The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-03
Fniry Tale OF Science.

The experiments which have result
ed in the lilucfaction of air seem
likely to revolutionize our ideas of
heat and cold. Charles f. Tripler, of
New y ork, is turning out liquefied air
by the gallon, and description Of his
achievements in the April Century is
a veritable fairy tale of science Fancy
a kettle Of lique6ed air going off in
steam when set upon block of ice,
because the latter is several hundred
degrees warmer than the air 1t may
not be long before the expression "as
cold as ice" will cease to be heard,
and Gas hot as ice be adopted.
1t certainly is surprising to see the
liquid air poured upon ice fly off his
sing like water from hot iron; but
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 in the open can of the
liquid, sent back instantly, its moist
ure CONCEALED into a 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 terri
BILE drop of 524 degrees In this
freezing effect probably is found the
greatest obstacle to the use of liquid
air as motive power. The moisture
Of the air is deposited rapidly as ice
upon the machine, especially around
the orifice from which the jet Of ex-
tremely cold air emerges. This soon
closes the orifioe completely and stops
the machine.
Another surprise is given when the
experimenter puts his hand directly
into the liquid for moment. But
the sensation is only as of soft cush-
ion Of air about the hand. Such it
really is. Tine hsat of the hand forms
layer of vapor or air about the hand,
and the liquid air does not come in
contact with the flesh. Should the
liquid actually touch the flesh severe
injury like burn results, which
sometimes is months in healing. In
few seconds an egg is frozen so that
it requires hard blow with hammer
to break it. Probably its germ Of life
is extinct. Seeds Of grains and vege-
tables have been tested in liquid air.
These we're all natives of the temper
ate zone, the seeds Of which will pass
the winter in frozen earth without
loss of vitality, such as barley and
oats for grains, and peas, cucumber
and squash for vegetables. They are
kept for 110 hours at 3l2 degrees be-
low zero, and then slowly thawed for
so hours. After this treatment they
were still alive. On being planted,
they germinated and grew.
The liquid air boils in dish till it
has cooled the dish to its own temper
ature. It's boiling point is 3l2 de-
grees below zero. After this the va
por of air which covers the liquid so
retards evaporation that it may be
kept eight or ten hours in can pack
ed only in felt. II has in this way
been carried $50 miles from the place
of manufacture. The cooling effect
upon the air Of the room is very mark
ed. The writer gave two lectures in
one afternoon with liquid air. Said
lady Of the second audience. as she
entered the lecture-room, "How cold
your room is!'' The temperature had
lowered 10 or 12 degrees by the evap-
oration of the air used in the first
lecture.
All other liquids are frozen when
put into liquid air. Mercury becomes
like iron, so that it will drive a nail,
hold upa 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 in'o glass of water rapidly
converts the water into ice. BY re-
moving the ice from the glass and the
tube from the ice, there remains
dish Of ice into which liquid oxygen
may be poured. A steel pen carbon
with match, or an electric light car
bon red-hot at its tip, will burn in
this with intense heat and light. Be-
tween the LIQUID oxygen and the burn
ing steel are about $500 degrees, and
yet the ice tumbler is not affected. OF
course the oxygen is turned into gas
hefc-c :om55usttiou begins. Liquid
oxygen cannot support combustion
Springfield Republican.
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