The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-07-29

being OH the face of the globe
"The tone, the manner, and the
absurd extravaganza Of the demand,
excited a faint smile upon my lips,
which he observed, but disdaincd to
notice.
"My mind was fully made up that
| had a maniac to deal with, and |
prepared to act accordingly. But |
asccrtained at once that my inmoSt
thoughts were read by the remark
able man before me, and seemed to
be anticipated by him in advance Of
their expression.
"'Perlaps,' said T, Mr.. Summer
field, you would oblige me by i'll
forming me fully of the grounds of
your claim and the nature of your
discovery
"'Tiat is the object of my visit
he replied. Il claim to have discov
cred the key which unlocks the con
stituent gases OF water, and frees
each from the embrace of the other,
at a single touch
:" You mean to assert | rejoined,
that You can make water burn
itself np?'
Nothing more nor less he re-
sponded, Except this-to insist upon
the consequences Of my secret, if my
demand be not at once complied
with.
"Now, suppose | fling the con
tents of this small phial into the
Pacific Ocean, what would be the
result Dare you contemplate it for
an instant? | do not assert that the
entire surface of the sea would in
simultaneously bubble up into insult
ferable flames; no, but from the
nucleus of a circle, of which this
phial would be the center, lurid radii
of flames would gradually shoot out
ward until the blazing circumference
would roll in vast pillows of fire,
upon the uttermost shores. Not all
the dripping clouds of the deluge
could extinguish it; not all the tears
of saints and angels could for an
instant check it's progress. Onward
and onward it would sweep, with
the steady gait of destiny, until the
continent would melt with fervent
heat, the atmosphere glare with the
ominous contiagration, and all living
creatures--in land, and sea, and air
perish in one universal catastrophe.'
"Then, suddenly starting to his
feet, he drew himselfto his full hight,
and murmured solemnly, Il feel like
a God! and recognize my fellow-men
but as pigmies that I spurn beneath
my feet.'"
AT this Parker states that he at
tempted to reason with Summerfeld
upon the absurdity of believing that
he held in his hands power so mighty,
at which the latter retorted with
quotations from the Scriptures, Hum
bold's "Cosmos," and the works of
famous astronomical writer's, prov
ing that it was not only possible for
the entire planets to be destroyed by
fire, but that such terrible events
had actually occurred. This answer
concluded, he handed Parker small
phial, requesting him to open it and
smell of it's contents, the result being
that a strong odor of potassium was
observed. At this Summerfeld con-
tinued, "Of COURSE" said he, "you
are familiar with the chief character
istic of that substance. It ignites
instantly when brought into contact
with water. Within that little glo-
bule of potassium I have imbedded
a pill of my own composition and
discovery. The moment it is liber-
ated from the potassium it COM
mences the work of decomposing
the fluid. on which it floats. The
potassium at once ignites the iber-
ated oxygen, and the confagration
of this mighty globe is begun
"Yes,' said I, Ebegun, if You
please, but your little pill soon evap-
CRATES or sinks, or melts in the sur
rounding seas, and your contiagra-
ton ends just where it begun
"sBut,' sneered he, the element
airy substances in that small phial
recreate themselves ; they are self
generating, and when once fairly
under way, must necessarily sweep
onward, until the waters in all the
seas are exhausted
"Rising from my seat, I went to
the wasllstaHd in the corner of the
apartment, and, drawing a bowl-full
of Spring valley water, I turned to
Summerfield and remarked. words
are empty, theories are ideal-but
facts are things
"'I take you at your word So
saying he approached the bowl,
emptied it of nine -tenths of it's con-
tents, and silently dropped the po-
tassium coated pill into the liquid.
The potassium danced around the
edges of the vessel, ftlming, kissing
and blazing, as it always does, and
seemed on the point of expiring,
when to my astonishment and alarm
a sharp explosion took place, and in
a second of time the water was blaz-
ing in red, lurid column half way
to the ceiling.
For Gods sake,' [ cried, Eek
tinglish the flames or we shall set
the building on fire!'
"sHad I>dropped the potassium
into the bowl as you prepared it,
he quietly remarked, 'the building
would indeed have been consumed
azr-o,, and lc.xxro,, EoII 41,a Aialx Y, or