Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-23
DECORATING WITH FIRE
q Weird Experience in Phi1adel-
phia Chemists Laboratory.
Philadelphia Times.

Philadelphia Times.
''There are rumors," said the reporter,
chat singular doings take place here, and
some folks are even sunerstitious about
Them
Mr.. Maxwell, who was in his shirt-sleeves,
replied: ''There is nothing supernatural in
anything here. Step with me into the back
room for moment"
The reporter did so and found himself in a
den in which he could not see his hand before
him.
''Would you like your photograph taken?n
said Mr. Maxwell The reporter having no
objections, Mr. Maxwell lighted magne-
stun wire and placed him between it and an
ordinary glass board that seemed
like q stray transom window. When the
light expired and the room was once more in
total gloom that ordinary looking piece of
glass shone out with a pale blue glow, re-
sembling a weak electric light, and in the
center of it, in sharp black silhouet lines,
stood profile Of the reporters face The
whole process occupied about two minutes
Mr.. Maxwell went into the front room and
returned with what looked like stucco bust
of Madonna. There was nothing about it
remarkable, except that the white veil was
a shade whittier than the face.
Mr.. Maxwell ignited another magnesium
wire and held the bust before it for few
seconds. Then the room was left once more
in Zimmerman darkness, but when the re-
porter turned toward Mr.. Maxwell he beheld
a weary, wan face shining with brightness
that seemed supernatural, while around the
head Law folds Of a thick black veil. The
~ Id
was something to haunt one for a lifetime.
The next thing Mr.. Maxwell did was to light
the gas and pick up the crucif1x from the
floor. Holding it over the jet for few sec
onds he turned out the light, and there in the
darkness shone with a soft brilliancy figure
of the suspended Christ. The dead face, the
muscles Of the outstretched arms and limbs,
indeed every outline Of the dropping figure
shone forth distinctly amid the blackness,
while in another corner the meek face of the
spectral Madonna shone calmly down upon
the crucifx ''You see,n said Mr.. Maxwell,
''all these things appear strange, but the ex-
PLANTATION is very simple. These Madonnas
and crucifxes are simply made of a COM
pound capable Of absorbing light like a
sponge and throwing it out again in sub
dued form in the darkness. The invention is
a new one, and Philadelphia has the credit of
it, but experiments with phosphorescence are
by no means new. Three hundredsyears ag
a shoemaker in Bologna racked his wits to
solve the soft mystery Of phosphorescence,
but he failed, and that was one shoemaker
who ought to have stuck to his last.
subsequently other scientists took up the
study, until now we have found that we can
actually mix UP a brilliant phosphorescent
compound that will absorb light and throw
it back in very much longer time than it
took to absorb it. This luminous paint is a
preparation produced by the calcination of
certain substances, and although phosphores-
cent in its qualities it contains no phosphorus.
1 will show you here a sign labeled Danger
in big letters If that were exposed to the
sunlight it would shine all night. How in
valuable would such an article be in railway
stations or at rail crossings of any kind! If
such sign had been used in the Ring theatre
in Vienna when the gas went out the people
might have been able to see their way to the
various exits and the terrible loss of life
rnuI6 not have hammered