The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-12
{ he Sickle
OF Fire.
BY CHARLES KELSEY GAINES.
copyright, 1885, by Bacheller, Johnson and
Bacheller.l

" Is fact not generally known. out
side strictly scientific circles at least,
that there exists an element Qechni-
cally. called hydrOpyrogen. symbol
Iip) possessing qualities of such ma
ture that its more abundant produc-
tion, or any reckleSsness in use. might
imperil the human race. Happily, in
it's pure state i'm which alone it is dan
gerous, this substance is very rare;
indeed.onl one specimen is now known
to exist. and that is kent 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
oeistS and chemists that most people
suspect. Few until very recently,
We're aware that in frail glass tube.
not too scrupulously guarded, in the
very heart of the great American me-
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 cab
met, quite as bad. There exist. also,
poisons, the fOrmulae for which are
never published. and explosives that no
chemist dare compound save i'm the
miniltest quantities. Many of these
things are altoeether unknown to the
w oUlN th' "'ii tilSu
specialist has knowledge of them.
But to return To hydrODyrogen. 1t
Is. obtained. but only with the greatest
difficulty, from the smoke products of a
certain kind of ea-w1cd. Even in this
the element is not always present. Out
of hundred specimens incincrated
and Analysed ninety-nine would prob
ably show no trace of it, and when 1t
does occur few are the chemists able
to detect, much less separate it-a most
fortunate. circumstance.
Hydropyrogen, as developed from
this Sca-wecu when burned under the
action of an electric current (Tesla 81
of the hishes. tension. is an almost
impalpablc gas-the lightest yet dis
covered, II diifrsos rapidly, and easily
'pcineates every known substance eX-
cent induratcd glass. When subjected
tn u process similar to that by which
other gases are liqucfied-a combna-
ton of tremendous pressure with eN-
treme cold-it suddenly solidilics.
failing In Il heap of slender, needle
like crystals OF Il vivid ruby color.
This experiment has been successfully
carried through only three times. The
crystals thus obtained may be pre-
served for almos. any length of time,
provided they are kept absolutely free
from moisture: hence they are sealed
III heavy tubes of indurated glass. In
the darkness these crystals Slenm with
fiery, uuivering phoSphoreScence.
comparable only to the shifting cOlors
sometimes seen in the aurora borealis.
Indeed, IL is probably of the same cs-
seitial nature, being caused by induced
currents strcamin. through the Vacu-
tlin tubes in which this unstable and
intensely energetic, agent Is encased.
have said that hydropyrogen is dan
serouS to the safety af the world. This
is due to its extraordinary effect in de
composing anl inilamiiig water. Not
that Ii Is difficult to decOmposc water
that is done every day by familiar pro-
ccSSeS: but there is no other agent
which exhibits 81 terrible Il potency
no other which so defics control.
Its action may be explained by Il ia
miliar illustration. a child sets on end
II line of dominoeS, separated by spaces
Of about an inch. He pushes over the
nearest, and the whole line goes down
with swift crash, each unbalancing
the next till all are fallen. just So with
series of molecules: the dissolution
rof one breaks up those next adjacent
when once the action is started. Such
is the operation of all explosives, and
of many pOiSOnS-e. e.. snake venom
There seems to be scarcely any limit
to the effect which may be produced