The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1922-06-15

on large uSeful scale In the pneumatic
pumping engine at the Mines of Chem
nitz, in Hungary, erected by NJ. Toell in
1855; there, was probably first illustrated
the refrigerating power of air when ex-
panded from great pressure. In the lower
chamber of this apparatus the discharge
of air and its expansion with water pro-
duced hail or pellets of ice At first this
machne-required personal attention in its
manipulation, but in 1896 it was made
automatic. The use of compressed air
for submarine work was no doubt we'll
known in the earliest ages, being almost
known with the dawn of commerce.
Aristotle $3.50 B. c. describes kettle
in which divers supplied themselves with
fresh air under water. The legend of
the descension of Alexander the Great to
the bottom of the sea in vessel called
Colympia, with a glass window in it,
is no doubt an allusion to the use of the
diving bell. 1t was employed in Phoenicia
in the year $40 B. c., and the use of glass
was well known then. Nothing further ap-
pears on record in regard to subarmine
work with bell for more than 1900 years,
when mention of its use in Spain in 1888
is met with. Bacon describes it $500 as
a machine used to assist persons laboring
under water upon wrecks, affording a
reservoir of air into which they could
enter to take breath.
From this time on for hundred years
the diving-bell was largely used in Europe
in recovering wreckage and treasure; in
1715 DR.. HALEY made the first contrivance
for supplying the diving-bell with fresh
air by lowering air filled barrels and dis
charging the aif under the bell, by letting
out the foul air at the top through cock
or of allowing or completely filling the
space with air that was made unavailable
heretofore by the compression of the air in
the bell.
DR.. HALEY suggested the present system
of submarine armor by using cap on
portable helmet connected with tube
leading to the surface, through which
fresh air was forced to the helmet for the
needs of the diver. Smeaton & Brunei,
from 1879 on, improved on the use of the
diving making its operation contin-
uous by fresh supply of compressed air
through tubes from pumps The sub
marine armor continued to be improved
along the lines of its present form for
deep sea work, in which depths of 14S
feet have been attained, involving work
under an air pressure of IS pounds per
square inch for several hours. 1t has been
claimed that a depth of 200 feet has been
reached without serious results from the
great pressure due to that depths.
The compressed air and vacuum pump
was greatly improved by Otto Van Guerike
about 1850, and it has been claimed as his
invention.
Savary increased the pressure of air for
blast furnaces by the use of more sub
stantia blowers, in the latter part of the
18th century. Denys Papin was the first
to propose and make in 1858 an actual
trial of the transmission of power to a
distance by compressed air. His early
ideas being finally developed into more
practicable shape, they resulted in his
recommending the use of water power for
COMPRISING air and forcing it to dis
tance for useful work, thus foreshadowing
the now common practice of the long trans
mission and distribution of page 2, COL 81