The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-04-19

xilis BY q process. known only to =
TN diamonds car be made u ahDcrb
q certain production of radlunl. which
causes them To throw out fiashinx rays
Of lights for over fw~enty-four hours
The same process has been applied
to animals. such as dogs. cats and
guinea pigs Their bodies then issue a
soft kind OF glow. which has an g.
pecially weird effect in a dark room.
This latter experiment.. however.
proved To be harmful. the application
OF the light giving substance causing
severe eruption OF the skin of the ami
NAL
Like all new discoveries these have
their drawbacks M difficulties to %
overcome. The production Of the lumi-
nous gas. for instance. Il both diff
cult and expensive. and IL viii proba-
bly, be a good many years before !.
Will core into general use
Prof Charles Baskerville Is the first
American chemist TO discover a ner
element The two he has produced
have been named by him caToliniun
| and berzelium.
Although his discovery Is OF no prac-
teal value to any n but a scientist
it has created a furore among the
chemists of the world. Prof. Basker-
viIle's discovery means that he has
virtually found that W substances
exist in the earth which no one knew
anything about.
He is about thirtythree years old,
| youthful in appearance, and q man
who is both genial and fun loving. For
ten years he labored with thorium df
oxide: wOrkng on the principle that
the substance contained properties of
, which the scientific world knew moth
ing about.
When he finally discovered that
thorium could be made to produce ele-
ments unheard of before. he stopped
his work and began to think Of seek
ing a rest. This was not to be. how
ever, as 1t afterwards proved.
No sooner had his discovery been
noised about than Sir William Crooks.
the eminent English chemist, became
interested and asked To be permitted
TO make a spectrum analysis Of the
two new substances. Prof. Baskerville
sent Sir William some of the stuff.
and he Is at present experimenting
with it.
DR.. Baskerville then left the Uni
versity Of North Carolina for a brfei
vacation but while in Washington
| he was asked to say something to a few
students on his discoveries.
He good naturally agreed, but was
hardly prepared for what happened.
Upon taking the lecture platform he
found the lecture room crowded with
some of the most prominent chemists
in the country. but unprepared as he
Prof. Baskerville delivered a lee
ture that was received vociferously by
those present.
Still seeking rest he. fed to New York
putting up at the Holland house last
! Friday. He had hardly entered his
room when he received a request to
| lecture that night at the Chemists
| Club, which he agreed to.
The following day he was visited by
| innumerable professors and chemists
| of fame and reputation, n invita-
tibns to dine or lecture were shOwered
| upon him.
| 1t was while waiting for the cypress
man to take his trunks prior to his
leaving for the South that the reporter
talked to him in the hotel today.
Prof. Baskerville yawned patheical-
sion.
Il am so weary" he said, " that l
am ready to drop. I came here seeking
rest, but it seems that l I'm in demand
I shouldn't object, I know, but L am
awfully tired.
Il am glad however, to be Die to
deny some reports concerning my dis
coveries which have been published
in the In the first place
carolinium and berzelium are not lum-
inous and they have hardly any radio
activity. AS far as being of any use
commercially, no one KNOWS anything
about that part Of it.
what we have discovered Is prac-
tically: Carolinium. when taken from
thorium. is a light pink, and berze-
lium a light green. Now thorium IS
purely white, showing that these new
substances are foreign to- it. This dis
covery is, Of course, Of great interest.
This is because having w new
elements means we have two more
fields for experiments. AS soon as l get
home I shall start experimenting on
them. but what further developments
may be found it is impossible to say"