LIQUEFIED AIR EXPLODES
Prof. Fay Mixed It with Red Phosphorus, with Startling Result
He And A Student Injured
New York Times, October 22, 1898.
Experiment Took Place at the Polytechnic Institute, and Explosion
Luckily Was Downward.**
Experiments with liquefied air in the laboratory of the Polytechnic Institute
Brooklyn, yesterday afternoon ended in an explosion which tore a hole through
the table, knocked out same panes of glass,: and severely injured the professor
in charge. The experiments tried yesterday In the Polytechnic Institute by Prof.
Irving W. Fay are entirely new. It was in trying the effect of mixing liquefied air
with red phosphorus that the explosion was brought about. Prof. Fay will
probably lose the sight of one eye and. will always bear the marks of the
explosion on his face. Lincoln Burrows, a student, was also burned about the
face, but not severely.
Four gallons of liquefied air were taken to the institute on Thursday
afternoon. Yesterday afternoon Prof. Fay, who is the head of the chemistry
department, lectured before the Chemical Society, composed of students in the
institute, and illustrated his lecture by some familiar experiments. When the
lecture ended, half a dozen of the students remained to observe. the professor
try some original experiments. Kerosene, alcohol, and turpentine were among
the objects experimented with, and they wore frozen by the application of the
liquid air. Then yellow phosphorus was taken up. The professor placed it to a.
glass beaker and poured some of the liquid air upon it. The effect was to change
the phosphorus to crystal in structure.**
The professor then determined to try red phosphorus. Red phosphorus has
al ways been held to be indissoluble, and it was the professor's idea that possibly
liquid air might dissolve It. He accordingly placed some of it to the beaker and
poured air upon it. He then poured the mixture on a piece of paper on the table
and bent over it to observe the result. His pupils also bent over it to study it, and
wait for his comments, but were not so near it as he. Burrows was by his side.
The liquid air rapidly evaporates, and in a very short time there was nothing on
the paper but a little pile of red phosphorus. The professor and students examined
it eagerly to note the changes
produced. After a moment he called their attention to the fact that the
phosphorus was a lighter shade of red. He thought at first that the combination
might have changed it to yellow phosphorus, but a further examination led him
to believe that it had became CO2 solid carbon dioxide. [?]
While making these comments the professor stirred the he phosphorus with
a glass rod. Suddenly there was a terrific explosion. The table rocked and shook,
the room was filled with smoke, and the ease in the windows were shattered.
The professor gave a cry of pain and clapped his hand to his eyes. His face had
been torn and burned and his thumb nail torn completely off. The explosion was
a downward one, fortunately for the professor and his pupil and it tore a great
jagged hole In the table. But for the nearness of Dr. Fay’s face to the
phosphorus he would probably have escaped without serious Injury.
Dr. Henry L. Cochran of 141 Clinton Street was hurriedly sent for by his
father Dr. David H. Cochran, who is the President of the Institute. Prof. Fay was
removed to his home, 544 Ninth Street. Burrows's injuries were so slight that he
was able to go home without assistance, after having his wounds dressed by the
doctor. Dr. Arthur Mathewson, an eye and ear specialist, was called In to attend
Prof, Fay at his home.
The cause of the explosion is a question as yet. The theory held by some
of those who witnessed it is that after evaporating the air broke up into atoms,
which combined with the atoms of phosphorus, thereby causing the explosion.
* Explosions don’t “happen downward” they expand in every direction.
** My theory – The BP of LN2 is lower than that of LOX, therefore, as the
nitrogen evaporated the mixture became oxygen rich, the super cold phosphorus
and remaining LOX and coming into intimate contact.
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