Melting and Regelation of Ice

Abstract

NATURE of January 4th of this year, there is a most interesting account of some experiments on melting and regelation of ice by Mr. James T. Bottomley. These experiments of Mr. Bottomley's suggested the possi bility of passing large bodies through ice in the same way as he caused the wires to pass. I accordingly placed a sixpence on a block of ice, and applied pressure to it by means of a fine steel wire about one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter. On examining the block of ice sometime afterwards, I found the sixpence had passed into the centre of the block, and that the space through which it had passed, except the small part occupied by the steel wire, was again solid ice. I tried the same experiment with a shilling, and found that it also easily passed through the ice, the experiment was then repeated with a half-crown with the same result. I did not attempt anything larger, but have no doubt much larger discs of metal might be made to pass through ice if sufficient pressure were applied. The ice in the parts of the blocks through which the coins had passed did not look very solid, but was rather full of air-bubbles; on breaking the block, however, it did not seem much weaker than the rest of the ice. Another form of the experiment was then made, a block of ice was supported on two boards placed near each other. A loop of fine wire was passed over the ice, and hung down between the two boards and a weight attached to it, as in Mr. Bottomley's experiments, pieces of wood were placed so as to stop the wire when it had passed half way though the ice. After the wire had passed into the centre of the block, the wTeight was removed, the wire cut, and a disc of metal half an inch in diameter was attached to one end of the wire, and a weight to the other end. In this manner the disc was drawn through the ice, leaving apparently perfect solid ice behind. The path of the disc could only be traqed by its slightly cloudy appearance, it looked as if the few air-bubbles passed through by the disc had been broken up into a great number of small ones. On breaking the ice afterwards it seemed quite as strong where the disc had passed as elsewhere.