New-York tribune., 1900-03-11
A NEW SCIENTIFIC PARADOX.

Making ice by steam is at the same time a
fascinating absurdity and a practical reality
The chief agent of most artificial refrigeration
whether by the compression and expansion Of
ammonia or by other methods is burning coal.
placed under the boiler of an engine. The emf
nent Swiss chemist Raoul Pictet offers the
world similarly raradoxicaI scheme. He pro-
poses to utilize the extremely low temperature of
liquid air to produce means for promoting COM
bustion! Within the last few days ne has de-
scrbed process of automatically separating the
three principal constituents Of the atmosphere
oxygen, nitrogen and carbonic acid. BY gently
forcing current of ordinary air, through ap-
paratus that has been previously chilled with
liquid air, he reduces each Of the gases to the
same form. and the change of condition oc-
ours inequalities in their weight lead them 10 es-
cape through separate channels into different
reservoirs The method is simple. ingenious and
beautiful.
Two substances which are thus obtained have
a commercial value. and are already articles OF
merchandise. These are oxygen and carponc
acid Owing to its singular reluctance to form
chemical associations nitrogen is commercially
an almost worthless element NJ. Pictet, how
ever hopes to find way TO make nitric acld out
OF it. If he should succeed in doing so, all three
OF his products would be utilized Carbonic acid
is extensively employed in the preparation or
carbonated waters. And oxygen plays wonder
fully helpful part in restoring sufferers from
pneumonia, and in other ways is servant or
man. 1t is suggested that it may also find
valuable application in blast furnace practice,
greatly facilitating the evolution of heat for the
reduction of ores Should this proposition prove
feasible and should the cost be sufficiently low,
| the production of cheap oxygen might become the
most important feature Of NJ. Pictet's newly an
nounced invention.
1t is not inconceivable, indeed that the manu-
facture of oxygen for metalurgical purposes may
be the most immediate. if not the most precious,
fruit of the system of liquefying air with which
the names of Tripler, Ostergren. Linde and
Hampson are associated. The principal uses Of
LIQUID air that have been contemplated during
the last year two an explosive in war
and rock blasting, as a source of power and as
a refrigerating agent. Though Mr.. Tripler has
amply demonstrated the terrific rendng force
that can be developed by this means, engineer
ing experts have not yet been able to obtain
with it such uniform results as with dynamite
For the propulsion of submarine torpedoes and
for certain other mechanical operations requir-
ing small amount of stored power liquid air
is likely to prove advantageous Possibly 1t
NAV In time be adapted to the automobile but
its cost Is likely to remain prohbtive for such
undertakings driving steamships and running
trains. From refrigerating work, to which 1t
would seem to be peculiarly suited, it is pres
ent debarred by tbs impossibility of preserving
it for any length of time like ice. 1t evaporates
too rapidly for practical service. But the value
OF oxygen, nitrogen and carbonic acid, which NJ
Pictet liquefies while separating them, does not
depend on their remaining in a liquid form
They can be utilized equally we'll. perhaps even
more conveniently. in a gaseous condition
Hence no difficulty is likely to be experienced in
storing them for days, or weeks If necessary
before devoting them to the objects for which
they manufactured.