Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-10-13

.o5 e ies- EDO
!. there came. a report. like pistol
shot and a column oflurid flames
leaped up to the eeilingi- 9 :
'.I started back with cry of
terror. s ]
s't.Don'ttbes alarmed, he be assured
me with smile; 'the water will
soon burn, QUIT Sa ,fe9sl19l1 Il
1.-THE fire soon began to grow
|pals and to- diminish in. s height,
when it finally died out altogether
and-I-aaw-~thats .the~basin was
Femptyl .. *
low much do you-think that
secret is worth?' asked my visitor
atill showing his white teeth be-
tween his partedslips: =
ssMan OF dewitt! / cried what do
youcmeanP' tg39 1;4 Al RS
,-atsit down and be composed
and ] will quick kly' explainl Then
as I sank into the nearest seat at a
loss what to do or say, he con-
Itinued: -. :
aseeing is believing, SO I have
shownato yon@what aIs can ado to
impress upon you more deeply.
the power Chat I posr ,ss. You
Ehave seen thatEbasin of water burn
like so much oil, and now you
will believe me when i stell you
tthat:I have unlocked one eof ma
ture's great secrets, and that the
key lies in that small.phial.' 5 q
ellis demoniacal smile as he
spoke made me shudder.
"' ], do not understand you,' /
faltered. If you mean that you
can burn water
s'Haven't I done it?' he cried.
'Why man alive dontyou realize
the Importance of that Secret? In
those phials are held the COM
ponont agents able to separate the
constituent parts of water end,
freeing the same, set them at war
with each other, which must result
in combustion and total annihila-
ton: - g -
ms Think of that and I hold in
my hand the destiny ofthe world
Let me throw ever 80 little of
these > wonderful properties into.
the Gulf Of Mexico, and, dare you
contemplate the result7 In one
instant nucleus of fire would be
formed to grow swiftly in size,
separating the gasesaef waterand
feeding npon them until tthae-lan-aa
/ Of Texas and Mexico would be
wrapped ina sheet.of. flame.
"No deluge that ever drowned
the world could extinguish. the
pconfagfation, but would rather
transport the, fiery legions~ to the
very pillars pfthe heavens And'it
would spread from shore to shore,
and from ocean TO ocean,, untiliit
had ,enfolded the globe in its
seething embrace. Every creature
of the-sea, the air, and the land
would perish; aye, the earth itself
would melt into fervept heat
During his startling speech. he
lhad. worked himselfinto a. fearful
frenzy and fixed his intense, gaze.
upon me as he concluded, with a
light that burned into my inmost
being.I felt 1 was in the presence
of a madman.
s"sOh, WELL Il said with what
Fcalmness I could command, I'VE
wont anticipate so dreadful q
( toatastrophe as you 80. svividfy
describe, butt is evident you
haye,madearemsrkable discovery.
II am anxious to knew jnlt:hew
4 you accomplish it,
"'Which is my secret he said
with another-smile; and 1 saw that
my dispassionate. speech y had a
soothing effect upon him. The
man was evidently sane except
upon that one subject. q,
!" you are the most sensible
man I have met he soon resumed.
sand I am going to impart enough
of my secret to you 80 you will act
with good faith in assisting me in
a direction where [ am powerless
needs not myrwords to tell
you that water is composed of two
gases, hydrogen and oxygen, in
parts as one, to eight. United in
> that proportion these elements are
impervious to fire. Every school.
boy knows that. But mix them in