Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1899-01-12
DEvOURS LIKE FIRE.
THE WONDERFUL EFFECTS PRopuc,
60 az FLuoRiNE.
Ihs Diasnond Only Able 70 Absolutely ne.
sist This Powerful solvsnt-Rsssarchss
Into the Mature q . Hitherto Poorly
Knovn Chemieal Elcmsn..

Into the Nature q . Hitherto Poorly
Knswn Chemical Elcmsn..
TIE alchemists Of the middle ages be-.
lSved that somewhere in the universe
vas to be found universal solvent
which would dissolve the most refrac
tory substances ~ readily ~ water dis
solves sugar. They named their solvent
liquor alkahest, and what time they
could spare from the search after the
elixir of life and the philosophers
stone was spent in the endeavor to OBJ.
tain it. Science has yet to prove, by the
way, that there was not more method
in the madness Of the alchemists than
Is generally supposed, for in the re-
markable substance fluorine chemists
possess material that approximates very
closely to universal solvent. Its chem.
ical energy is SO fierce that, except gold
and platinum, nothing can resist it, and
even gold AID platinum succumb to
duorine in time The mere contact of
most substances with fluorine is suffi-
cient to caase not mere solution, but
light, fame and fierce detonations.
Dull, inert fiict takes fire when exposed
to f1uoiine vapor and becomes q bril-
liant incanGescent mass. Lampblack
bursts into fame, while charcoal burns
with bright scintillations. Only the
diamond is able to resist this powerful
solvent, to which it does nos succumb
even ut high temperature. The similar
element 81 icon, which can be obtained
in crystalline form closely resembling
the diamond, gives q magnificent dis
play in the presence Of fiuorine, the
crystals becoming white hot and throw.
ing showers Of fiery spangles in all iii.
rections. The heat is SO intense that the
crystals melt. showing that their TEN.
perature has reached 1900 degrees G.
Phosphorus combines fercely with
auo1,Ie PrueEian blue, Gu account Of
the cyanogtn it contains, burns with a
beautiful pink flame; while from
crystal of iofine placed in fiuorine vapor
q heavy liquid d.stills with pale fame
This liquid-an ioaide of fiuorine-
etches glass, and if thrown into water
Kisses like hot iron. The last named
metal becomes white hot when exposed
to tiuorine; even iron rust behaves in q
similar manner. Nearly all metals are
raised to vivid incandesceEce in cur
rent of the gas, many appearing very
beautiful, especially aluminium ard
zinc If the latter be slightly warmed,
it bursts into white fame too dazzling
to gaze at or describe.
Although it has been known in vari-
Gus states of combination for many
years, having been first discovered by
Schwankhardt Of Nuremberg, in 1910,
and rediscovered by Scheele in 1871,
fuorins was not obtained as fluorine in
the free state until about six years ago.
when the French chemist Moissan sue
ceeded in isolating it by employing
current Of electricity from 26 or 90,
Bunssn batteries. The current was pass.
ed through the compound Of fluorine
and hydrogen known as hydro6uoric
acid. which is similar to hydrcchloric
acid. To improve the conductivity of
the hydro6uoric acid it was necessary
to dissolve another fluorine compound
in the liquid. AS will readily be imag.
ined. it is not SO difficult to obtain free
luocine as to keep it when obtained
Every part Of the apparatus used by NJ.
N oissan was made of platinum, with
screw joints and washers of lead, which
swell on contact with fuorine, all the
shoppers being of fluorspar Fluorine
has powerful affinity for silicon, one
Of the principal constituents of glass, SO
that it was impossible to use glass yes
sells or tubes to contain the gas.
As regards the chemical nature Of
fluorine, it is gas at ordinary temper.
ature aid is the lightest member of the
series of elements containing chlorine,
bromine and iodine. The attraction of
fuorine for hydrogen exceeds that Of
chlorine and is SO great that if slow
current of fuorine gas be passed into
tube of flucrspar containing o drop of
water dark fog is produced, which
changes presently to a blue vapor con-
sisting Of czone-the condensed form of
oxygen. The last named substance up.
pears 70 be one of the few materials
which has no affinity for fluorine. Moth
ing is observed to take place between
them even when they are heated up to
1000 degrees F.
So far all experiments had been con.
Quoted with f1uorine gas, which. at the
time it was isolated, resisted all at
tempts to reduce it to the liquid state.
Six years ago, however, there was no
laboratory-such as that at the Royal
Notwithstanding powerful machinery
for producing liquid air Or liquid oxy-
gen at the command of the Investigator.
In fact, liquid air itself was practically
unknown. Ey the aid of this weapon
Professors Dewar and Moissan have sucs
ceeded in liquefying fuorine. At the
extremely low tempera ture of liquid
oxygen it was found that fluorine did
not attack glass, and it was possible to
use glass vessels to hold the newly lique.
fed element. &C. f. Townsend in
Knowledge.
A Tough Route.
Somewhere in the south, - says Con.
gresham Sulloway, "a bright colored
boy appeared before the civil service
commission to be examined for the DO.