Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-07-11
IIaHr H1rHnrr rEar.
New Substance, Radium, Discovered by
Mime. Currie In Paris.
San Francisco Examiner.

New Substance, Radium, Discovered by
Mime. Currie In Paris. 81
San Francisco Examiner.
To make lamp that will give light
without fuel Is the dream Of the scien-
fist. To create substance that will
give out radiance without heat or the
consumption of material has been On
the list of impossible, made by every
day practical folk, but the scientist has
persisted in dreaming.
The realization of this dream Is a
great deal nearer than is supposed out
side of the geat chemical laboratories
of the world. In fact, the chemical
has actually been produced. The light
is somewhat feeble. it is trus, but
photographs have actually been made
by means OF it. h
Radium is the name given to the new
substance, and the discovery of 1t was
made by woman, Mime Sklowdowska
Currie, OF the municipal school of
physics in Paris.
The discovery of the wonderful prop
critics OF the X-ray set men to think
ing. 1t then became apparent that
there were more than one form of
radiant energy, all of them having the
same Qualities in certain directions,
but entirely different in Others.
Scientific students soon found that
the metal uranium possessed some OF
the most remarkable properties 10 this
direction. FIRST it was found to have
the power of absorbing light and after
ward emitting it. Then Investigations
were followed out by experimenting
with different salts of the metal, alone
ard in combination. 'sah
The results were surprising. Some
substances were produced having Prop
critics similar to X-rays. These were
invisible to the eye, and yet mad the
power of Jogging Photographic plate
when brought into contact with it.
Mime. Cnrrie took up the work. She
concluded that the wonderful properties
manifested by the different substances
obtained from the uranium were not
due to any real power OF the meta
itself. but to some substance which il
held 10 state OF qnietude or non,
activity. Following out this theory
she began her work with a enDstanos
known as pitchblend. Chemically this
is uraninits and is the refuse from the
factories where different uranium pro,
ducts are manufactured. ,t
| Following along her own lines Mme.
Currie's efforts were crowned with sue
cess about two months ago. by using
different salts in combination with
bismuth she produced substance with
some of the properties of barium, but
having the power, after being heated
of emitting visible rays of light. This
lie the substance which she namet
"radium,''
4 Pieces were dropped into Runpowde
and glow spread all through the in
fiammabte material, but there was n,
explosion. There was no heat and nj
fire only light. Everything likely Il
start combustion was tried, but Away
resulted in failure.
In order to destroy the luminosity o
fadium it was necessary to drop il init
boiling water and keep it there for oil
our. On removal it looked likeIa piec,
of green quartz, dead and cold. Blu
on heating the substance TO the poin
OF incandescence the luminosity wa
regained with the same powers as be
fore. 4s
Several pieces of radium were manu-
featured and sent to scientists Ia al
parts of the world. One Of these ha
recently been received by Prof. Lang
ley of the Smithsonian Institution
The specimen had been packed In
small leaden boz, with instructions d
open Ii in the dark.
A small party at onoe adjourned t
the ink blHckness. Prof. Langley Gu
the box and before the astonishe,
scientists could realize what had hap
pened, the room was filled with clear
greenish glow, bringing out in relief th
features of everybody present. Th
light was cold and harmless and th
substance could be picked up with i'm
punity.