The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1902-09-10
FATAL DISCOVERIES.
INVENTIONS THAT BROUGHT THEIR
ORlGlNATORS TO THE GRAVE.


scssed Them and That Were the
Causes Of Their Tragic Taking OFF.
The maxim which states that silence
is golden has cost the world some Of
the greatest discoveries of modern
times, for not a 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
the discovery Of Il new explosive called
fulminitc, which, it was believed,
would revolutioniZe modern warfare.
1t was the invention OF an Exeter
scientist named Sawbridge, 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 it would treble the range Of
rife bullet. The German government
offered Sawbridge 100000 for his in
NSullOll, w llSll uC pau lol1Ntlly lSl uSSo
until the home authorities had had the
first option Of purchase. But just as
the latter were about to seal q con-
tract with him the news came that his
laboratory had been blown up and him
self with it. Unfortunately he left
no records whatever, and although
some of the leading experts Of the day
minutely examined the debris they
failed to discover the secret, which is
probably lost forever.
About half q century 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, it was
realized. that he had carried his secret
with hiu. The cleverest wcrkmen
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-
sition billiard balls equal to those Of
ivory would quickly qualify as mil
lionaire, and it is not an impossible
task, for it has already been done.
Some years ago a Scotch manufacture
er put composition billiard balls on the
market which were as good at but
only q third of the 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 as he was beginning to taste
the fruits Of his experiments he was
one day mortally wounded by an acci-
dent in his workshop and died before
he could make any statement. Ex-
perts were given specimens Of the balls
to analyze, but in spite Of the fact that
they succeeded in tracing the materl-
ais 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 in 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 q number of colored photo
graphs-of somewhat crude nature,
it is true-to the leading American
scientific institutions. and the encour-
agement he received was such that
he built himself a laboratory, proof
against the wiles Of spies, at cost
Of $4,000, wherein to perfect his in
vention. In the preparation of his
plates he used charcoal fire, and one
day when at work he omitted to open
the ventilators and was found asphyx-
lated. He had refrained from divulg-
ing his secret to any one, and in con-
sequence, although some partially fin
ished Plates that hid the secret re-
mained, the way they were prepared
is a problem that has bafled 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, although as
hard as steel, was only half its weight
and price, and after five years expert
menting with an electrical process tai
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 it was tco late. The enormous
mental strain he had undergone,
coupled with the sensation Of finding
millions within his grasp, took away
- Sy, a