The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-08-21
sPECTRUm ANALYSIS.
ENOm APp'etOn'' Journal.

Erom Applet0nS Journal.
Beyond all comparison, the most
brilliant and startling conquest which
the human mind has yet made over the
domain OF nature, consists OF that
group Of discoveries which Ia described
by the term Of Spectrum Aualysis, Il
provokes amRZsment in every asnect
In the first place the Developments have
been made with rapidIty that ia al
most astounding; the whole thing has
been done In ten years. DR.. WRllaston
discovered, IN the year 1902, that by
looking carefully ut the solar spectrum
with spy-glass, dark lines could be
Veen crossing 1t. In 1916, Fraunhoier,
a German opticlaD, rediscovered and
made n map OF several hundreds OF
them, and from that time they were
called, after him, FrRunhofer'S lines,
But few supposed that there was the
slightest possible significance In them;
they were regarded as mere optIcai
curloaltles, having no higher use than
TO serve as land marks for measuring
the spaces OF the colored spectrum.
But, in 1853, the two German chemists.
klrcbot and Bunssn, made the capital
discovery that each chemical element,
when burning in a fame, gave out a
light that had its peculiar marks or
lines, 60 that these lines could become
a means OF detecting the element, A
totally new mode OF chemical anal ysls
was thus hit upon, far more delicate
than anything hitherto known, and a
method moreover, which was capable
OF becoming rcpeiGtOr of the eoTStitu
ton Of the ttRiUersG. Chemistry, Of q
single stroke, was fused with aslrono-
my, and the universal agent Of light
became the powerful servant Of the
laboratory. #EH.u ,ts..
"At the very first step, several new
elements were discovered, the existence
Of which bad never before been sus.
pecied, EEanlning with the spectrum
the ash OF some mineral waters, Prof,
Bunsen thought he saW some lines
which did not belong to the substances
already known. he then boiled down
foEty.Tour tons OF. Durkhelm spring
water, and got couple OF hundred
grains OF residue, from which be ex-
traCted two new metals, CO SUM auri
Rubidlum, which resemble potassium.
This Rubldlum has since been found
In the ash Of oak, Of beet.root, oftohac.
co, coffee, tea and cocoa, I'd
"The spectrum analysis, however, Is
not mere instrument OF original chem
lcal research; II has q practical applica.
billy. The 'BesSemer process al II is
called, IL q method Of converting cas-,
iron directly into steel. Cast iron cou>
talus more carbon than steel, and u Is
converted Into steel by burning this
carbon out OF the molten while-hot
mass by a blast OF atmospheric air. In
this operation i've tons OF caRt iron are
converted In twenty minutes into Ave
tons Of cast steel. But the success OF the
process depends upon being able 10 stop
It just at the right time. II continued
ten seconds too long, or Rtopped Ten
seconds too quickly, the batch Is spoil
ed. The lame, OF course, IL an index
Of the advance OF tho combustion, and
by watching 1t with the specIroscope
the appearance and disappearance o.
the lines indicate the exact moment al
! which the operation IL 70 be arrested.
|. The picturesque promises also b.
become avery valuable instrument Il
medico'leeal Investigations Into thC
evidences OF crlminAliiy. Blood stain
may be detected by Il with extreme
dsllcacy, Mr.. Sor6y has shown tha
the onesthousandth part Of 4 grain 8
the red.colorlug matter Of o blood stair
may be detected with the greatest Ger,
IRlnty. 81,
But ills Ia It's celestial application,
that the SpectrOscope has Performed II,
most wonderful achievements, ThI
constitution Of the sun, for example
which, ten years ago, was q matter O
the pIrest conjecture, 10 now matte
Of definite and positive knowledge, WI
know what Il "a composed oE-Its chem
ical constltuents-not as completely