Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-08-30
SECRETS DIED WITH THEM.
Inventors Whose Discoveries Meant
Much to the World.

In lS'o all Europe was startled by the
discovery of new explosive called full
mlnlte. which it was believed would rev
olutionize modern warfare. 1t was the
invention of an Exeter scientist named
Sawbridge, and samples of the explosive
Whch We're tested by the government re-
Vealed the fact that its power was three
times greater than that of cordite and in
consequence IL would treble the range of
rifle bullet. The German government
offered SaWbridge 800 900 for his inVen-
tlon which he patriotically refused until
the home authorities had had the frs,
option Of purchase But, just the lat
ter We're about to seal a contract with
him. the news came that his laboratory
mad been blown up and himself with it,
Unfortunately he left no records what
ever and although some of the leading
experts of the day mlnutely examined
the debris: they failed to discover the Sc
cret. watch is probably lost forever
Forty TWO years ago an Italian priest
named Luigi Taranti, discovered a meth
Cd of making stained glass. the ,coioring
of which was declared to be equal to that
made by the ancients, whose secret had
been lost. Tarantf abandoned holy or
derS and set to work to execute the hun
drcdS of commissions he received in the
secrecy of his work shop in Ostan near
Rome. The finest stained glass windows
in Italy were made by him. and he guard
ed his secret well, for year later he was
found dead of blood poisoning set up by
the pigments he employed, it was realized
that he had carried his secret with him.
examine the ingredients, but they one and
all failed to penetrate the dead mans
secret.
| The person who could make composition
billiard-halls equal to those of ivory
would quickly qualify millionaire.
and it is not an impossible task, for it
has already been done. Less than de-
cade ago a Scotch manufacturer put com
position billiard balls on the market
which We're good at only a third of the
price of those already in use. He re-
Trained from patenting his invention. ana
made all the balls himself. even his fam
| lily being prohibited from sharing his Sc
crct. But just as he was beginning to
taste the fruits of his experiments he was
one day mortallv 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 III
| tracing the material used they have long
| since given up all hopes of being able to
| discover how they were put together.
The only man who has yet been sue
| cessful III taking photographs in color
| was a martyr to his discovery. the secret
| of which is lost. Some years ago, DR..
| Herbert Franklin of Chicago submitted a
number of colored photographS-of a
| somewhat crude nature it is true-to the
! leading American scientific institutions.
| and the encoura cement that he received
| was such that he built himself labora-
| tory. proof against the wiles of spies. at
| a cost of $1,000. wherein to perfect his
| invention. In the preparation of his
| plates he used a charcoal fire, and one
| day when at work he omitted TO open
1.-The ventilatorS and was found aSphyM-
ated He had refrained from divJlging
| llfs secret to any one, and in consequt nee.
although some partially finished plates
| that hid the secret remained. the way
1 they were prepared Is a problem that has
baffied scientists to this day
| Another victim to his secret was Adams.
| the inventor of tallium. the greatest dis
covery in metals of the age Adams was