The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-09-18
Famous Scientist Has Devoted
His Life 10 Plans for he Bet
termcnt of Humanity.
DISC0VERER OF NEW ELEMENT
He Tells What Chemistry l. DO,
ing for People To-Day and
Points Ont Notable Prob
lens of Future.

New York. Sept. 17-That tie v-ry .l--
ments may be traced TO their origin was
the suggestion which astoaishes tile world
of science
1t vas made almost casually ~ a ban
quot If the waldorf-Astoria by one of The
greatest living authorities on chemistry.
sir William Ramsay Of London. before The
members Of tie Society," " Chemical In
dustry. over whose annual meeting he PIE
SIDED
1T seems to ne" we.s his exac; words.
THAT We NAV ts the eye 81 tn. IlscnE-
o-y of the origin OF the ordinary elements.
which may BE- the products OF the break
ing Gown Of radioactive elements OF nigh
atomic weight
II f!is should prove TO be true ali the
theories Of tine composition and properties
81 matter wo1ld be destroyed Numerous
elements the naming OF which has almost
exhausted tn Greek language might be
traced TO three or fOG- Of which they are
only derlyatious.
After that q would be- a step 20 the
realization OF the dreams 0f men Of The
ol6en times who Io!!ed to find the philosO-
piers stone and the mutation of
baser metals into gold l. might then de-
yelop that there is one element from which
all Others are derived. RadIUm itself seems
capable OF division. for Sig William Ram
say indicated ats syntheSis when he an
nounced that he had observed it change
into hclium.
In discussing the subject he said that
ihere were evidences that IL recent years
there had been chaTrges Of great impor
lance in the realm OF nature.
II may be that. in the brief statement he
made last week is the beginning VI n-w
systen which VIII overthrow al tie pres
.nI molecular and atomic theories
Interesting a. ar" The discoveries when
h., has made, they are not Inor- - than
Sir William Ramsay himself.
Those who know him say that he is
the busiest man in all England. FOR. his
life is devoted to countless plans for the
improvement Of the condition Of the hr-
man RAD The world OF science knows
him as the discover OF new elements.
a pioneer in the road which leads 10 The
Wonderland OF radium and as =. modern
aichemist who has been The means Of
turning many things into gold.
His life would be one OF self-etfacerneut
II ne could make it SO. for despite achieve
meEts which in another age would have
caused him 10 be hailed as worker OF
miracles he Is happiest in his laboratory
The King OF England knighJed him. the
Emperor Of Germany called him TO lecture
societies have given him degrees and gold
medals. yet he works az hard as lie did in
the days when he was a student at the
University OF Tuebingen-
SIR WILLIAMS ARRIVAL.
His arrival here as president OF the So
ciety OF Chemical Industry was regarded
in the light Of an event The occasion had
ties OF science. leaders IN scientific
thought from all the world. and those
who had achieved wonders IN the applica-
ton of chemistry yet all hailed him
chief The news that he had come to
reception given at the Chemists Club
seemed to act upon the assemblage ike
eletcric impulse, and he WAS surround
ed at once by several hundred scientists.
all eager TO see him and TO shake him by
the hand.
Many years OF his life were spent in
teaching before he attracted the attention
OF the world Of science. Sir William ram
say was born IN Glasgow in 1872. His
father was a civil engineer and from him
he obtained a bent toward scientific in
resignation He was graduated from the
Glasgow Academy and studied III jhe uni.
versity which bears the name OF his ma
chose chemistr7r as his life work and aft
er leaving Glasgow he went To the Uni
versity of Tuebingen.
HOW HE MET REMSEN.
His introduction to the laboratory 81
that instifutioI was told by him recently
at meeting OF the society whore he had
had the opportunity OF comforting o gold
president OF Johns HoDkils University.
Il went TO the front door % the iatora-
tory. said he little knowing then as
soon afte- learned. that that entrance was
only opened for the King. After much
rattling of bolts and locks the door vas
finally opened. and there stood before me
young man whose hands and arms
seemed to be as black As ink. II my b.st
German / Inquired for yorlesezimrl'r
Well cane the reply in English. I
guess that you want to 60 10 ths lecture
Ioorn2 That was my FIRST meeting H.th
Ira Remsen.''
Mr. Ramsay returned TO Ealglaad after
completing his studies at the University
of Tuebinsen and bscan. an assistant in
the Young Laboratory OF Technical Chem
istry. He was from 1873 10 lssp an assist
ant in chemistry in the University OF 'iias-
gov.
He went in 1850 to University college.
Bristol, where he first drew The attention
OF the scientific world. 4" joined Sile 20
ciety Of Chemical Industry and. b--aiils
one of. the harC-woTllins members ~ t1t
Bristol section His name spread through
The United kingdom. The attention oI
him. for he sirnpiiiied processes and sug-
gested new ways to suppisEJ the methods
which had been in vogue for decades
GREAT AS A TEACHER
His value as a teacher and an admins
traitor was quickly recognized and be Was
made principal within year after his ar
rival at the University of Bristol He Te-
manned in this position until 1ss5. when lie
was called TO the College Of London.
where he was made professor Of cheTni<-
try The reorganization OF the University
OF London brought Professor Ramsay into
touch with teaching more than ever be-
II is his favorite theory that teacher o:
chemistry should be constantly engaged in
research work. and he carried on Cor years
elaborate Investigations. His attention
was hrsf called to the composition Of the
str by Lord Rayleigh, q physicist who had
become convinced that there was n the
atmosphere another element than the cXy-
gen and the hydrogen OF which textbooks
tell.
Professor Ramsey was familiar with all
the means which might h- undertaken To
make practical test and experiments
were begun. Cayenjish- an investigator.
late in the Eighteenth Century mad limited
at the possibility Of there being something
In the air which was beyond the skill OF
chemistry 10 find
These researches resulted in Issi IN the
announcement OF the discovery that there
was another element. argOn. an inert gas,
ent OF the air. Professor Ramsay cOntin-
ued his Investigations until he round that
the spfctroScope examination OF 6rgon
showed the peculiar black lines made by
heiium a metal Supposed TO exist only in
the sun. He was led 10 believe that be
tween argon and hciium there were other
elements. The perfection OF ar apparatus
for iiauefying air enabled MN by disliiia-
sthe new one). kryptcn dhe hidden cns)
and xeon (the stranger.
THIS the investigation begun ten years
ago resulted in the discovery OF five new
elements
TRANsAIUTATIoN OF RADIUa
hadium challenged the attention and
interest Of tine distinguished scientist. AID
ne was the first to see heiium evolved
from It He made the discovery that the
emananons from radiurn in the course OF
q monih decompose into heliurn- The in
resusations which Sir William made OF
tne properties of the element aroused pop
Eiar interest IN England and he delivered
msny lectures on the subject TO eager au
olences. He once addressed $3.50 persons
al one time on the properties OF radiurn
NE inSesugauon concerning the eie-
iissts IN the AIR placed him IN the front