The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-19

! swiftly In size, separating the gases Of
| water and feeding upon them. until the
shores Of Europe and America would be
wiped out In a sheet of flame.
No deluge that ever drowned the world
| conld extlnguish the conhagratiou, but
would rather transport the fiery legions TO
the very pillars of heavens. And it would
spread from shore TO shore and from ocean
to ocean, until it had embodied the globe in
its seething embrace. Every creature Of
the sea, the air and the land would perish,
sye, the earth itself would melt into fer
vent heat
During his startling speech be had
worked himself into fearful frenzy to fix
his intense gaze upon me as he concluded
with light that burned into my Utmost be-
ing. l felt l was in the presence of a mad
man.
40. well,' l said, with what cslmness
could command, we won't anticipate so
dreadful q catastrophe as you SO wildly de-
scribe; but it is evident you have made re-
mRrkable discovery. | am anxious to know
Just how you accomplish it
Which is my secret he said, with an
| other smile, and saw that my dispassi5 nate
speech had had a soothing effect upon him.
| The man was evidently sane except upon
| that one subject.
| GU are the most sensible man | have
| met he soon resumed, and am going to
! imoart enough Of my secret to you so
| you will act with good faith in assisting
me in direction where l am powerless.
| 1t needs not my words to tell you that
water Is composed Of two gases, hydrogen
and oxygen, in parts as one 20 eight. United
| i'll that proportion these elements are inn
| pervlous to fire. Every schoolboy knows
| that. But mix them IN any other proper
ton and heat. flame, combustion is the im-
mediate consequence.
"'Now, have discovered the KEY which
| milo nlys hn 2 bD
| constituent parts of water. A few grains
of this powder are sufficient to dismember
| its warllke elements, when the funeral pyre
of the human race is kindled as far as this
| planet Is concerned
" 'ImpossibleP l could not help exolaim-
ing. God, in his infinite wisdom, never
created a world SO beautiful as this aud then
placed in the hands of its subjects the means
of its Destruction
| "'Poor fellow he said, compassionetely
You forget that the moon is but tire-ex-
tinguished world; that planets without num-
| Der are the charred remains OF what were
once scenes of life and beauty; that the sun
is a molten mass Of heat; that he has said In
his own word, in the lend the heavens shall
lie folded together like scroll, the elements
to melt with fervent heat"
"'You see this phial, it contains potas-
stun. 1t needs not me 30 tell a man Of your
information the result when this is brought
into contact with oxygen. 1t ignites in
stantly, This powder here, the secret of
whose compound is kno @n only to me, con-
tAins properties which Instantly decompose
the watery elements. The moment the oxy-
gen is free the potassium iguites it and the
work Of fiery destruction is begun.
"'You betray a look Of doubt Perhaps
you think that this action will be merely
local. that the properties will quickly bura
out, aud in consequence the IRE die Tor
want of sustennDce. II so. you err. The
properties Of this powder are self-generat-
ing, and az long as the water lasts must OF
necessity continue their work of decompos!-
ton, the oxygen continually feeding the
flames
"tGes me another basin Of water; want
to demonstrate it more clearly TO you
"As he had done before, he turned the
potassium into the basin and then sifted in
a certain amount of the powder. The hiss
ing and Tuning quickly began, followed by
a sharp report, when column of fire again
sprang up. which lasted until the water was
consumed.
"'You see my first trial was no illusion.
he said turning to me- What l have done
once l can do every time
'''It is a terrible thing l exclaimed, with
shudder. But why have you come to
meF --..
"'Because the secret is worth much &c
me- But when l approach men they cal
| w
lieve you, and when you have proved what
can do they will gladly pay my price
Then will divide with you and we shall
both be rich, you TO live at your ease aud
to continue my Investigations. VIII you
help meg and he caught me by the arm
with a clutch l seem to feel now.
"'Help youp asked in husky voice.
Would you jeopardize the lives of TIE
whole human race for few paltry thou
sands! A man of your great intellect and
research should be above
"'You still doubt my ability to do what
claimP he interrupted. Perhaps in the
open air you think l would fail? 1 saw to-
day grand sheet of water for a trial.
Come with me and will astonish even you.
See, the storm has cleared away and the day
is breaking
81 was puzzled what to do. There was nc
one in the house upon whom l could call for
assistance, but outdoors l might escape the
man whom, | must confess, feared. 80
| consented to accompany him.
1.-THE morning light was fast dispelling
the shadows Of night and storm, and we had
no difficulty in making our way to little
body Of water quite hemmed IN by the
mountains and ths forest. My companions
as if fearing I would attempt to escape, had
not taken his gaze from me since we had
left the house.
"tThere is a good place to test our work,
he declared, pointing to q small pool OF
water formed in depression OF the earth
by the late storm.
without waiting for my reply he threw
some of the potassium and powder into the
water. The result was startling to me,
though had anticipated the consequence.
1.-THE report was deafening and the flames
seemed to leap to the sky, illuminating the
night scene with a CHASTITY light; but star
ling as was the light OF the burning water
the appearance of my companion, who bad
seemed to be suddenly transformed into q
demon, was more terrible.
"'See, see, he cried, dancing to and fro
with fendish glee, 1T burns, will burn till
the pool is dry. What do you think OF my
secret now! Do [ not hold the key to all
life3 o, feel like god, and all men are
but worms crawling at my feet. See, the
flames leap higher and higher.
Now letm drop the same agents which
set that pool on fire into this lake, and the
result will be the same; ave, the same, only
a million times more grand, for the fire will
follow the river to the gulf, and thence to
the oceans, 20 envelop the entire world in
It's blazing sheets. What sight for the
gods to witnessp
He geSticulated fercely, and reached one
arm out over the water as If to drop the in
fernal powder upon it's placid bosom, his
wIld-l1okng figure lit by the transplendent
glow of the burning pool. gazed with awe
upon him, realizing only too we'll the terri
! ri, nc tuasq rF his fOua