The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-24

| Tremendous power that no one dares make
put a very small quantity at time. and
doubt II they have ever been seen out
sac OF laboratories. I have made them a
crop at time But, oh how unstable
/ tney are! Actually have made explosives
OF This nature which have gone off when
l yelled at them. l simply placed a small
crop on table and shouted at it 1t ex-
ploded instantly. You see the thing is in
state of very delicate equilibrium. 1t is
a question depending on surrounding con-
ultlons as to which il VIII do-remain
liquid or turn into a gas When as in the
case just mentioned this balance is about
/ equal, It takes very little to incline it to-
ward gaseous form, so that even the
sound OF the voice will cause the change
A violent fit of coughing will produce the
effect and so would heavy weight drop
ped on the floor
Speaking of this explosive reminds me
OF now l got rid of some ministers who
once insisted on boring me in my labora-
tory, when l had some important expert
ments on hand. l treated them courteous
ly as long as I could, but they grew more
interested as the day wore on, and seemed
TO nave no intention of going home Final
ly, as last resort l told them was GO
ing to make some highly explosive mate
RAJ. This made them only the more In
terested, and they got in my way as much
as they could. I do not suppose they
knew much of the nature and appearance
of high explosives for when 1 placed a
number of drops of the material in various
parts Of the room, so as to scatter any ac-
cidental explosions, they seemed not to no
tice II. At last, when they got crowding
almost between me and the work bench
l very carelessly pushed a board off onto
the floor. Wei, it was worse than I had
intended it to be. II nearly shattered the
window glass and jostled things around
generally. The ministers seemed scared
half to death and from the way they held
their ears you would have supposed some
one had bumped their heads together.
When l told them how il happened and
discussed the possibility of more accidents
taking place they said 1t really was quite
wonderful but they guessed they had bet
ter be going. I urged them to stay and
see more fireworks, but they all had very
important engagements and hurried off.
but to return to the subject in hand,
the science of explosives is a very inter-
estinS one, and If some way is found 10
utilize the tremendous forces which are
eEgendered when the chemicals are prop
erly combined and exploded, we may yet
come to respect them more than we do
at present. Our knowledge of the very
high explosives dates back but a few
years. The present war spirit may pro-
woke enough interest in the line of ex-
plosives to cause their development not
merely as agents of destruction, but, what
Is better, industrial lines. Here, then, is
a chance for budding inventors"
Mr.. Edison's Joke on the ministers is in
the same line with one he has played sew
eral times on obnoxious callers For in
stance, a reporter from paper whose
methods do not entirely agree with the
inventors ideas of fair dealing recently
called to interview him. Not wishing to
be rude TO him. Mr.. Edison asked him
If he objected TO his continuing his exper,
iments while he talked. OF course, the
newspaper man was delighted. 1t really
added the spice of human interest to the
affairs. He conducted his caller into a
little room where he had certain form of
oxygen apparatus which charges the sur
rounding atmosphere in a manner very I'M
pleasant to one not used to it, Mr. Edi-
son did not mind 1t in the least but his
visitor could not ask questions for chok
ing and coughing. He shortly excused
himself in a most embarrassed way and
left without asking a question; all of which
was rendered still more ludicrous by the
apparently offended manner with which
the inventor regarded the reporters ac-
tons. Probably that reporter does not even
yet know a trick was played on him, but
he is not likely to revisit the laboratory.