The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-27

Nature OfsSuppOsed Immortal Part
TO BE Observation-Disclosures the
Spirit Could BE Frozen just az
other Air Is.
From the Chicago Chronicle.
To have his soul iquefed when he should
come to die was the strange ambition
which possessed the late Robert G. Inger-
soil during the last few months of his
life. He hoped thus to establish beyond
all controversy the truth of agnosticism's
central tenet-that the human soul. like
ordinary air of the universe, is in its
essence material and mortal and perisha
bic. He had become deeply impressed with
the psychological possibilities of the re-
cent scientific discoveries in regard to the
Aquetaction of air and Chicagoans who
conversed with him not long ago over
the subject declare that he was willing
to have his SOUL as breathed forth in
his dying moments, made a prisoner for
the most startling experiment of history.
How TO arrange matters so that the ex-
pertinent would receive a fair trial was
problem that occupied the great agnos-
tics thoughts for some months to the
exclusion OF most other matters. 1t SEEM
cd to him that the progress of science
commanded that an experiment be made
with a view to demonstrate whether tbe
arr eXhaled in humanty's dying gasps diff
Tered IN any way from other air He be,
heVed that the scientific appliances and
Instruments already invented were cana HE
of securing the reception of a DIVING ner-
son last breath in a bulb or vessel her
meucalIy sealed. This breath, which he
reasoned must contain what soul there
IS, could then be submitted to the pro
cesseS followed in the liquefying of ordi-
nary ar Comparisons between the prod
uct OF TINS experiment and other liuue-
factions OF air-or with the liquehed souls
OF animals-would, in the agnosuc lead
ers opinion, be of tremendous interest to
the entire human race. But II was In
gersoIfs trmest belief that no differences
would be revealed. Never for a moment
did he believe that the breath of man
would prove incapable of lquefaction.
Would Defeat TheOIogians.
should the dying breath" be captured
imprisoned and bottled up no priest or
parSoh could, in InSersoHs Judgment. con
tenu WIN any show Of reason that the souL
hdu escaped. In this connection he is satI
TO have pointed to the scripturaI account Of
me Imprisonment of the OmniDotent Sa
Vlor soul in limbo and to the mytholog-
cdl iegened detailing the escape of the
dora "a s'n-
1t was during his visit here in April that
COZ. lngersoil set forth to a party of
medical men and students the views and
purposes above outlined. House Physician
IhoFen of the Cook County Hosiptal and a
NUMBER OF students al the institution had
gone to Studebakers Hall to hear the col
ebrated intidels lecture on The Devil"
AL the close of the lecture there was the
usual informal reception, when the heated
condition of the atmosphere in the crowded
haII encited from student some remarks
IN reference to the severe freezing or
HqueIylng processes which air was he
ing subjected 70 at the hands of scientists
Instantly upon hearing these references
to air hquefaction the face and manner Of
the famous iconoclast became most
thoughtful and he is said 10 have sDol<en
of the subject with interest. though alb
stractedly A the very outset he startled
MS visitors with the aVOwal that the prob
lem OF soul liQuefactOn' was what inter
ested him most in connection with the new
developments or discoveries as to the lioue-
flying of air. He declared that he had pon-
dered this one problem for months; it had
monopolized his thoughts by day and was
dreamt of by him at night. With some of
his closest personal friends he had he
said, taken counsel on the subject He had
told them of his belief that with the final
parting breath of a dying person the soul
whether ii existed as an integral part Of
that breath or as a separate entity-couid
be bottled up for experiment in air lique-
faction.
His friends thought this plan too daring
TO be ever put into effect They warned
him, he said, that the man or woman was
yet unborn who would consent to impris-
onment of his or her soul for this or any
other purpose. Though they doubted not
that scientists could be found who would
make the experiment on a soul secured
with the consent of its owner, they were
certain that no physicians or other scien-
lists of this day would ever essay to i'm
prison a human soul or attempt to liquefy
it unless given formal and express permis-
sion by the souls dying owner.
Offers His Soul.
When Mr.. Ingersolrs dramatic recital
along these lines had attained the point
where it reached an intense climax in de-
piction of the suppOsititious terrors of
soul liquefaction he astounded the little
band of students by calmly declaring that
an experiment with a view to the Ique-
faction of his soul would have no terrors
for him; that he deemed it his duty as
a persistent disbeliever In the souls i'm
mortality to offer his soul for liquefac-
ton through hermetic imprisonment when
ne Suoulu COME TO ole ana LQdt, Iurtler-
more, he was quietly perfectng arrange
ments to have his career closed with the
great test which should either prove or
belle all the views and tenets for which
he stool in his lifetime.
Reverting to what his friends thought
of his purpose, Col. Ingersou admitted
very freely, according to DR.. Thoren, that
there were few of his intimates who re-
garded the project with any degree of IA
vor. His friends he declared were as a
rule emphatic In saying that the test as
to his souls liquefacuon-w whatever the
result-would be accepted as of value by
only small portion OF the human race.
TO this the colonel made answer "that
the minority OF to-day Is the majority of
tomorrow" He recognized that the
preachers would deride the test: would
claim that the soul is insubstantial and
immaterlaL and that therefore the experi-
ment could not be of value. But should
the product of breath liquefacuon be
found no different from ordinary lique-
fed air-and Mr. lugersoli had no doubts
on this poiut-the preachers would ln his
opinion have hard time explaining how