The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-10-13
RADIUM'S GREkl YER
Luminous Effects on Diamonds
Shown by Tifany's Expert.
FIFTBBE CARAT STONE USED.

One Twenty-three-hundr OF an
Ounce of the Rare Mineral, Incased
In Many ReceptacIes, Made big
Diamond Sparkle In the Dark at a
Demonstration In New York.
a large assemblage sat in utter dark
ness for more than an hour the other
evening at the Museum Of Natural His
tory, in New York. and among other
incidents watched the fluorescence and
phosphorescence impaired to fifteen
carat diamond by III miligrams Tor
1890 an ounce Of radium
The exhibition was so marvellous as
almost to be Incredible but every
statement that has been made abroad
regarding the properties Of the new
metal was confirmed says the New
York American.
Prior to covering the lights the small
tube containing the radium was passed
around the hall for inspection, but it
never left the hands Of George r.
Kuntz, the expert Of the Tiffany COM
pany, who gave the exhibition. One
reason was that radium is highly dam
gerous; another that ii Is very costly.
The specimen shown was Of 100000
activity, the most potent yet seen In
the United States, although a much
higher grade will undoubtedly be pro-
duced. The feeling Of danger inspired
was of that indefinite character that
may well be described as "uncanny."
Nobody present at the museum could
gauge radium's distinctive powers, but
enough Of the mineral was at hand to
convert the museum building into dust.
Radium is separated from uranium
from many tons only mere trace.
Twenty-Five hundred tons 100000
pounds) must be refined 10 secure one
pound Of radlum. Its cost, $4,200.0e0
The appearance of the new metal
was that OF a mixture Of fine table salt
and -four. Some Of its particles glis-
tened: others were dull white.
The incident Of the night was the dis
play Of the effect Of radium upon
white and blue diamonds Then Pro-
lessor Kuntz announced that lie was
about to produce from a box a fifteen
carat Brazilian diamond The diamond
had no luminosity in the dark when
held aloft, but as soon as the radium
tube was placed behind it the gem
took on pale steel white glow. the in
tensity OF which increased to a fixed
degree.
Professor Kuntz then incloscd the
glass containing the radlum in a rub
Der pipe same effect. This combina-
ton was then dropped into a section of
lead pipeno change In result. Again
the radium, glass, rubber and lead
were sealed in brass tube with a
screw top-the big white diamond
glowed as before.
Then came the supreme test. The
diamond was held fur from the radium
until its phosphorescence had melted
away. Meanwhile the brass tube and
its contents were submerged In Jar
of water. -Four inches of wooden
blocks were placed before it on a ped
estal and the white diamond hung over
the wood, facing the assembly. These
preparations were made in the small
luminous field Of a portable electric
lamp.
After the extinction Of the electric
bulb pale white luminous spot began
to develop at the front Of the wooden
blocks. In a few seconds it glowed like
a freely, and In a quarter Of minute
1t literally sparkled.
Professor Kuntz announced that the
specimen Of costly metal had been pre-
scented to the Academy of Natural Sci
ences, belonging to the museum, BY
Edward d. Ellis Of New York city