The sea coast echo., 1897-04-03

spark to ignite them, and powder
produces On explosion, not regular
IRE. 70 ignite this compound there
is just the slightest friction OF rubbing
1t against some ordinary substance.
Ihere is no explosion or rapid spread
ing OF, flames, but strange, pasty
substance composed of living fire.
which cannot be stamped out OF
Killed in any known way.
John Floyd, the discoycrer. has
been for several years delyiug in all
sorts of chemicals, as his numerous
inventions required constant study.
Ono day he wished to make certain
substance with which to experiment..
and for that purpose placed in liquid
some waste substance which he
thought would, when dissolved, pro.
duce the wished-for compound. But
he found the material he wanted be.
fore the liquid was dissolved, so he
left the jar containing the solution on
the shelf for several weeks, thinking
NO more about it.
Finally he thought of using the jar
and, when lifting 1t down from the
shelf, some of the liquid split on the
floor Mr.. Floyd thought nothing
about the matter till he noticed q sen.
sation OF heat about his foot, and on
looking down found that the soft
paste which had fallen, out of the bot
tie had become a mass OF soft, flicker
ing flames emitting an inter heat.
He put his foot on the spot. stamping
it out. as he thought, and turned to
his work.
When ne turned around again he
saw that instead Of going out tho fire
paste was steadily burning, that his
rubbing it had only smeared it over
the floor. and ii was eating into the
wood every moment He then threw
several buckets of water on the stuff,
but the water had no effect other than
to be converted into puffs OF steam,
and the fire burned steadily on, cut
ting its way through the soft pine
fiooring. AS the experiments were
being conducted in the back OF a drug
store, which was filled with dangerous
chemicals, he knew that something
must be done to put a stop to its raw
ages or the whole place would be
blown to atoms.
After many fruitless attempts to put
it out he procured Ratchet, and it
was only by cutting out the entire
square of wood on which the paste
rested that Ae succeeded in stopping
the fire, which burned for at least nm
hour.
Afraid OF the uses TO which this dis
covery might be put, Mr.. Floyd has
never made the secret Of the ingre.
dients public; but he says that the
cost Of making it is SO small that il
can easily be used instead OF the
cheapest waste materials. And for
this reason he will not let the formula
become known, for incendiaries would
take advantage of it and no place
would be safe from burning. Those
who use oil or dynamite or powder
can be easily traced. as some prepara-
tion is necessary, but with this liquid
fire criminal who knew its compost
ton could burn his way noiselessly
through any door or set any home on
fire by throwing against it a noiseless
ball Of the composition.
The cost OF making this liquid fire
is 30 small that it can be easily used
instead OF coal in heating a furnace.
But the most valuable properties are
those which it possesses which are alb.
solutely foreign to those of fire as
known to us. All forms OF heat ex-
cept that OF electricity, must be gem
Grated in some kind of furnace and
be constantly supplied with fuel. but
this fire is both fame and fuel itself.
About cupful can be set on fire and
It will burn with steady glow for an
hour.
This wonderful fire can be utilized
in the kitchen, and stoves can be dis
pensed with altogether as entirely
useless. In order to fry anything it is
only necessary to hang the pan from
wire and smear over the bottom with
spoonful of the liquid. In an in
slant there will be hot fire which
will burn for over an hour. So that
the cook OF the future can take her
fire out into the country; ii can be
used in cooking in camping; there
will be no coal bills, but the work of
heating furnaces, of burning fires in
CRATES, or running motoracan be done
by harmless little spoonful of paste,
which can be taken around in the vest
pocket OF its practical uses there is
no end, for the subject is yet in its in