The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-12
TIE SICKLE OF FIRE.
sx cnAnLEs KELSEY GAINES.

10 In fact not generally known, ou'-
uide strictly scientific circles at least,
chat there exists an element (technl-
eally called hydropyrogen. symbol
Hp) possessings qualities of such
mature that It's more abundant produc-
1ion, or any recldessness in use, might
6mperil the human race. Happily, in
1ts pure state, in which alone IL Is dan
Igerous, this substance is very rare;
indeed only one specimen is now known
10 exist, and that is kept hermetically
Sealed in thick glass. It's name never
appears in the ordinary text books
|for prudential reasons.
There are more of these formidable
secrets in the laboratories OF our biol
pgists and chemists than most people
suspect. Few, until very recently.
were aware that in a frail glass tube,
not too scrupulously guarded, in the
very heart of the great American mo-
tropolis, there are living, malignant
germs of Asiatic cholera, which, If set
free, might cause an epidemic that
would cost millions of lives. And
there are other things in that lockless
cabinet quite as bad. There exist,
also, poisons, the formula for which
are never published, and explosives
that no chemist dare compound save
in the minutest quantities. Many of
these things are altogether unknown to
the ordinary student: only the well.
tried specialist has knowledge of them.
But to return to hydropyrogen. 1t
Is obtained, but only with the creates.
difficulty. from the smoke products of
certain kind of sea-weed. Even in this
the element is not always present.
Out of hundred specimens incin-
Grated and analysed, ninety-nine would
probably show no trace of it; and when
It does occur, few are the chemists
able to detect, much less separate it--a
most fortunate circumstances.
Hydropyrogen, as developed from
nrhis sea-weed when burned under the
action of an electric current (Tesla's)
of the highest tension, is an almost
impalpable gas--the hghtest yet dis
covered. 1t diffuses rapidly, and easily
permeates every known substance eX-
cept indurated glass. When subjected
to a process similar to that by which
other gases are liquefied--a combina-
nion of tremendous pressure with ex-
treme cold--it suddenly solidifies,
falling in heap of slender. needle
like crystals of vivid ruby color.
This experiment has been successfully
carried through only three times. The
crystals TINS obtained may be pre-
served for almost any length of time,
provided they are kept absolutely free
from moisture; hence they are sealed
in heavy tubes of indurated glass. In
the darkness these crystals CLEAN with
q fiery, quivering phosphorescence,
comparable only to the shifting colors
sometimes seen in the aurora borealis.
Indeed, it is probably of the same es-
sential nature, being caused by induced
currents sstreaming through the vacuum
tubes In which this unstable and in
tensely energetic agent is encased.
have said that hydropyrogen ,s dan
gerous to the safety of the world. This
in due to its extraordinary effect in de-
composing and infaming water Not
that it IL difficult to decompose water
that is done every day by familiar proc
esses; but there is no other agent
which exhibits so terrible potency
no other which SO defies control.
Its action may he explained 10y fa.
miliar illustration. A child sets on end
q line of dominoes. separated by spaces
of about an inch. He pushes over the
nearest, and the whole line goes down
with q swift crash, each unbalancing
the next till all are fallen. Just SO with
q series of molecules; the dissolution
of one breaks up those next adjacent,
when once the action is started. Such
IS the operation of all explosives, and
of many poisons-e. g., snake venom.
There seems to be scarcely any limit
TO the effect which may be produced
by an infinitesimal portion of the dis
turbing agent, providing it has con-
tinuous field of suitable material on,
which 10 act.
How fearful may be the effect of
hydropyrogen If indiscreetly used, no
living man can testify as can. Why
do ! tell the story? Because some
vague hints have already reached the
public through certain Canadian pa.
lcTS, anu III tHc mdttcT II I'd De upltuteQ
at all, the warning lesson should ba
read in full.
Ii occurred only few months ago.
had been studying for several years
nnder Prof. o. ID. Mckay. the discover
er of hydropyrogen, and the only man
who has ever succeeded in producing
the crystals. had assisted him in his
experimentation trying ordeal
and was deep in his confidence. We had
already used the crystals on the con-
tents of a large tank in an enclosed
court, with startling results. The pro-
fessor now wished to experiment on n
much larger scale which could be
done with safety only in an uninhab-
tied region. He had heard of a small
lake suitable for the purpose, in Brit
Ssh America, among the mountains
near the Pacific coast; and thitler we
proceeded.
Our though not without hard
ship, was accomplished without p,ia