Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1871-06-21

The WsriA o Fire-Hsw the Great Co.
lanlty vas Avsgted.
The latest and greatest sensation story
comes from California It tells Of q
man whe was murdesered because he was
acquainted with schsmical compound thst
would uulooss the constituent gases Of
wster, and consume them by fire, and
threatened to set the Pacift ocean on fire
unless million Of dollars was given him
The story most likely is the invention Of
a chemist given to literary pureuits.-
An exchanges condenses the story as
follows:
Some time ago man named Gregory
Summer6eld was murdered by being
pushed from the platform of car on the
Union Pacific railroad at Cape Horn,
and falling down a thousand feet on the
rocks below. Summer6eid was man
of extraordinary literary and scientific
attainments. and was always known be-
fore bis death as "the man with the sc.
crete" The only person on the plat.
form with him when be was thrust down
the precipice was Leonidas Parker, q
Sacramento lawyer Of talent and good
reputation. lie was twice tried for the
murder. and each time mysteriously &C.
quilted. Recently he died. but left be.
hind him an explanation Of the whole
transaction. A short time before Sum.
mer6eld's death be came into Parker
Office that being his first appearance in
San Francisco for a number Of years,
and told him that be had fathomed the
mighty secret of making water burn by
means Of a preparation Of potassium,
which would separate the particle and
ignite the liberated oxygen, thus Great
ing and recreating its own force. and pro.
ceeding until all the particles were de,
stroyed.
Possessed of this terrible power, be
demanded 100000 to be raised in
San Francisco, or be would set the Pa
ci6c ocean on FIRE, and let the world take
the consequences Parker thought him
self dealing with lunatic. and treated the
matter disdainfully, but offered to try
one Of his potassium pills in washbowl
of water. which it skipped and hlssed
around as it always does, and seemed
about to expire. when sharp explosion
took place. and to his surprise. the liquid
blazed in lurid flames to the ceiling un
til every drop was consumed. Deemine
this worth considering. be impaired til,
discovery with Summer6eId's condition
to leading banker, bishop, chemist
two State university professors. physi-
clan. a judge, and two protestant divines
who. with hims elf, witnessed the e1p-ri
mept Oh grand scale in mountain
lake ten miles from San Francisco. Ir
fifteen minutes every drop of water in
the pool was consumed. and the com
mittee became alarmed, while Summer.
field became importunate. Only hall
million could be raised at San Francisco
and something must be done or the Pa.
ci6c ocean would roll pillows of fame
instead Of water. 1t was proposed to
attempt subscriptions in New York,
when the bishop rose and said that all
that was child's play, that nothing would
satisfy the wretch, and determination
was under the circumstances, justifable.
All coincided, and Parker, who kuew the
gorges and windiugs of the Pacific road,
was chosen as humauity's avenging
angel. In the conclusion of bis docu
ment he says: 81 selected Cape Horn as
the best adapted to the purpose, and =
the public know the rest. Having been
fully acquitted by two tribunals of the
law, l make this final appeal to my
fellow-men throughout the State, and
asking them confidently not to reverse
the judgment already pronounced"