Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-01-14

the efforts of men of science along
\ this line. Each age added some es-
sential. till in modern times the prin-
ciple of cooling. coupled with pres
sure, brought about the long sought
result. Air is now reduced to liquid
under pressure of 1000 pounds per
square inch, and in that form it is
dredths of its volume as a gas The
PROCESS of manufacture has become
the subject of litigation over patent
rights. Mr.. Rugg said, so that it's de-
velopment as a commercial commod-
ity has been delayed. capitalists be-
ing slow to invest in plants for its
manufacture and use.
Some Demonstrations.
Among the different demonstra-
tions that Mr.. Rugg gave of the eff
fleets of the use of the liquid some
were plainly useful and others mere
| " curious. Flowers were frozen
solid and crushed in the hand as
though they were of delicate glass.
Meat was almost instantly frozen so
that il could he broken. rubber
tube was frozen and broken up like
sticks of candy and n rubber bali
which bounced at ordinary tempera-
tuIe broke into innumerable pieces
when thrown upon the floor in n
frozen condition. Mercury was froz-
en- into hammer and glass of
whisky was changed into the CON
sistency of boiled taffy. The latter,
the lecturer explained, was a danger
= for
il formed one of the most powerful
of explosives. The oxygen in the
liquid unites instantly with any car
bonaceous substance with which IL is
i'm contact when fire is applied, and
the result is terrific. Examples to
prove this were given, and then the
possible use of the air on gunboats
in place of powder was pointed out.
Extensively Used.
Mr.. Rugg explained the extensive
uses to which liquid air is being put
in surgical line. The vapor that
rises while boiling at the ordinary
temperature. if directed against hui
man flesh. destroys all sensation.
The flow of blood stopped and then
the surgeon may cut as he pleases
without the slightest Inconvenience
to the patient. Besides doing away
with pain it does away with the use
of anaesthetics so harmful to some.
The reason it is not more generally
used, the lecturer explained. is be-
cause of its cost. When iron or steel
5 dipped in the liquid air and ig-
nigted it burns with an intense
light and of course at a very high
temperature One of the most inter
esting of the exhibitions consisted
in freezing cranberries until they
were as hard as marbles beneath
part of glass of the liquid and at
the same time igniting and welding
two steel pens as they burned in the
same glass at temperature of $500
degrees.
BoIIs Kettle on Ice.
The final demonstration consisted
in boiling n kettle containing the
LIQUID on top of cake of ice and
then placing the same kettle on an
alcohol flame, where il did not APP
pear to boil any faster. When ii was
removed from the flame the bottom
of the kettle where the flame came |
in contact with it was covered with
ice and frost. Experiments are GO
ing on all the time to cheaper the !
cost of making liquid air and Mr. |
Rugg contends that when the pres
ent trouble over the patent rights |
has been settled ii will he rapidly |
developed into n commercial com |
modify. Then there is absolutely no |
limit TO the number of uses to which |
il may be applied.
The lecture is TO he given this even
ing at the Congregational church in |
Moline and tomorrow evening i'm Sci
ence hall in Davenport.