The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-06-22
"A NEW
FIELD
OPENS
Scientists InVeStigat-
ing Radium and
PaIOnilm
Think it May Eventually
Take The Place of Coal
and all Other
Fuels

The Yale scientists who have been
pursuing investigations into the sub.
ject of radio activity announce the dis.
covery of the first signs of 1t in the
United States. DR.. H. A. Bumstead
and Dr. Lynde Wheeler of the shef.
field Scientific Institute have had the
experiments in charge. DR.. Wheeler
said:
I'VE have been following the lines
suggested by Professor ]. J. Thomp.
son of England and have found what
appears like one discovery not even
made by the great Cambridge scient.
list in his own laboratory. We are con.
iident we have shown that the pres.
ence OF radio activity can be demon.
strated in surface water at least in
some parts of America Repeated ex.
periments performed with water TAX.
en- from the city supply at Lake
Whitney show radio activity"
Professor Delmas tried repeatedly
to secure similar results from the
water of England and in different
parts Of Ireland without success. He
found Il in water taken from unusu.
ally deep wells and through chalk.
When he came to Yale TO deliver the
Sllliman lectures recently he was en-
thusiastio over his experiments. which
indicate a force SO powerful that. as
Professor Thompson expressed II. the
coal mines OF the world may not be
needed for either heat or energy II the
new element, radlum. can be utilized.
as seems a possibility If the theories
now being developed are perfected.
Professor Thompson went to New
Milford, Conn, with the Yale sclen.
lists, and from water taken from a
well 1900 feet in depth radio activity
was found This was the first expert.
ment IN America so far as Is known
showing its presence In water.
In explaining the discovery Dr.
Wheeler said today; "In finding
radio activity the water was first
boiled. the steam that came on was
condensed and the gas collected in a
holder. and by means Of an electro
scope radio activity was discovered. "
The Yale experiments are following
in the wake OF the recent wonderful
discoveries OF radlum. polonlum and
aetinium all OF which possess radio
activity 10 degree that has con.
founded science and led 10 the belief
that grounded scientific beliefs will
have TO be reconstructed In the near
future TO meet new conditions In a
larger sense. radio activity Is the radi.
ating force that is thrown on from
any generating source. In the case Of
radlum. that substance which has but
recently been discovered. science is
absolutely unable 20 account for the
the radio activity which hurls on little
corpuscles OF organic substance with
a speed OF 10000 miles a second,
travelling nearly onehalf as fast as
light, and going on and on In this
manner without the least change In
its molecular construction or the least
loss chemically
The thought suggested Immediately
by these developments is the practi.
cal value Of radio activity II Is
stated that II Is already certain that
radio activity viii take the place OF
X-rays In photography, A force that
never wastes and always produces Ia
n effect perpetual motion. and steam
md electricity both will be distanced !
I the new force can be put TO the
PRACTICAL uses OF the commercial
World, which none doubt win eventu-
lily be accomplished who have wit
Iessed the experiments already con
ucted and observed the potent pow
r Of the substance.