Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-19
interesting Experiments Last Night
at Academy of Music.
Uniookod for Explosion Skaters II
Marble Topped Tnbie-Iussruc,ivc
Lecture ON Liquefnction OF Gnses-
Other Dcmonstrations.,

The fourth entertainment in the Sc
ries of the Norfolk Protestant Hospital
Lecture course was given last night be-
fore a large, intelligent and deeply in
terestcd audience at the Academy OF
Music.
This was II lecture on Liquid Air."
by Prof. Eugene c. Foster, for several
years in charge of the Department OF
Physics and Chemistry at the Temple
College, Philadelphia. Prof. Foster be-
gan the evening with 4 brief address on
the liquefaction, qualification and re-
duction to gaseous state OF various
things. taking as Il most common in
stance water, which is familiar TO lie,
In all of the above forms, and metals,
which are familiarlto many in a liquid.
as we'll as solid state. He then spoke
of the long continued attempts at the
liquefaction of gases and the final sue
cess I'm liquefying air by means of pros
ducinS intense cold. and briefly out
lined the method pursued in making
liquid air.
Prof. Foster then, with the aid of
skilled assistant performed large
number of experiments. Il number of
which were original, in the use Of liouid
air-aHd result of itseefftts<tt ma ny
familiar substances, such as tin. mer-
curry, alcohol. eggs, an onion, cabbage
leaves. a. wet towel ana various articles
of flexible rubber. beeswax ana other
articles
The contact of liquid air in these
diverse substances, by which they were
subjected to an intense cold of which
we can hardly conceive, resulted in
changing radically and almost in
stantly their characters as We. ordi-
narily know them. 4 tin dipper. at a
blow, cracked like glass: the mercury
was turned into Il solid hammer head
and metal linl. that sustained. for
some time. Il heavy iron weight; alcohol
Was solidilied, Gigs frozen so hard that
tney cracked like rock, an onion lost
IT'S odor pro TEN, the cabbage leaves
crumblcd 10 fragments. the towel stood
on end like a plank, the rubber balls
and rings broke like glass and the bees
wax crumbleu To powder. a piece of
beefsteak was also chilled and readily
broke up into fragments under the
hammer
The cNDansbiity of liquid air was
showed by The imitation of IA toy rubber
balloon. blowing of a brass whistle
ana tube from which ccrks were
elected with great violence. The first
cork disappeared in the flies, and the
lecturer tickled the audience when he
remarked that that was the first time
ne had ever shot II cork clear through
the roof.
Other interesting experiments were
the boiling of liquid air over "a fire. ana
the instant production of ice by pour
ing in waiter, and one that may be of
vast Importance in electrical lighting.
In this 4 wire bearing current of
electricity. upon being immersed in
liquid air, had its resistance greatly
reduced. and the light was largely in
creased in hrilliancy as long as the
immersion Continued
The experiments last night var, q
success in every respect, and none have
ever been conducted so far South be-
fore About fifty dollars worth of
liquid air WAS used The lecturer did
not agree with the enthusiasts who pre-
dict the speedy adoption of liquid air
for refrigeration, the production Of
f'ttttr IN e iIIIiu5tTiiff ffs77s
but admitted that for some uses. where
cost was a secondary consideration.
such as IN surgery. the propulsion OF
automobiles and other limited uses.
liquid air might be of value.
The fact that experiments with LIQUID
ar are accompanied by danger was
demonstrated when Prof. Foster poured
some of 1T into a tin vessel in which n
lighted candle stood The increased
combustion became so violent that
f'rof Foster nut cover over tho vcs-
sci. and Just as he took his hands off
inc tin kettlc.cover. candle and all blew
up with violent explosion ana flew to
me ceiling. Prof. Foster received some
injury to his right hand. and the mar
PIE TOD of the table. on which, the ex-
pertinent was conducted was shat
tered.