Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-06
PERILs IN OSTRICH EGGS.
Extraordinary Experience Of Two Men of

Extraordinary Experience Of Two Men of
Science.
From the New York Commercial Advertiser
peculiar explosion AZ the Carnegie Labor
atory. on 26th street. this city, the other day
brought to light one OF the most remarkable of
phenomena. Looking at an ostrich egg no one
would imagine any danger In them. Even
scientific men thought them harmless until the
attempt to puncture one for chemical purposes
caused great shaking.
There is. however, one other OCCASION re-
called by DR.. George ". Weld Of IS West 18th
street. in which one Of these monster eggs was
known to cause trouble and more serious than
the one mentioned above. This was at the Pea
body Museum, Yale, New Haven, Conn, when
Or. George Bauer. an assistant of Prof. Marsh
tried an experiment with two OF the big eggs
DR.. Bauer never quite understood why Il was
that the fret one he punctured was perfectly
harmless, as he supposed them both to be.
having opened like hens egg. But when he
came to file the other it burst like dynamite
bomb ana threw the doctor several feet
After the explosion. which attracted many Of
the students into the laboratory where he was
working, he was found unconscious in a haap
Of detached shelves and broken bottles. When
they pulled him out 1: was discovered that some
of the bottles contained dangerous acids and
that he was badly burned in several places.
An investigation followed and DIR. Bauer
gave the committee all the information he could.
but why the egg exploded Was left a mystery
1t is said by student who was present at the
college studying that Prof. Marsh finally de-
cided that something must have been introduced
into the egg of an explosive nature probably
not Intentionally, but with the idea OF preserv-
ing ii.
DR.. George Winter of Carnegie laboratory,
however. forwards an argument much 10 the
opposite of Prof. Marsh. He IL of the opinion
that the eggs with which he and DIR. Bauer
had such disagreeable experiences were lef.
untouched, while the pure ones, he thinks,
were successfully doctored to prevent the dan
ger OF fermentation.
However he said nothing to his friends re-
garding the cause of the sudden transformation
until last evening. when seated at a table in the
rear of Toney Andersons saloon on Sd avenue
with party of his student chums.
Now tell US the story. old man." said one Of
the boys. did she go back on yer?" And the
doctor replied:
"Well about year ago / sent TO scientific
friend in South Africa for some specimens of
ostrich eggs. They were shipped 70 this CITY
from Cape Town November Is on the bark
Tilley B., which was wrecked near Trinidad
during the voyage.
''Only a part Of the cargo was saved, but
among that which reached New York were nv
eggs-and here let me state that wish to God
they had dropped to the bottom of the sea and
never risen"
.'why? why?" was heard in many different
voices.
swell, go. one of them, or rather the con-
tents thereof in my whiskers and hair. and after
irving carbolic acid on them for about a week
and remaining home-sll Of which was of no
avail-of they had TO come"
Come off, said the deep basso Of Harry
Sammis. "You's given us er steer"
"Oh, no: I'm not. What have told you is
the truth"
More likely some one shaved yer whiskers
while you was asleep" put in another.
mo, l assure you. you are greatly mistaken
1t is as l said, and if you'll allow me. I'll tell
you just how it happened. The eggs arrived
here two weeks ago and / proceeded at
once to examine them. cut into two of them
with file without any bad result, but when the
third punctured ii exploded like bomb
shell and threw me senseless on the floor
Just how long remained in this condition
do not know, but upon my recovery found
that / had sustained several skin wounds L
not badly hurt, but the whole place was
permeated with the most horrible stencil
think l ever smelled.
The contents Of this eggshell must have
been fermented by its long voyage and terri
BILE gas escaped. The slightest indentation
weakened the shell and il burst, and the ges.
together with a fermented fluid, few through
the air.
81 suddenly discovered that nv hair was
filed with the flying matter. The egg weighed
three pounds and half an ounce and was
eighteen inches in circumference. Its con-
tents were equal to that Of twenty-five large
hens eggs.
1T is peculiar that the two I opened first did
not set in the same manner, but think from
the smell when opened them that they had
been treated with sulphate of mercury. which
prevents fermentation. and that the egg that
exploded was neglected. Not for science nor
anything else do 1 care 10 monkey with ostrich
eggs again. 1 believe that, had not held
towel around the egg while opening it, might
ha We been killed