The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-06-10
Jhe Alba,ag gegister.
Coatiaaed from 1st page.

must ensue to the community, when he
suddenly aud somewhat uncivilly request,
ed me to "be silent" and listen to what
be had to say.
He began with some general remarks
about the inequality of fortune amongst
mankind, and instanced himself as a
etriking example of the fate of those men.
who, according to all the rules of right,
ought to be near the top, instead of at the
foot of the ladder of fortune. .But,"
said he, springing to his feet with impul-
sive energy, Il have now the means OF |
my command of risingsuperior to fate, or
of inHicting unoalculable ills upon the
whole human race.
Looking at him more closely, | thought
could detect in his eye the CLEAN of
madness but remained silent and
awaited further developments. But my
scrutiny, stolen as it was, had been de-
$eeted, and he replied at once to the ex>
preston of nay face: "No, sir; am
neither drunk nor maniac; | am in
deep earnest in all that I say; and 1 am
fully prepared by actual experiment,
to demonstrate beyond all doubt the
truth of all I claim
For the first time [ noticed that he
carried small portmanteau 10 his hand;
this he placed upon the table, unlocked
it, and took out two or three small vol
umes, q pamphlet or two, and
small, square, wide-mouth phiai, hermet-
icaily sealed.
watched him with profound carios-
ity, and took note of the slightest move
ments. Having arranged his books to
suit him and placed the phial in con-
spicuous position, he drew up his chair
very closely to my own, and uttered in u
kissing tone: 81 demand one million
dollars for the contents of that bottle
and YOU must raise it for me in the city
of San Francisco within one onth, or
scenes too terrible even for the imagina-
ton to conceive will surely be witnessed
by every living human being on the face
of the globe"
The tone, the manner, and theeabsurd
extrayagance of the demand, excitel a
faint smile upon my lips, which he OBJ
served, but disdained to notice.
My mind was fully made up that had
maniac to deal with, and L prepared
to act accordingly. But ascertained at
once that my inmost thoughts were read
by the remarkable man before me, and
seemed to be anticipated by him in adj
vance OF their expression
"Perhaps, said /, ssMr. Summer6eld
you would obl;se me by informing me
fully of the grounds of your claim, and
the nature of year discovery 2"
'sThat is the object Of my VISIT" he
replied. 'I claim to have discovered the
key which unloeks the constituent case,
of water, and frees each from the EN-
brace of the other. at a single touch
.'You mean to assert" I rejolned
@'that you can make water burn itsel
up?"
''Nothing more nor less" e responded
~except this-to insist upon the conse
quences of the secret, if my demand b
not at once complied WITH
Then, without pausing for momen
to allow me to maze . suggestion, as
once or twice attempted to do, he pro
eceeded in a clear aud deliberate manner
in these words: 81 need not inform you
sir, that when this earth was created
consisted almost wholly of Eapor, whicl
by condensation, finally became water
The oceans now occupy more than two
thirds of the entire surface of the globe
The continents are mere islands In th
midst Of the seas They are eTerywher
ocean-bound, and the hyperboreau norti
is hemmed in by open polar seas. Sue
as my 6rst proposition. My second en-
braces the constituent elements of wate
What is this thing which We call water
Chemistry, that royal queen of all tt
sciences, answers readily, Water is bt
the combination of two gases, oxygen an
hydrogen, and IN the proportion of eigl
to one.' In other words, in order to for
water, take eight parts of oxygen and OF
of hydrogen, mix them together and Il
result or product is water. You smil
sir, because you very properly think, the
are the elementary principles of seienc
and are familiar to the minds of eve
sschoel-boy twelve years OF age Ye.
but what next? Suppose you take the
same gases, and mix them in any 9th
proportion. care not what, and the i
Simultaneous result is heat, fame, eotnbu
tion of the intensest description II
famous Drummond Light, that few yea
ago astouished Europe- hat is that b
the ignited fame of mixture of oxygt
and hydrogen projected against a sn;
piece of lime ? What was harmless
water becomes the most destructive of ;
objects when decomposed and mixed
any other proportion.
Now suppose fling the contents
this phial into the Pacific ocean. VIII
would be the result 3 Dare you conten
plate it for an instant2 I do not say ii
the entire surface of the sea would il
simultaneously bubble up into insufferal
fame no, but form the nucleus Of a circl
which this phiaI would be the. cent?
lurid radii of flames would gradual
shoot outward, until the. biazing circur
ference would roll 10 vast biilows Off
upon thentmost shores. Not all the dri
ping clouds could extipguish it. Not
the tears Of saints and angles could for
instant check its progress On, and
ward 1t world syyean xrfff tl,a sstoa