. helium and possibly some other
very light gases of which We may now
have no knowledge, will fall in the form of
rein. and then the world will be absolutely
dead and inert, frozen as hard as the
moon"
This entire process of the universe Is
typifed in Mr. Triplers laboratory, where
every degree Of temperature, from the heat
Of a steam boiler nearly down to the cold
Of intersteilar space can be produced at
any time.
Until d few years ago all scientists be-
heved that there were what they called
permanent gases'-that is. gases which
could not be Iiquefed. Some of the best ex-
perimenters had tried COMPRISING the two
gases which compose our air Oxygen and
nitrogen under thousands of pounds to the
square inch. all to no result. They also
ria hEaT n no orr TN r.
races and cooling them to the greatest
known depths of cold, but they still re-
manned gases. Finally the idea of COM
Jining immense pressure with great cold
occurred to a French savant, and one day
ne astonished the entire world of science
by exhibiting few drops of clear, trans
parent hquid-iiquld oxygen. An Engiish
experimenter who followed him produced a
whole wine glass fun of liquid air. but 1t
cost him about 5000.
Uses OF Liquid Air.
Now MIR. Tripler the American inventor
ras succeeded in building a machine which
will produce liquid air in very large guam
titles at an expense So low that it may be
said TO cost nothing at all. From mere
laboratory curiosity this marvellous sub
stance has suddenly given promise Of al
most unlimited commercial uses. so thai
those who know say that 1t must soon riva
electricity in the variety of its adaptations
Ships will run with il, guns VIII fire with
IL, il will he used as motive power fol
operating locomotives and AUTOMOBILES
and in driving great manufacturing con
Germs. Mr.. Tripler even predicts that BY
the agency of liquid air practical aeria
navigation is assured The problem with
aerial navisatOrs has been the difficulty o
producing propellins machine sufficiently
light and vet strong enough to keep th'
propeller in motion. Liquid air requires M
boilers fuel or smokestacks, and tn
machinery necessary to its will be
mere feathers weight compared with thu
ordinary steam engine.
Process of Liquefaction.
The principle OF the nquefactiol of ali
and all other gases Is exceedingly simple
Whom gas is compressed 1t gives on
heat-fsac Is a well-known fact in physics
When this pressure Is removed the ga!
must take up from somewhere the hea
which 1t gave out. After series of ex
pensive experiments extending over eigh
years Mr.. Fripler has at last evolved ;
wonderful machine for utilizing this prin
cipie- He has arranged the lfnuefie
portion OF his apparatus that when the. air
which has been highly compressed by hi
steam engine. is allowed TO expand IL take
MP the heat from another pipe containinl
compressed air, thereby reducing the heat