The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-12-06
*@&Ex
LIQuIFIED AIR.
Prof. Peckham Gives Dem
onstrations to the Uni
versity Club.
SOME MARVELLOUS FEATS
Alcohol Frozen, Iron Made
Brittle, Mercury Turned
Into a Hammer.

sThro11Qh the courtesy af fhA Board OF
| Governors Of the University club. at least
two hundred uersons listened with interest
to a lecture on "Ldaufhed Air. at the
| Bergen Reformed Church last evening,
and saw some practical demonstrations of
Just what this form Of air could do to var
| ious objects with which it came in con-
tact. Prof. w. G. Peckham was the lee
turer. His numerous apparatuses were
| arranged upon the platform together with
an ash can half filled with liquifed air.
After p~refacing his demonstrations with
a few remarks upon how the air assumed
| the form of a liquid, Prof. Peckham pro-
| ceeded to astonish his audience with such
interesting feats that everyone in the
room was forced to applaud earnestly.
| He explained that the air was about three
| hundred and twelve degrees below zero.
| This form of air could be kept in a spec
tally constructed receptacle about fur
teen days, but when exposed TO the oldi-
nary air it evaporated in a very short
time. A sufficient quantity of the air If
| allowed to escape would AVE a very chill
ing effect upon the atmosphere Of a warm
room, he stated. Even the gallons used in
| the tests caused a drop Of several degrees
in the thermometer. One gallon LIQUID air
if put to proper use. was equal to aDout
three-quarter horse power for one hour
Ordinary air, in the process OF liquihca-
ton was reduced eight hundred per cent.
before the liquid air was produced one
gallon of this form OF air was equal TO at
least one hundred cubic feet OF ordinary
air.
The professor then beganh his demonstra-
lions by placing a bar of copper In a pan
of the liquid air. He explained that no
effect was produced, but a piece OF iron
was rendered so brittle that 1t was FOUND
easy to snap pieces off with the fingers.
This only lasted while the iron renamed
chilled. a glassful of tSe air, placed IN
a bottle, caused a whistle to blow Tor
almost a minute, when allowed TO es-
cape. This was done to show Its force.
A piece of rubber was put into a pan OF
air and in ten seconds was rendered SO
brittle that it could be broken like chips
of wood. A solid piece of rubber, attacn-
ed TO a wooden handle, was also placed
IN the nan of air. This became so hard
that If could be used to drive a nail into
. b1ock If wood. Every object being thus
frozan resumed its natural appearance
nrhan The chill wore off.
very amusing was the placing of steak,
aogs lettuce and ~cranberries in separate
rsns Of air. Each object remained but
: few seconds. The steak became so hard
tsat 4 vas chopped with an axe and
s.s+r,hr+ed among those present, together
ten tbe c-ranberries. which were like
sae,-s 1,ba eggs could be crumbled in
~ hands and the lettuce, when rubbed
natusen the hands. fell to the platform
~ = rn,,ch snow. THESE tests caused
m,,ob la,rhter Many of the guests pock-
800 tba ranberries as keepsakes.
a1oobol was frozen and it resembIed
ahonnaa loo This resumed its liquid form
!, vow few seconds. The Professor said