The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-31

finds interest in other matters
than those which ordinarily attract Amer
lean girls in the French city. In a letter
just received. Miss Haywood writes:
I'm this remarkable period of scientific
exposition it is fascinating TO be living here
in Paris, where from day to day the results
of new discoveries may be seen with our
own eyes. On Sunday ''radium is ex-
posed in the office Of The Matin,'' on Mon
day Renards train without rails" twists
around the crowded Paris streets.
1--WE went to see radium one bleak day.
in the office Of The Matin a leading French
newspaper that has just given 5000 to
further the experiments with radium in the
Department of Medicine. We stamped our
feet for nearly an hour on the sidewalk out
side among the many hundreds who pressed
from in the morning until at night,
eagerly, yet patiently, around the narrow
doorway. Only few were admitted at
time, that each might walk close to the
glass case containing specimens of the
pechblende, rich with uranium, and found
in the mines of Bohemia of the mineral in
different stages of transformation; and
two milligrammes of pure radium in two
centigrammes of the salts of radium. We
violet, but the enthusiastically small guam
tity exhibited could produce no luminous
effect in daytime.
1T is said that there are not in existence
three grammes of radium pure. In order to
extract the pure substance months of chem
zeal labor are necessary. Mr.. Curie himself
states that the first rough treatments re-
quire immense chemical works, pri-
vate laboratory is sufficiently large. To ex-
tract the three grammes thirteen tons of
residue, or mixed substance, was treated,
and TO work one ton of this residue five
tons of chemical products and fifty tons of
water were employed. After a certain stage
was reached the operations were carried on
in private, and in The Matin office we saw
the tiny glass retorts in which Mr.. and
Mrs Curie carried on their Investigations
Both Mr. and Mrs. Curie have been hon
ored by the Royal Society of London
which. believing the discovery of radium to
be the greatest of the age, has presented
them with the great Davy medal The
cross of the Legion of Honor was offered to
Mr.. Curie, but he has refused it; why,
no one knows: let US hope II is through
modesty, because the honor has not been
conferred upon his wife. the constant part
ner in his labors. the instigator of the dis
covery, and the first to succeed in extract
ing the magic particles.
For what practical purpose radium may
serve is as yet unknown. 1t is estimated
that the cost of making two pounds would
be $1,000.
AN invention already practical is the
trackless train. We waited one day on the
Madeleine steps fully an hour for the train
to come down Rue Royal as scheduled. l
might remark in passing that the Paris
climate in December is quite as bad as that
of Indiana. If not little worse. Having an
appointment, we had started home, when
suddenly. with scarcely any warning. a Sc
RES of light open vehicles came wheeling
swiftly, noiselessly around the corner. The
train had the appearance of an automobile
drawing half a dozen large but gracefully
constructed carriages. In each open car
the dignitaries of the city were being treat
ed to a first ride They took off their hats