The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-04
A LECTURE ON LIQUID AIR.
DR.. Grinin's Entertaining Discourse
mt the Catholic University.

A large and appreciative audience filled the
Aula Maximd OF the Catholic University Friday
afternoon, TO listen TO Dr. J. J. Griihn's lecture
on the 'Iiquefaction of Gases and witness his
demonstration Of the properties Of liquid air.
Before the lecture, Nonsignor CGnaty, rector OF
the university made statement telling of the
tiifSulty met with in obtaining supply of the
liquid air, on account of recent eriCr OF the
tfansportai ion companies, refusing TO hindle the
material. and Of the university succeeding through
the kind offices of Or. Charles F. MeKehna, Chair
man Of the New York section OF the American
Chemical s,ciety. Sionsignor Conaty further an
bounced that the Washington lecture would this
year be delivered February q, by the Hon.
CLauncey NJ Dspew, United States Senator from
New York
Dr. Griffith began his lecture by allud;ng to the
e1rliest ideas in regard TO the atmosphere, and
shetched briefly the different steps in the develop
nent OF our knowledge of gases, illustrating his
remarks by means of lantern slides Of the men and
apparatus by whom this progress accomplish
Cd. Van IIelmonj the first to recognize a diff
ference in gases and who invented the term gas;
Bowie, Gay Lussac. and other prominent inyesti-
gators from whose experiments the various gas
laws and the concept of absolute zero were
evolved, were mentioned, and then the work ..
Davy and Faradsy, who first attacked the prob
lem Of liquidation OF gases in really scieatihc
manner. described in detail.
Pictures OF 1hilorier's apparatus. in which
carbonc acid was li1uefed on a large scale, Of
working with gases under great pressure, and of
Aim.'s novel method of attaining great pres
surcs with absolute safety by sinking bisdders
filled with gas to great depths in the ocean were
exhibited and observed with great interest.
Then followed a rapid survey Of the recent
work in hqusisction, in which costly and intri-
cate apparatus and expensive chemicals IN large
quantities employed as agents OF COM
preston and cooling, until Charles Z. Tripler,
New York mechsnician purchased secondhand
boiler and compressor. and pumped air into sew
eral hundred feet Of copper tubing terminating IN
a valve OF his invention, which permitted some
Of the highly compressed air to flow back outside
The tubing in which il was confined. cooling the
latter so thoroughly that in a few minutes the
air inside liquefed and could be poured in
pailiuls on the floor.
The OStergren process. employed by the Cen
eral Liquid AR and Refrigerating Company. of
New York. who furnished the air used III the
lecture was then described and shortly after
ward the consignment Of liquid air arrived and
brought upon the stage IN large felt-hned
can. The was uncovered and clouds OF vapor
appeared TO ascend from il, giving the audience
the impression that it contained a quantity oil
boiling wafer but the experiments which soon
followed disiliusioned them.
The liquid air OF Blush tint, and was
slightly turbid. this being due to minute particles
Of solid carbonic acid floating in it. When
filtered through ordinary filter paper into L
special douhe-walled glass receptacle II had
clear sly-blue tint and remained quiescent
Dr. Griffin poured a dipper full on a large
cake OF ice. and it sizzled and dubbed like
water on o red-hot stove. Some was poured info
a teakette, which was then placed on the ice,
and a stream Of vspor shot from The spout, in
cteasing in violence when piece of ice was
placed in the kettle. The vessels which the
liquid air was handled were soon havily coated
with frost. Articles Of food, fruit. eggs, a
heeisteak were immersed for les moments IN
this intensely cold liquid and taken out as hari
as rock rubber ball and the tin Upper used
to ladle out the air, flew into fragments on re-
coiving slight blows OF hammer. Mercury was
poured into a paper mold shaped like hammer