The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1903-07-04

conducted, first at Wash
" ington, afterward in Tex
k<4tFS,z as. my college chum and
ksX | became greatly inter-
ested in the subject.
LM We were then sopho-
1liIN mores at B. Elementary
RMjk& chemistry was our regu-
lar course of study that
year, and we spent most of
the spring term experimenting on our
own account and exploding vast
number of gas balloons.
The spring term closed on June 26,
| and all the boys went home, except
my chum Jarvis and myself, who, in
consequence of spending so much
time experimenting, had been 'con-
ditioned, and had weeks hard work
to make up in our Greek.
Rather than have it hanging over
us all summer and into the next year,
we agreed to do it at once and have
1 done with it, Permission was accorded
TO us to go on living in our rooms
at the hall, and the resident profess
sor in Greek consented to give us an
extra examination.
1t was dreadfully hot during the
last four days OF June, but we toiled
away with Greek grammar and lexi-
con, hoping to get home for the
Fourth of July; and we should have
done SO, but our Greek professor ate
too much cantaloup on the day set
for the examination, and thought for
As hours he had appendicitis.
1t proved to be no such serious
trouble, but it hindered our plans.
The professor was not able to exam
Inc us till the afternoon of the third,
so we could not possibly get home
for the Fourth.
Jarvis was furious.
"Confound cantaloupl" he grum-
bled. "And confound professor that
doesn't know better than to eat It'll
No use to start now. We couldn't
get home!" he ragged on. Il won't
spend the Fourth in railway car!
Let's stay here and shake the old
town up Let's send up balloon at
midnight! Well make it rain here
Tomorrow
rather an incendiary sentiment, the
reader will say but we had been shut
up with Greek for six long, hot days.
we mad access to the laboratory in
ehemstry hall, where we had our
balloons, and generated the oxygen
ana hydrogen gas for exploding them.
lhere was a quantity of cotton
IL, J. -
oeen used; and that evening we made
balloon ten feet in diameter, which
we succeeded in charging, outside the
window, with oxygen and hydrogen
from the laboratory retorts, in the
proportion of two to one, that being
tne formula by which the two gases
unite to produce water-and par
ucuiar ear-splitting explosion.
We finished the balloon, and had
the gas generated at little past
II O'Clock; and then, after charging
large Leyden jar from the static
electrical machine, we started out to
astonish the quiet little town, and
usher in the Fourth of July.
We had a large ball OF strong ma
Mia twine and spool of small cop
per wire. the ends of which were at
iaehed for spark at the base of the
balloon.
We led our balloon, Ike frisky
colt, along the lane at the rear of
the chemistry building, and out across
tne campus to the edge of the pine
woods. Then we let it rise.
The night was very dark and still,
out clouds had sisen in the north and
west, and thefe was frequent glow
Of lightning in that quarter.
There's a shower coming!" Jarvis
exclaimed, as the balloon began its
hscent. 1--WE shall have to make
haxte.r
But as yet there was not breath
oI wind stirring; the balloon had
nsen and hung directly overhead, and
wa1 pulling hard at its restraining
string.
we knew from past experience that
"nen the electric spark acted on the
TWO gases the explosion would be
soSzsthing tremendous, but We
.noaght that at height of SEQ or 900
ieet. out there by the woods, no
Damage wonld follow.
And perhaps none would have fol
lowed. II all had gone as we planned,
out Jarvis had great deal of trou-
30 sennseting ths wires. H Tss