The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-28
INEW ERfTN CHEMISTRY
Interesting Discovery in p Specimen From
Augusta County, Va.

Augusta county, va.
IT IS an interesting fact that one scien-
,ifc discovery almost invariably leads
to others This is well illustrated by the
recent discovery Of .he new element,
argon, ~ Lord Raylcigh and Prof.
Ramsey Of England. which may possibly
inaugurate q new and important era IN
the history Of chemistry.
Lord Eayleigh first stumbled across
this substance by Observing that the
nitrogen obtained from the atmosphere
Is slightly heavier than mat obtained
from compounds boy chemical means.
Prof. Ramsey, WORKING in conjunction
with him. proved that atmospheric nj
trOeon. when treated chemically lcft
residue with properties dificrcnt from
those Of nitrogen. Having thus proved
that in an PROBABILITY am clement 4a4
been lurking Unknown IN the air ina,
we breathe. in spite of the close stuc.
which has long been devoted TO the con
stituents of the atmosphere, PROF. Ram
stV DoCa investigate mhuOtOOO nOpnitttla
constitution Of various minerals, with the
expectation that the presence OF alsol
might have been coniOunded with tnal
of nitrogen which II so much resembles
ia some respects
the United States Geological Survey TO-
the first clue which led 10 success Whch
ne found in paper by W r. Hhdcbiahu'
published by the survey. This paper gave
AN analysis of the mineral cleveite, show
ing that II contained considerable guam
tity of what seemed TO be nitrogen. On
examining this mineral he found, 10 ms
great delight, not only argOn, but hehull'
Il substance heretofore known 10 exist
only in the sun. In the solar spectrum
among the characteristic absorption INES
which reveal TO us the presence In the
. sun of various elements known 10 us on
the earth is a bright yellow line Which
had never been found in the spectrum or
any known element.
From its habitat the substance to which
this line is due was called helium. ON
collecting a quantity OF it Ramsey found
that il was very light gas, ohly iouI
times heavier than hydrogen. the nghtesi
Of all known substances. lie then deNOteu
his attention to meteoriies, because sew
eral chemical analysis made OF these
bodies in the United States by Prot MAJ,
let, of the University Of Virginia, anu
Prof Wright of Yale, showed the pres
ence in them of what appeared 10 De
nitrogen.
Ills expectations were realized. He has
Just announced that in sample Oh
meteorte purchased from Mr.. Gregory.
of Augusta county. Va, he has louhd
both arg0n and helium. He has SHOWN
that these substances are apsoIDeu ~
rcd-h0t iron, and suggests that thelr
presence in the meteorc IRON may DC
due 10 its being elected from some siei-
lar body through an atmosphere cOht'llA-
ing argOn and hchum.
These discoveries have raised great
was q disposition TO question the latt
that arcor Is q rev substance, many
reasons being adduccd for holding tnat u
is merely a modified form OF AtIoErn.
Some weeks ago the Chcmlcal Soclcty
OF Washington devoted an evening 70
discussion % this subject ~ which inuch
was said on both SIDES. ms hhtpliS'9hi
is GRADUALLY disappearing, however. am
chemists and physicists alike are hot
only husily studying the properties %
the new substances. but re-eNaminins Ia
miliar compounds. with the nope o. HAN
ing further discoveries. .
IMAGINATIVE persons attributed number
Of hitherto unexplained phenomena TO -
agency IN much the same way thnt
they make electricity and magnetism res,
nnnsible FOR many things, both sood anu
bad Of which they are innocent lnc
new element seems. however. much 10
lazy and inert to take an acuNc p.I0 "a
anv natural phenomena. II is the ramp
of the clements and lives up TO It's name,
which signifies mo work. II - Da4Sss
possible, however, as sukbtS.vu -. 80,
French chemist BcrtAeiot' that ~ au
NORA borealis may be due 10 the passage
al electric discharges through the laicheu
argon of the upper atmosphere LOT ~
has found that he can produce $3.50
the same appearance py p"Ssile az -,
tric current through tube containing
Some fancifuI writer's have attempted
~ make Edgar Allan Poe play tAe Tor
a "a DrfDNCT NN ASSUMING Aitt''
Has me same properties as a hypothet-
ical gas obtained from the atmospn i.,ls
which he describes in one OF ms storiSs'
frhis gas WAS lighter tnan hydrogen,
and was used to in balloons Of marvellous
ascensional powers. but, unfortunately
argou IS twenty times heavier lidh ny
drScen which circumstances makes the
coincidence less striking. II Is a reIn n.irn
able fact, however. that Henry tatcn-
Sieh an eccentric English chemist sep
o~ated arcon from nitrogen century
ago. as plainly shown BY his puDllshed
napers. but neither he nor any one
Else realized what he had done
Prof. Ramsey has also recently an
nouncod to the Royal Society some pc
cnliar observations made IN oxygen. 10y
passing an electric spark through a TUBE
containing this gas, Il was uroVcd that
its density at one end OF the tube Was
slightly greater than at the other, IN
dicatlne the possibility that oxygen IS
a mixture Of two gases of slightly dl.
ferenf dcnsities This point has not YET
been thoroughly looked into.-Nashihs-
ton Star.