72 Henry RiddeU on 



sense of the word, as the energy obtained from the machines 

 would not have been greater, but less, than that supplied by the 

 natural source drawn upon. 



The only other inventor of this class which I shall mention 

 is another American, Charles E. Tripler, an early experimenter 

 on the liquefaction of air. This gentleman is mentioned, though 

 not named, in the ^'■Encyclopaedia Brifantiica" but the author of the 

 article has done him an obvious injustice. He refers to him in a 

 tone which would imply that he was quite an inexperienced tyro, 

 who had got hold of a Hampson's liquefying plant and did not 

 understand its principle. Now in spite of some statements to 

 the contrary it seems certain that Tripler was an experimenter of 

 considerable skill, an original inventor, and that the plant which 

 he used was quite an iridependent construction, paralleling Hamp- 

 son's, indeed, but certainly not a copy. 



Mr. Tripler was introduced to the British public through an 

 enthusiastic article by Ray Stannard Baker in the " Strand 

 Afagazine" of April, 1899. 



The title of the article is, " Liquid Air, a new substance that 

 promises lb do the work of coal and ice and gunpowder at next 

 to no cost." It begins in heroic strain, describing Tripler dipping 

 up the liquid air in an old tin saucepan and pouring it about like 

 water, then proceeds, — " All this is wonderful enough, but by no 

 means the most wonderful of the inventor's achievements. I saw 

 Mr. Tii[)ltir admit a quart or more of liquid air into a small 

 engine. A few seconds later the [liston began to pump vigorously^ 

 driving the flywheel as if under a heavy head of steam. The 

 liquid air had not been forced into the engine under pressure and 

 there was no perceptible heat under the boiler, and yet the little 

 engine stood there in the middle of the room, running apparently 

 without motive power, making no noise and giving out no heat or 

 smoke, and producing no ashes, and that is something that can 

 be seen nowhere else in the world — it is a new and almost incon- 

 ceivable marvel." We wonder for a moment wherein lies the 

 marvel, but soon discover it. Mr. Tripler asserts that by the use 

 of three pints of liquid air in the engine he can obtain ten pints 



