AIR FROM WATER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20310, 19 January 1928, Page 9

AIR FROM WATER.

A DUNEDIN INVENTION. SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATION. At 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon the rabbit which had been sealed up in an empty 36gal barrel at 3 o’clock on tin. previous Wednesday, in connection witir Mr E. Gawn’s demonstration of extracting air from water, was released. It was in excellent condition, and appeared none the worse for its confinement. As was explained in the Daily Times of Thursday last, Mr Gawne claims that by his invention can be -extracted from sea water and be supplied to submarines. If the claim can be substantiated there is no doubt that in the event of a submarine being eo disabled that at cannot come to the surface the members of the crew should not die for a lack of fresh air. The water used in the experiment was obtained from the city service, and it had a fair pressure. It was led by a pipe to a cylinder 2ft 6in high and lOin in diameter. From the cylinder—which contained the mechanism of the invention—two pipes led into the barrel. The bottom one carried the fresh air ana the used air escaped from the barrel by the top pipe. Turnips and cabbage leaves had been placed in the barrel to supply the rabbit with food.

A fair number of people was present, including Mr J. M‘C. Dickson, M.P., chairman of the Harbour Board, and Mr W. J. Bardsley. the secretary, when Mr Gawne unsealed the barrel, and the experiment so far as it had gone—that was to keep the rabbit alive {o’- seven days—had proved quite successful. It was agreed by those present that the value of the invention rested on whether the apparatus could be installed in a submarine. Mr Gawne was eranhatic that it could, and that by its means air could be extracted from sea water and used by the crews of submarines. He main fained that the varying pressures met with under the sea would not prevent the apparatus from working just as successfully as it did with water from the city service. Mr Gawne was asked by the Daily Times reporter if he intended to patent his invention. He replied that he would prefer to sell it straight out to the British Admiralty. His secret would then b'a in the possession of the British nation, and of no other country. What steps are to be taken to bring the invention under the notice of tha British Admiralty, to test its value in submarine work are not yet made clear; It would certainly appear, however, that something should be done to exploit thoroughly the possibilities of the Dunedin resident’s invention.