Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-09
New Form of Radiant Energy Without Heat Waves

radio-activity Of thorium and afterward OF
pitchblende. Working with her husband,
she succeeded in extracting from pitch
blende a substance named polonium, which
proved to be at least 100, 900 times more
radioactive than uranium. Out of pitch
blende still other substances were OBJ
tanned, such as radium and actinium. So
far no one has been able to discover the
cause of these rays. Although invisible,
they have manifested their presence very
positively in other ways. They will affect
Photographic plates in the dark. Radium
rays will turn ordinary white glass to a
brown or a violet tint and, like X-rays,
have caused Inflammation when applied to
the human skin.
Lord Kelvin has shown that some of
these rays are capable not only of con-
Quoting an electric current, but that they
are capable of generating a current. He
connected a plate of copper and a plate of
zinc by means of a wire and teen ex-
posed the two plates to uranium rays.
The moment this was done an electric cur
rent began to flow along the wire. Prof.
Pegram, quoting Becquerel, says the velo-
city Of the rays is about half that OF or
binary light, but that the waste is so small
that the loss from a square emtimetre of
surface would be something like a MILL
gram in 1000, 900, 900, 900 years. Heat or
cold, high or low pressure, does not affect
them. So that taking them all in all they
constitute the most wonderful physical
phenomena within our observation at the
present time.
Now, you know that X-rays we're long in
visible until tungstate Of calcium was used
in the Horoscope to mak them visible. II
occurred to me that some similar sub
stance might be combined with these prod
ucts Of pitchblende to mak them visible,
After some consideration l fixed upon pla-
tino-b arium cyanide. 1 tried It with the
salts. The experiment was a success.
was able to see the light. But ZONE with
me to the dark room and see for yourself.
Materials Look Simple
He picked up a shallow paper box tn,
size of a watch crystal, containing a small
quantity OF white powder. Near 1t lay whal
looked like a piece of greenish-yellov
pasteboard. He carried these into the dark
room and laid them on the table. Tn
room and its furniture we're painted blacl
and every chink and crevice had beef
stopped up to prevent the slightest ray o.
light from entering, once the door wa
shut.
This powder is the radio active sub
stance" said Prof. Hallock. when we wer
ready for the test. "As this yellow cart
is the barium-cyanide, 1 shall merely la!
1t On top of the box Of salts. The salt
would be invisible ordinarily, but when thei
rays flowing upward strike the barium'
cyanide the latter will take on a glow
First, however, We must get used to thu
darkness"
He closed the door and absolute dark.
ness resulted. The writer closed his eyei
to hasten their accommodation to the new
condition, but as 1t seemed to make no diff
ference whether they were open or closed h
opened them again and strove nightly t
see the expected new light.
"It is remarkable how quickly the eye
will accommodate itself to conditions o.
relative Darkness" said Prof. Hallock
"When / was in the governmental astro-
physical laboratory in Washington l wai