Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-05-31
LABORATORY TALES.
CHEMICAL EXPERTS CHAT ABOUT CASES THEY HAVE OBSERVED.

"0H with . Bang"
 'Some years ago." said Professor H. D. Garrison, professor of chemistry and physics in the Chicago College of Pharmacy, "I was featuring on potassium. A peculiarity of this element is that it takes fire on coming in contact with water. held in my hand pill made of the metal and was cutting it into fine shavings with my knife. The shaw ings fell in little pile before me, and after the lecture one of the students, tall, lank fellow from Kentucky, came up to the desk, and, picking up the shavings, dropped them on his tongue He had habit of tasting everything. The saliva on the young mans tongue was enough to fire the potassium, and the way that Kentuckian did spit fire and yell for the next five minutes was enough to know what ailed him."
 'tYes," said the professor, CT have devoted five or six years to experiment. Photography is comparatively a new art or science Its possibilities were never dreamed of. For merly minutes were required to make the picture; now the one-thousandth part of second is ample to do the work if the sum- light is strong. Recently exposed but one eighth of my lens with results just as perfect as though the other seven-eighths had been shown. As for the time required, e-thou- sandth part of a second believe to be ample. Chemistry has brought up the plates and the material that is used to the highest point of perfection"
 Said Professor Galloway, the secretary of the college and director of the chemical lab oratory: Il had more fun once than I bar gained fer. In featuring on phosphorus I usually show that it is soluble in bi-sulphide of carbon. Such solution being placed on a paper and exposed to the air a few minutes spontaneously indanes and continues to burn uEti the phosphorus is all consumed. The same solution will spontaneously infiame if placed upon fur or clothing. One night at my home we had company and was anxious to entertain them. The lights were lowered and l retired to the kitchen, where my mothers black cat was sleeping. Picking up the animal l produced bottle of the phos- phorus and with a small brush was about to streak the cat with what our guests would regars! liquid fire when turned the cat into the iarkened parlor. Suddenly the door opened, and in my haste to conceal my mix ture split the v-:iolc business on the back of the black cat Ste made one bound through the dining room into the parlor, and there began such a catcrwauling as that neighbor- hood never heard before. She vTas fairly dIenc..cd in phosphorus, and in the dark looked like ball of fire as big as Q bushel basket
 ''i1:i' first break was for my mother, whom she regarded cs her best friend Her best friend d:';n't recognize her, and when my mother began to scream and break for the hall door the guests took the alarm and & small panic ensued. 1 was so broken up with laughter myself that dropped to the dining room floor helpless. It took me five minutes to explain tlle situation to my sister and ask her to throw some water on the cat. Finally, after she had called my mother and the beast had been drenched, we thought the trouble was over, but it wasn't. The phosphorus had settled into the hide, and as soon as the cat began to dry off the fire broke out again Three times that night we had tn do..oe thet cat, and when I went to bed I left my indig- nant mother sitting by the stove with her pet cat done up in her lap in damp shawl"
 "Oncc," said another professor, ia man brought me soxe pepper to analyze. At kass he had purchased it for ground pepper. k9srksA sn it for several days 4f9 S6und frdt the pure pepper had been mixed with ground leather of old shoes. There's adul- teracion for you with vengeance"
 ''I worked three weeks once," said Profes- sor Stuart, Ion compound which a tobacco merchant brought me. He said the stuff had been used to initiate tobacco. There was burdock, cabbage and variety of common leaf plant in the stuff. Frequently have analysed food whose discoloration is due to incipient decomposition; also pinkish pork; sometimes a pinkish color appears in starch kilns, which is due to the growth of fungus }
 "Did you ever have any explosions?' "Yes, they are quite common. They are liable to occur in testing for arsenic. A mix ture of hydrogen and air will explode. Fly. drogen alone will not explode. Beginners dc not allow time enough for the air t. be dis placed by the hydrogen. l was once experi menting in Oberlin college with a galvanie battery by new process of estimating the amount of lead in solution by passing the current of electricity through the solution. noticed in the bottom of the flask -s little vel low globule like oil didn't know what il was and asked the professor. He said 1t re sembled chloride of nitrogen, and at once threw the flask out of the window. When ii struck the ground there was an explosion which tore up the earth. Chloride of nitro gen is SO extremely explosive that toucf with feather tip will set it off. l had unin tentionally and ignorantly formed thi destructive agency. Had it exploded in th' laboratory it would have shattered thu building.
 s'When anything breaks in a laboratory everybody shouts five dollars1' that is be cause that amount is generally assessed as th' penalty which the careless student pays fol smashing things. I knew young lady wht pursued the study of chemistry under diff culties. She was so short of stature she wa compelled to stand on box to work Sh had an explosion, and jumping off the bo,
 backward, landed on the back of the mal student behind her, who happened to be in stepping position at the time. When w
 rescued her we found her bangs full of ace
 tate of zinc" ......
 "That was an explosion that went of wit a bang,'" said Professor Stuart, as he ram
 the gong which dismissed the class. Chicag 1 Herald.
 Thaddeus Stevens Two Weaknesses.
 Thaddeus Stevens had two weaknesses: a
 unconquerable love for poker, and 8 heart S
 tender that he would give his last cent to re lieve distress. Between the two he was usu
 ally very far from "flush." One night he ha
 a run Of luck at cards, came out winner the amount of an even $100, and when hi
 checks were cashed he received crisp ne1
 bill of that denomination. Next morning b
 went to the Capitol at the usual time, an
 was there way laid by 9 soldiers widow, wh
 had piteous tale of sorrow and suffering t
 relate Stevens put his hand in his pocke1
 found the :loJ hill-it was all he had-an handed if r.; h.. aStonisi;ed widow. fellO,