The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-18

xII-BETTER THAN ALCHEMY.
Hall was there expecting me and after
, hearty greeting, during which his ella
tion over his success was manifested, he
said:
II am compelled to ask you to make q
little journey found It impossible TO
secure the necessary privacy here. and.
before opening my experiments. ] Sc
lected a site for new Iaboratory<fn an
unfrequented spot among the mountains
this side of Lake Tahoe You will be the
first man. with the exception Of my two
devoted assistants. TO see my apparatus.
and you shall share the sensation of the
critical experiment"
Then you have not yet completed your
solution of the secret7"
Eyes, have; for am as certain Of tho
result ms II ! had seen II. but thought
you were entitled to be in with me at
the death"
From the nearest railway station we
took horses to the laboratory, which oc-
cupied 4 secluded but most beautiful site
at an elevation OF about 5000 feet above
eea level. With considerable surprise
noticed q building surmounted with a
dome, recalling whas we had seen from
The Grand Teton ON the roof of DIR. Syx's
mill Hail. observing my look. smiled
significantly. but said nothing. The lab
orntory proper occupied a smaller abuiid-
ing adjoining the domed structure. Han
led the way into an apartment having hut
= single door and illuminated by a sky
light.
This is my sanetum sanctorum" ne
eaid. "and you are tho first outsider to
enter II. Seat yourself comfortably whIie
] proceed TO unveil a little corner Of the
artemisium mystery"
Near ono end of the room. which was
about thirty feet in length. was table
on which lay glass tube about two
inches in diameter and thirty inches long.
In the further end OF the tube CLEANED
. lump OF yellow metal which l took to
be gold Hall and I were seated near
another table about twenty-five feet dis
tant from the tube, and on this tatbie
was an apparatus furnished with con-
cave mirror whose optical axis was di-
rected toward the tube. 1t occurred to me
at once that this apparatus would be
suitable for experimenting with electric
waves. Wires ran from II to the floor.
and In the cellar beneath was audible tho
beating OF an engine. My companion
made an adjustment or two and then re-
marked:
Now. keep your eyes on the lump of
gold In tho further end OF the tube yon-
der The tube Is exhausted OF air, and
am about to concentrate upon the gold
an intense electric influence which will
have the effect of making II a kind OF
the sake Of illustration. You will recall
that Ms long ago as tho days of Crooks
II was known that a kathode in an ex-
hausted tube would project particles or
atoms. OF Its substance away In straight
lines Now watch''
nxcd my attention upon the gold and
presently saw II enveloped IN a most
beautiful violet light This grew more
intense until, at times. Il was binding
while, at the same moment. the Interior
OF the tube seemed TO have become
charged with luminous vapor Of deli
cate pinkiah hue.
Watch wstchir said Hall Look at
tho nearer end of the tube.,
why, II Is becoming coated with
goidi' I exclaimed
lie smiled but made no reply. Still
the strange process continued, The
pink ynpor became so dense that tho
lump Of gold was no longer visible. al
though the eye OF violet light giared
risrcingiy through the colorcd fog
Every second the deposit OF metal. shin
ms like a mirror. Increased. until sud-
denly there came curious whistling
sound. Han who had been adjusting
the mirror jerkcd away his hand and
gave Il fsp, Ii hot water RAD spat-
tered a. and then the light In the tube
quickly died away, the vaper escaped.
nlling the room with a peculiar stimu-
lnting odor and ! perceived that the end
through. and the molten gold was slowly
dripping from Il.
II carried Il little too Tar" SAID
Hall rueneliy rubbing the back OF hts
hand and when the glass save -Nay
under the atomic hon0ardmeNt feW
atoms OF sold visited my bones uwt
there u 10 harm done You observe
that the instant tho air reached the
kAthodc. as / Tor convenience can the
electrified snass os SOLD. The actioe
ceased
'sBut your anoae, 60 coauase your
siusiie,r | said "a constantly exposed 20
tho air
.rrue. be repslea 'hnt Ia the first
place, Of course. this Il not rsuliy an
snotie. aust as tAe other Is not actually
a kath03e As science advances Wv are
compelled. foF a time. 10 Hse ula terms
In a aew sense. until fresh nngaen-
eiatura can Ne Invented Bpt We are
row dealing with "a faFm " oiee ,ric ar
ton more subtitle ga lfs effects taan any
a. present described Ia tbs textbooks
ANA TIE SyaAsagfiens q the learned s0ci-
cities. | have not ses even attempted 10
work out the theory ~ &c. 1 am only
concerned With is facts"
"iut Wonderful, as the exhibition you
have given -, I 90 nof sse. | said. ''hew
a. concerns pr SyS ana ess artesnistnm =
sl3stens feNlfed Han. sotilinE back IN
his csatr Afrr SiseoA0cctiug hts apnAE-
atDe Na no 6o}le have heen told
how oaa nsss the SsN euglno VAS heard
vorking for few minutes, the arsf and
only night work Il was even known TO
have done. and how. hardly had II start
"a UP when a IRE broke out In the mill
~ tfs eaSiHA yae iassARisx ssaRRed,