On the compressibility of water

Abstract

A hollow and water-tight cylinder, 3 inches in diameter and 18 inches long, with a rod five sixteenths of an inch diameter, sliding through a stuffing box at one of its extremities, and having upon it a flexible ring, placed just above the stuffing box, was filled with water, and put into a cannon of sufficient dimensions, fixed vertically in the earth, with its touch-hole plugged, and its muzzle about 18 inches above ground. A strong cap was firmly secured upon the mouth of the cannon, with a small forcing pump tightly screwed into its centre. There was an aperture secured by a valve, one pound pressure upon which indicated an atmosphere. Upon forcing water into the cannon, it was found that when the instrument contained within it, called by the author a Piezometer, had suffered a pressure equal to a hundred atmospheres, the position of the ring upon the piston indicated that it had been forced into the cylinder to a depth of eight inches, showing that the water had suffered a compression of about 1 per cent.; the same effect was produced by sinking the piezometer to a depth of 500 fathoms in the ocean. Upon sinking a strong empty bottle, well corked and tied down, to a depth of 300 fathoms, the neck only was found remaining upon the line; from the appearance of which it was evident, that a quantity of water, sufficient to fill the bottle, had at that depth been forced through the cork and its coverings, and that the water expanding during the drawing up of the bottle had broken it.