The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-08
RAMSAY'S NEW N
CRYPTON aRRATBY ENTER FISTS
CHEMIsTS HIRE.

II nay ne the Co usen Element In the SUP
Pssed Elensnts HsIium aud Arrep-Do-
s~oriptisn OF 1ts Qualities Awaited Eagerly
1t Constitutes About A-oO. 600 or the AIR.
American chemists read with great interest
THE Suns cable Dispatches from London and
Paris announcing tho discovery of q now Ole-
ment In the atmosphere, which the discoverer,
Prof. William Ramsay, President Of tho Brit.
ish. Association for tho Advancement Of Sccpco,
has named crypton. from the Greek for nd
den." Details as to the properties Of the new
gas and the manner In which 1t was diBcoV.
cred are anxiously awaited, for Ramsay stands
30 high among foreign chemists that no doubt
is expressed hero that he has found what tho
scientific world has for n long time known he
was after-the third element of the triad" OF
which argon and helium are the other two.
RNmSay's researches have brought brilliant
results. Four years ago, in conjunction with
Lord nsyleigh, he discovered q now gas in the
atmosphere, which, because of its inactivity,
he named argon, from the Greek for "laEy."
On the recommendation of the National Acad-
envy Of Sciences the trustees Of Columbia Uni
versity voted TO award the Barnard medal
for meritorious service to science" to Lord Ray
leigh. because Of the discovery. Tho trustees
did not know that Ramsay had been working
with Lord Rayleigh. When Lord Rayleigh was
informed Of the action Of the trustees he an
swered saying that he could NOS accept the
medal, as prof. Ramsay equally deserved the
honor. President Low OF Columbia at once
said, "Thon we'll have two medals struck off,"
and accordingly the Barnard medal was
awarded in duplicate that year.
Three years ago Ramsay discovered another
gas. Physicists had for q. long time puzzled
their heads over a bright yellow limo in. tho
No counterpart Of this line had ever been found
in terrestrial sPectrums and It was EcoordinEly
vvhish vraa OtCan tho mama haliilm from the
heiium line in the spark discharge Of a gas he
clcvitc. w. +. llllebrand, an American chem.
list in q Washington laboratory. had found this
laboratory whenever an unexpected result was
reached in an experiment and a substenee ep;
R S%rSin E9o sS, iIdSsn ans, S %sS In daS 3 nsw H eIeSsnt,a
names for tho new element" He concluded
Inai s somS Sf imp %nf h9'h IN 4. m Sot i EnSe after itsro tEis
Remsay's discovery was announced:
allied to argon and helium. RAmsay's recent
address before the chemical section OF the Brit
ish Association was entirely devoted to an ex-
position OF his reasons for supposing the exist
enco of this undisc9yored gas and the story Of
was begun by examining the gases from various
minerals: and mineral springs and by fractional
The latter method only resulted in oStSininG
two fractions. one Of which was pure helium
una Lnt OIleT ~ nellumW VII u bEndll pTOpOT-
tion of argon.
That another clement would be found In tho
atmosphere was not thought probable, and the
search was conducted, az had been the search
gases. But TIE SUNS cable dispatches an:
nounce that Crypton was discovered in the air.
About n quart Of liqueted air was evaporated
and collected in a tube. The residue furnished
q gas. The oxygen was distracted by tho aid
Of metallic copper. the nitrogen by sparkling
and then q mixture of magnesium and pure
lime was used to deprive tho gas of the little
oxygen remaining. Some four cubic inches OF
gas remained. 1t presented a weakly defined
spectrum of argon and an additional spectrum
characterized by two exceedingly brilliant
lines, one almost Identical with tho yellow
helium line, and tho other a green limo compar.
ing in intensity with the green limo OF the helium
spectrum.
Crypton may he the common element in the
heretofore supposed elements arRon and he
llum. The chemists are divided in opinion.
helium indicates that they may have a common
element yet undiscovered. G. Runge and +.
Pachen not long ago announced that their ex-
periments led them to believe that tho gas In
something elise. Prof. Lockyer. in describing
some experiments with helium.. remarked re-
Gently: I'VE appear to be in tho presence of
the vera causa, not of two or three. but of many
OF the lines which, SO far. have been classed as
| unknown. by students, both of solar and stellar
chemistry, and II this be confirmed, we are owl
IDENTITY, in the presence OF a new order Of gases
though perhaps they may be OF no practical
value TO chemists. because their compounds
and associated elements are for the most part
hidden in tho earth's surface"
Crypton doesn't form q very large part Of
the air man has been breathing some few thou
sand years. About ono cubic inoh in 90, 900
Is tho proportion. II heliun there is in tho air,
the proportion is about the same. ArRon 10
present in a slightly larger proportion.