The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-09-10
FATAL DISCOVERIES.
INVENTIONS THAT BROUGHT THEIR
oRIGlNAToRs TO THE GRAVE.


ORlGlNATORS TO THE GRAVE.
Scientific Secrets That Have Dccn
buried With the Men Who Pos
scssed Them and That We're the
Causes OF Their Tragic Taking on.
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 benefac-
tors have been killed by their secrets
before they would consent To divulge
them TO their fellow beings.
In 1895 all Europe was startled by
tho discovery of new explosive called
fulminite, which, 1t was believed,
would revolutlonlze modern warfare.
1t was the invention of an Exeter
scientist named Sawbrldge, and sam
pies of the explosive which were test
ed by the government revealed the fact
that Its power was three times greater
than that of cordite and In conse-
quence 1t would treble the range of Il
rifle bullet. The German government
offered Sawbridgc 10000 for his In
vention, which he periodically refused
until the home authorities had had the
first option of purchase. But Just as
the latter Were about to seal CON
tract with him the news came that his
laboratory had been blown up and him
self with 1t. Unfortunately he left
no records whatever, and although
some of the leading experts of the day
infinitely examined the debris they
failed TO discover the secret, which is
probably lost forever
About half century ago an Italian
priest named Luigi Taranti discovered
II method of making stained glass, the
coloring of which was declared equal
to that made by the anclents, whose
secret hns 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 mt Ostia. near Rome. The finest
stained glass windows In Italy were
made by him, and he guarded his Sc
cret well, for when n year later he was
by the pigments he employed, II was
realized that he had carried his secret
with him, The cleverest workmen
were called In to examine the Ingredi-
ents. but they one and all failed to
penetrate the dead mans secret
The person who could make compo-
sitlon billiard balls equal to those of
" mil
lionalrc, and 1t Is not nm impossible
task, for Il has already been done.
Some years ago n Scotch manufactur-
er put composition billiard balls on the
market which We're as good ut but
only Il third of tho price of those al
ready In use. He refrained from pat
enting his invention and made all the
balls himself, even his family being
prohibited from sharing his secret
But just ms he was beginning to taste
| the fruits of his experiments he was
one day MORALLY wounded by an acct
dent In his workshop and died before
he could make any statement, Ex-
perts were given specimens of the balls
to analyzc, but In spite of the fact that
they succeeded IN tracing the matcrl-
als 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
ccssful In taking photographs In color
was n martyr to his discovery, the
secret of which Is lost. Some years
ago DR.. Herbert Franklin Of Chicago
submitted number OF colorcd photo
graphs-of n somewhat crude nature,
IL Is truc-to the leading American
scientific institutions, and the encour-
agemcnt he received was such that
he built himself laboratory, proof
against the wilcs Of spies, ut cost
of $4,000, wherein to perfect his In
yention. In the preparation of his
plates he used n charcoal fire. and one
day when Mt work he omitted to open
the ventilators and was found asphyx-
lated. lie had refrained from diyulg-
Ing his secret to any one, and in con
sequence, although some partially fin
ished plates that hid tho secret re-
manned, the way they were prepared
is problem that has baiIled scientists
to this day.
Adams. the inventor of talllum, the
greatest discovery In the metals of the
age. Adams was confident that metal
could be produced which, although az
hard as steel, was only half It's weight
and price, and after five years expert
menting with an electrical process tall
lium 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 lead
ing railway companies
But 1t was too late. The enormous
mental strain he had undergone,
coupled with the sensation of finding
millions within his grasp, took away
his reason, and he was confined in an
asylum. He left no records TO explain
the process, and no amount of per-
suasion drew the secret from him,
which perished locked up IN his brain
when two years later he died help
less lunatic.-London Tit-Bits.