Sunday, September 6, 2009

On the Power of Ice

"An artillery officer at Quebec made an experiment during a hard winter, by filling a bomb-shell, about fourteen inches in diameter, with water, and then closing the opening with an iron peg, which was driven firmly in.

This being exposed to the severe frost, the stopper was driven out to a distance of more than 100 yards, and a cylinder of ice, eight or nine inches long, came out of the opening.

In a second experiment of the same kind, the stopper resisted the expansive force; but the shell was itself was rent, and a ring of ice was forced through the crack all around the shell.

In the same manner houses have been overthrown by the expansive force of frost in the earth causing the ground to swell up. Stones will break in consequence of the water they contain freezing, and trees have split up with an explosive sound on occasions of sudden cold occurring when their vessels have been full of sap."

No comments:

Post a Comment