The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-13
LIQUID AIR.
A Marvellous Substance Whose Uses
= Are Without Limit.

Mind.
The writer was a member OF party of
guests recently invited to witness some ex-
periments made by Mr.. Tripler in his lab
oratory. and IL is no exaggeratiOn TO say
that. in his manipulation Of liquefed air.
the inventor produced phenomena that were
not only unique in the realm Of physics,
but apparently defiant of its so-called laws.
The first paradox presented is that the
stuff Is an absolutely dry liquid-it has
none of the elements of moisture. AT
temperature of about 600 degrees below zero
1t boils: yet. when an apple. orange.
egg, potato and a piece of raw beefsteak
were immersed in the fluid. one after
other. these substances were frozen so hard
as to require several stout blows from
hammer TO smash them-when they
crumbIed into chips like marble dust A
thin rubber ball. after being thrust into
the liquid air and dropped to the floor,
cracked like an egg she'll Mercury was
frozen into a solid block and used as
hammer TO drive nail OF the same sub
stance into wood. Pure alcohol was turned
into icicIes. A glass of water, although
placed in a kettle over a fire. was turned
into ice when a little of the strange stuff
was added TO 1t.
On the other hand. a piece OF hair felt,
which cannot be made to burn under ordi-
nary circumstances and will only smolder at
best, when saturated with liquid air and
brought in contact with a lighted match,
bazed up like pine shavings soaked in kero-
sene and was instantly consumed. a steel
rod held in the vessel of air burned away
like stick of cedar thrust into fire. A
Piece of carbon subjected to the same treat
ment made incandeScent. ~ lighted
cigarette. when placed in some OF the air
hquefer, was extinguished; but after few
seconds exposure, during which the more
volatile nitrogen was allowed 10 escape, the
cigarette, on being reiighted and immersed
IN the fluid, burned like fuse
Again. this harmless looking stuff. when
confined mas an expansive power exceeding
iron cylinder quarter OF an inch In thick
ness. The only known substance that 1t will
copper, and IL is transported in tanks of this
metal open at the top. When its real dyna-
mic energy Is ascertalned, ana IL a Sa1e ana
feasible method of combining 1t can be dis,
covered, IL will beyond doubt supplant all
other kinds of fuel and force in the worlds
transportation and manufacturing indus
tries. Its use for refrigerating purposes is
q certainty OF the near future. a gallon or
AZ evaporates in about nine hours, but during
that process q delightful GOODNESS is i'm
parted to the atmosphere OF the apartment
containing the copper vessel Inc varied
and Indispensable service rendered TO mod
ern civilization by ice, exclusive of the needs
OF skaters can be more cheaply and salts
factorily performed by liquid air. Its posi-
bilities, therefore, seem tremendous.
The inventors process or manufacture Is q
closely guarded secret. But the fact of
greatest interest to metaphysicians is the In
disputable proof 1t furnishes as to the I'M
reality of both heat and cold. These are
merely relative conditions, without any OF
the irnmutable qualities OF absoluteneSS:
they are phenomena, pure and simple More
over since liquid air will quickly convert
glass OF whisky into a piece of ice, while at
the same time a few drops OF 1t held In the
palm of the hand will blister the skin like
molten lead. IL presents a concrete instance
of the meeting OF extremes. This Is funda-
mental postulate of the cyclic conception of
Being and the spherical order of the Uni
verse. The idea of unity, OF oneness, Is es-
by the endless circle, ring or globe. 1t Is
thus that the spiritual scientist, starting
from the premise OF a mathematical fact, Is
enabled to transmute the hope Of immor-
tality'' into demonstrable knowledge