The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-21
SECRETS THAT KILLED.
Some Public Benefactors whose
Lips Were Sealed.
From Tit Bits

From Tit Bits.
The maxim which states that silence
Is golden has cost the world some of
the greatest discoveries of modern
times, for not few of the inventors
whose names would have been handed
down to posterity as public benefactors
have been killed by their secrets before
they would consent to divulge them to
their fellow-beiugs.
In 1895 all Europe was startled by the
discovery of a new explosive called
fulmintte, which 1t was believed would
revolutionize modern warfare. 1t was
the invention of an Exeter scientist
named Sawbridge, and samples of the
explosive which were tested by the
government revealed the fact that its
power was three times greater than
that Of cordite, and In consequence 1t
would treble the range of a rifle bullet.
The German government offered Saw
bridge 10000 for his invention, which
he periodically refused until the home
| authorities had had the first option of
purchase. But, just as the latter were
| about to seal contract with him, the
news came that his laboratory had
been blown up and himself with 1t IN
| fortunately he left no records what
| ever, and although some of the leading
| experts of the day infinitely examined
| the QSDTlS Iney 1dlIe0 TO discover the
secret, which is probably lost forever.
Forty-two years ago an italian
priest named Luigi Taranti discovered
a method of making stained glass, the
coloring of which was declared equal
to that made by the ancients, whose
secret has been lost. Taranti aban-
doned holy orders and set to work to
execute the hundreds of commissions
he received in the secrecy OF his work
shop at Ostia, near Rome. The finest
stained-glass windows In Italy were
made by him and he guarded his Sc
cret we'll, for when a year later he
was found dead of blood poisoning
set up by the pigments he employed,
1t was realized that he had carried
his secret with him. The cleverest
workmen were called in to examine
the ingredients, but they one and all
failed to penetrate the dead mans Sc
cret.
The person who could make COM
position billiard balls equal to those
of ivory would quickly qualify as a
millionaire, and II Is not an impossible
task, for 1t has already been done.
Less than decade ago a Scotch man
ufacturer put composition billiard
balls on the market which were as
good at but only a third OF the price
of those already in use He refrained
from patenting his invention, and
lily being prohibited from sharing his
secret. But just as he was beginning
to taste the fruits of his experiments
he was one day MORALLY wounded by
an accident in his workshop and died
before he could make any statement
Experts were given specimens of the
balls to analyZe, but, in spite of the
fact that they succeeded in tracing
the materials used. they have long
since given up all hopes of being able
to discover how they were put to-
gether.
The only man who has yet been sue
cessful In taking photographs in color
was martyr to his discovery, the Sc
cret of which is lost. Some years ago
DR.. Herbert Franklin of Chicago SUBJ
mitted a number of colored photo
graphs--of somewhat crude nature,
1t is true-to the leading American sci |
entific institutions, and the encourage
ment he received was such that ne
built himself a laboratory, proof
against the wiles of spies. at. cost
of $4,000, wherein to perfect his in |
yention. In the preparation of his |
plates he used a charcoal fire, and one |
day when at work he omitted to open |
the ventilators and was found as |
phyxiated. He had refrained from d. |
vulging his secret to any one, and in |
consequence although some partially !
manned, the way they were prepared |
is a problem that has baffled scientists |
to this day.
Another victim to his secret was
Adams, the inventor OF tallium, the |
greatest discovery In the metals of the |
age. Adams was confident that a |
metal could be produced, which, al |
though as hard as steel, was only half |
it's weight and price, and after five |
years experimenting with an electrical |
process tallium was the result. The /
invention was taken up throughout |
America, and orders for thousands of |
tons of the metal began to pour in |
from the leading railway companies.
But II was too late. The enormous |
mental strain he had undergone. coup
led with the sensation of finding mill |
lions within his grasp. took away his !
reason. and he was confined to an ,
asylum. He left no records to explain
the process, and no amount OF persua-
sion drew the secret from him, which 8
persisted locked up in his brain when
two years later he died a helpless lun-
attic.
--@~e~s---~-~----
Charles ID. Bourcart. Swiss minis !
ter to Great Britain. declines to accept 1