The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-08-28
4 poweo IN acqulescence, TOO much
surprised to speak.

4 oiui5n COlOTbu pOWuer upon inc surface
Of the liquid, which no sooner had touch
cd the other than 1t began to hiss, foam
and sparkle until there came O report
like pistol shot, and column of lurid
lame leaped up TO the ceiling. started
back with cry of terror.
"'Don't be alarmed, he assured me,
with a smile; "the water will soon burn
out.
''Tho fire soon began to grow pale and
to diminish in height, when it finally
died out altogether, and saw that the
basin was empty.
| How much do you think that secret
is WORTH asked my visitor, still show
| Ing his white teeth between his parted
| lips.
What do you mean% cried.
"'Sit down and be composed, and
will quickly explain Then as / sank
into the nearest seat, at loss what to
| 10 or say, he continues:
Seeing is believing, so l have shown
to you what ! can do to impress upon
| you more deeply the power that pos
sess. You have seen that basin of water
| burn like SO much oil, and now you
will believe me when tell you that
\ have unlocked one of natures great Sc
| crots and that the key lies in that small
| vialp
His demoniacal smile as he spoke
made me shudder.
" 4 do not understand you,' faltered.
| If you mean that you can burn wa
| tor
:" Haven't done ilr he cried. why,
man alivel don't you realize the impor-
| tance of that secret? In those vials are
held the component agents able to sepa-
| rate the constituent parts of water and,
| freeing the same, set them at war with
| each other, which must result in COM
| bustion and total annihilntion.
" Think of that and realize that hold
| in my hand the destiny of the world.
| Let me throw ever SO little of those Won
lerful properties into the Atlantic and
| dare you contemplate the RESULT In one
instant nucleus of fire would be formed
to grow swiftly in size, separating the
gases of water and feeding upon them
until the shores of Europe and America
would be wrapped in O sheet of flame.
" No deluge that ever drowned the
world could extinguish the confagration,
but would rather transport the fiery le-
sions to the very pillars of the heavens,
and it would spread from shore to shore
and from ocean to ocean, until it had in
folded the globe in its seething embrace
Every creature Of the sea, the air and
the land would perish-ay, the earth it
self would melt into feryent heat
During this startling speech he had
worked himself into n fearful frenzy to
| tix his intent gaze upon me as he con-
cluded with light that burned into my
| lnmost being. felt was in the pres
| ence OF a madman.
"'Oh. we'll, l said, with what calm
| ness | could command, we won't antici-
pate so dreadful a catastrophe as you so
vividly describe. But it is evident you
have made remarkable discovery. am
anxious to know just how you accom-
plished it. .....
(Which is my secret he said, with
another smile, and saw that my dis
| passionate speech had had a soothing ef-
feet upon him. The man was evidently
| sane except on that one subject
| "'You are the most sensible man |
have met he soon resumed, and am
| going TO impart enough of my secret TO
| you so you will act with good faith in
powerless. ... ...-....
1T needs not my words to tell Won
that water is composed of two gases,
| hydrogen and oxygen, in parts as 2 to
|, United in that proportion these
elements are imperyious to fire. Every
schoolboy knows that. But mix them in
any other proportion, and heat, fame
combustion, are the immediate conse-
luence.
Now, | have discovered the key
which unlucks tho affinity holding to-
gether the constituent parts of water.
A few grains of this powderare sufficient
10 dismemherit its warlilie elements, when
The funeral pyre of the human race is
lEindled rs fara this planet is concerned
"'Impossibler l could not help ex-
claiming. God in his infinite wisdom
Ieyer created world so beautiful as
this and then placed in the hands Of its
subjects the means Of its destruction.
".Poor foolr he said compassionately.
You forget that the moon is but a fire
pxtinguished world; that planets with
out number arc the charred remains of
what were once scenes of lie and beauty;
that tho sun is a molten mass of heat;
that ho has said in his own word, in the
end "the heavens shall be folded together
like a scroll, the clements to melt with
reryent heat"
lyon see this vial. 1t contains po-
tassiuin. 1t needs not me to tell man
of your information the result when
this is brought into contact with oxygen.
1t ignites instantly. This powder here,
the secret of whose compound is known
n,t1,r 20, +pin
Instantly decomposs the watery ele-
ments. Tho moment the oxygen is free
the potassium ignites 1t, ana the work or
fiery destruction is begun. .
You betray u look Of doubt. Per-
haps you think that this action will be
merely local-thut the properties will
quickly burn out and in consequence
the fire die for want Of sustenance. If
SO, you err. The properties Of this pow
der are self generating, and as long as
the water lasts must of necessity con-
tinue their work of decomposition, tho
oxygen continually feeding the flames.
Get me another basin OF water. l
want to demonstrate it more clearly to
YOU
''As he had done before, he turned tho
potassium INTO the BASIN and then sifted
In certain amount of the powder. The
Kissing and fuming quickly began, fol-
lowed by sharp report, whena column
of fire again sprang up, which lasted I'M
til the water was consumed.
"'You see, my first trial was no illu-
sion, he said, turning to Inc. What l
have done once can do every time
'' 1T is terrible thingr l exclaimed.
with shudder. But why have you
come to mef'
Because the secret Is worth much to