The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1903-07-01

5yiH AE. chemistry was our regu-
Es&klRSkAAH5 lar course of study that
year, and we spent most of
the spring term experimenting on our
own, account and exploding a vast
number of gas balloons.
We made a great deal of noise, and
maintained that we produced rain.
Showers certainly did follow some of
the explosions.
The spring term closed on June &c,
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 a 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
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.
Hardly anyone except the old jani-
tor knew that we had not gone home
as usual; for, naturally, we were not
very proud of being obliged to stay
after term time to make up our
work We stayed indoors all day,
and burned the midnight oil, be-
sides.
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
48 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 cantaloup!" he grum-
bled. and confound professor that
doesn't know better than to eat it!
No use to start now. We couldn't
get home!" he ragged on. 81 won't
spend the Fourth in a 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 had access to the laboratory in
Chemistry hall, where we had our
balloons, and generated the oxygen
and hydrogen gas for exploding them.
There was a quantity of cotton
cloth, paper and glue, which had not
been used; and that evening we made
a 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
the formula by which the two gases
unite to produce water-and par
ticular ear-splitting explosion.
We finished the balloon, and had
the gas generated at a little past
IL o'clock; and then, after charging
a 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 large ball of strong ma
Mia Irvine and spool of small cop
per wire, the ends of which were at
tached for spark at the base of the
balloon.
We led our balloon, like a frisky
colt, along the lane at the rear of
the chemistry building, and out across
the campus to the edge of the pine
woods. Then we let it rise.
The night was very dark and still,
but clouds had risen in the north and
west, and there was frequent glow
of lightning in that quarter, although
so distant that the thunder could not
be heard.
There's shower coming!" Jarvis
exclaimed, as the balloon began it's
ascent. 'sWe shall have to make
haste" u
But as yet there was not breath
of wind stirring; the balloon had
risen and hung directly overhead, and
was pulling hard at its restraining
string.
We knew from past experience that
when the electric spark acted on the
two gases the explosion would be
something tremendous; but we
thought that at height of 800 or 900
feet, out there by the woods, no
damage would follow.
And perhaps none would have fol-
lowed, if all had gone as we planned,
but Jarvis had great deal of trou-
Bile connecting the wires. He was
bothering with them for some min
pteh.