Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-04-28
SEEEeH=oNS
S441i.." q - :,,...lC-C
ABSOLUTE ZERO.
LIQUID Air and some of the Marvels
ID Presents.

IIauId Air and some of the Marvels
10 Presents.
The experiments which have resulted
in the liquefactiun of air seem likely TO
revolutiUnizc our ideas Of heat and cold.
Mr Charles L Tripler If New York Is
turning Cut liquefied air by the gallon,
and n description of his achievements
in The Century is a veritahle fairy tale
of science. Fancy kettle Of hquehed
air going off in steam when set upon a
block of ice because the latter Is sew
eral hundred degrees warmer than the
airl 1t may not be long before the ex-
preston las cold as ice" will cease to
be heard and "as hot as ice adopted.
1t certainly is surprising TO see the
LIQUID air poured upon ice fly off hiss
ing like water from hot iron. bat when
one reflects that the ice is 344 degrees
hotter than the liquid it does not seem
so strange, or to see ones breath Blown
into the open can of liquid sent back
instantly its moisture CONCEALED into
miniature snow storm. A jet Of steam
is frozen as quickly. for steam in the
open air is only ia degrees hotter than
the breath, while from the temperature
Of steam to that of liquid air is II terri
bic drop of 524 degrees! In this freezing
effect probably is found the greatest OBJ
stacle to the use of liquid air rs
motive power The moisture of the air
is deposieed rapidly as ice upon the ma
chine especially around the orliice from
which the jet of extremely cold air
emerges. This soon closes the orifice
completely and stops the machine.
Another surprise Is given when the
experimenter puts his hand directly into
the liquid for moment. But the sen
sation is only as of soft cushion Of air
about the hand. Such it really is. The
heat of the hand forms layer of vapor
or air about the hand, and the liquid
mir does not come in contact with the
flesh ShOuld the liquid actually touch
the flesh severe injury like n burn re-
suits. which sometimes is months in
healing. In few seconds an cFg is
frozen so tAat it requires hard blow Of
a hammer to break it, Probably its
germ Of lite is extinct Seeds Of grains
and vegetables have been tested in
liquid air. These were all natives of
the temperate zone, the seeds of which
will pass the winter in frozen earth
without loss of vitality. such rs barley
and oats for grains. and peas, cucum-
hers and squashes for vegetables. They
are kept for 10 hours at 3l2 degrees
below zero and then slowly thawed for
80 hours After this treatment they
wee still alive. On being planted, they
terminated and grew.
The liquid air boils in dish till it
has cooled the dish TO its own tempera-
ture Its boiling point is 3l2 below
zero. After this the vapor of air which
covers the liquid so retards evaporation
that it may be kept eight or ten hours
in can packed only in felt. 1t has in
this way been carried $50 miles FROM
the place of manufacture The cooling
effect upon tie air of the room is very
marked. The writer gave two lectures
in one afternoon with liquid air. Said
a lady Of the second audience as she
entered the lecture room, "How cold
your room isl" The temperature had
been lowered 10 or ~ degrees by the
evaporation of the air used in the first
lecture.
AL other liquids are frozen when put
into liquid air. Mercury becomes like
iron, so that it will drive q nail, hold
up weight or serve any other purpose
as metal, so long as it is kept frozen.
Absolute alcohol soon becomes solid A
tube Of liquid air dipped into glass of
water rapidly converts the water into
ice. By removing the ice from the glass
and the tube from the ice there remains
a dish of ice into which liquid oxygen
may be poured A steel pen tipped with
a match or an electric light carbon red
lot at its tip will burn in this with in
tense heat and light. Between the liq-
mid oxygen and the burning steel are
about $500 degrees, and yet the ice
tumbler is not affected. Of course the
oxygen is turned into a gas before COM
bustion begins Liquid oxygen cannot
support combustion.