Daily Republican., 1883-08-18
WONDERS OF CHEMISTRY.
A wEIRD lNvENTION-vIsITlNG
LABORATORY v WHERESaNGU-
LAR THINGS ARE DONE.

A WEIRD TlON-V1SITlN0
A LABORATORY WHEREslNGU-
LAR THINGS ARE DONE
IfMorse the inventor OF the telegraph
or Eldison Of electric light n0toriety,
had lived In the dark ages when super
stition reigned supreme, 1t IL probable
that they would have perishel at the
stake, or been subjected to intolerab'e Q
tortures, and 1t Ia difficult to imagine
what would have been the fate of
chemist who resides in Philadelphia.
In consequence of a number OfrumOrs
concerning this chemist, reporter Of
one of the Philadelphia journals visited
him q short time ago and found him
busy with an extraordinary collection
of plaster Of Paris crucifixes, Madonnas,
hands, glass boards and busts Of differ
ent persons. He occupies small ap-
partment, the walls of which were hung
with black and white crosses, some of
which had a representation of the Sa-
viour thereon, and others had not; while
on benches there were bottles of strange
| liquids, and number of miscellaneous
tool4.
After the reporter had taken in the
surroundings and introduced himself
to the chemist, he was conducted into a
another room that was 80 dark that he
could not sea his hand before him.
" Would you like your photograph
taken ?" asked the mysterious chemist.
Upon the reporter signifyfng his a..
sent, a magnesium wire was lighted
| ,,l,.o.J h.t ..,.,n hi ~, MI ubat lOnk-
ed to be an ordinary sheet Of glass The
light expired in minute or so, and the
room was again shrouded In darkness.
with the exception Of the piece of glass,
from which shown out pale blue
light, in the centreof which in sharp
black lines was perfect portrait OF the
scribe.
Before he had time to recover from
his surprise, the chemist, who almost
seemed like weird spirit, left the room
and returned with what looked like a
bust of a Madonna. The gas was light.
ed, and the reporter examined the bust
carefully but found nothing remarkable
except that the white veil was shade
whittier than the face. Another magne-
SUM wire was lighted and the bust held
lbefrre it few seconds, when the room
was again left in darkness.
When the reporter looked around he
beheld u weary, wan face shining with
a brightness that seemed almost super
natural, while around the head lay the
folds of thick black veil. 1t was
the weirdeht thing imaginable, supernat-
ural looking enough to frighten anyone
out of their senses, and had 1t been
produced in the middle ages it is proba'
bic the inventor would have been look
ed upon as the evil one himself and
treated accordingly. The same expert.
ment was performed with q crucifix,
and there in the darkness shoDe with
q soft brilliancea figure OF the suspend.
ed Christ.
The dead face, the muscles Of the out
stretched arms and limbs, in fact every
outline of the dropping figure stood
forth distinctly amid the darkness,
while in another corner the meek
face of the spectural Madonna seemed
to look calmly down upon this mystic
representation of the crucitixion. The
midnight darkness, in which nothing
was visible except these figures, made q
strange feeling pass over the visitor, and
the vhOle weird scene was something tt
haunt the beholder q lifetime.
Everything appeared strange, and 1t
would be nothing astonishing that a
superstitious person would be driven tt
the verge of desperation. Still 10 Is
nothing more than another result OF
modern chemistry, The old alchemist'
are credited with many remarkable in.
ventons and discoveries, but it is ques.
tionable if anything they ever done, can
excel or even equal this remarkable
: discovery.
But the explanation is very simple
These MadOnnas, crucitixes and 0 hel
figures are simply made OF q cOmpount
which is capable Of absorbing light lik'
Il sponge does water, and then throwing
it out again in suldued form In tn
G darkness. Scientific men have endeav
. ored to obtain these results by means o
phosphorus, but this invention is tn
result of great study, and the credit be
}. longs to q Philadelphian. This com
i pound will absorb light, and then whel
taken in a dark room throw 1t back
bright and luminous, for much longe
D time than it took to absorb it.
n AS the looking glass requires light Il
q order that 1t may reflect, no does thi
paint require xposure to the light, II
v order that it may afterwards appea
g luminous in darkness. The paint
q which Is no doubt destined to prOduc'
4 great improvements In the affairs of th
world, is a preparation produced b.
s. the calcinatiOn of certain substances
p and although phosphorescent in II
qualities, contains no phosphorus. l
-, could be used for making a sign wit
" the word Danger" on, for use at Raj
road crossings, as it would show tn
darkest night with ths creates
g briliancy. :,
a In theatres sign of warning or di
rectiOn would be invaluable In tn
IL event of disaster, and if such sig
re had been used in the Ring Theatre
l. in Vienna, when the gas went out an
20 added total darkness to the horror
of the occasion, the people might hay
- been able to see their way to the VI
o. rious exists and the terrible loss I
k life that did take place could not ha'
>, happened.
- The compound Is used for many pu
n poses already and match safes cOatt
I. with 1t, which save the necessity of hun
u, ing around in the dark, are for sale
% this city.
pt Buoys may be lighted up at sea
ne deor-knockers and keyholes may
kept visible for gentlemen who hay
been out late at their club porou
i. plaster and liver-pill men may NAL
= their advertisements shine on the rock
n of the Alleghenies, and illuminate
ia signs of numbers can be affixed to ca
re of all descriptions lin short, 1t IL ea'
a to imagine Thousand ways In which
~ may be used.
bs FLORENCE, Ga.-Dr. W. b. Prathe
i. says: Browns Iron Bitters ha
' given satisfaction In every instance
have krown 1t used."
ke Mission Work.
to Raw Jamps Wilmer has ODeuel