The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-21
COLD FROM IRON.
Orr Adams Says It Is a Posi-
bility.
Will Be Accomplished by Use Of
Radium.
HE SHOWS $500 WORTH
Was i'm Small Bottle and CLOVIS
Like Phosphorus.
HE SHOWS $500 WORTH
Much of the Wonderful Sub.
stance in Colorado.

If what Mr. Orr Adams of Colorado
who addressed the Academy of Science
at the state house last evening on the
subject of radium, said be true, that
radium gas may under proper conditions
be changed to helium gas and from that
be reduced to the mineral of that name,
it will revolutionize science and will re-
verse and alter all chemical theories.
Iron may then be rGnsformed into gold.
1t has always been the hypothesis of
science that there were some eighty or
more distinct and separate elements
which were incapable of being reduced
further but now it seems that radium
disproves this theory and makes it pos
sible to suppose that these separate ele-
ments may be transformed or changed
from one to the other.
The radium which Mr.. Adams exhibit
ed last evening was in the form of a
powder and probably there was no more
than would fill a two grain capsule in
its impure state, yet the value of the
amount, little as it was, was over $780,
1t had been extracted from Colorado
ore and its ratio activity was of about
three hundred thousand strength. I'm
der the electric light the substance look
ed like almost any light colored powder
which is of a yellowish hue. 1t would
resemble sulphur in appearance, al
though much heavier substance. In
the dark however, it took on a rather
dull lustre and glowed dimly with
somewhat phoSphorescent light man
ner. The value of the product is enor-
NOUS as only an ounce is worth up into
the millions.
The various properties and uses Of
radium were discussed and its peculiari-
ties were shown by means of an exhibit
ton of sample pieces
What Mr.. Adams Said.
Mr. Adams said:
1.-The substance radium was discover
ed in the year 1898, by a Frenchman
and yet very little definite knowledge
of it has been gained. have been work.
ing in the mining districts of Colorado
for five years and have found that state
contains much of the precious mineral
''Prue radium never exists but it is
always found to be combined with
some other element such as uranium
or vanadian. 1t has never even been
separated off by itself asd is always
handled as a salt. There is very little
brilliant light emitted from radium. 1t
simply glows and gives off heat. 1t is
said that a little piece of the mineral
will keep a large amount Of water at
the boiling point as long as left in
close proximity to it.
$50 far, the main use of radium is
for medicinal purposes but it is also
expected to throw some light on the
to discover whether or not we have the
different elements as supposed 1t is
thought by many that these different
elements which are considered as dis
tinct and separate may not after all
be changed from one to the other.
cit is already known that radium
gas, under proper conditions, will
change to helium gas which can be
reduced to the mineral of that name.
This shows that transition between
the two supposed separate elements is
possible and forms basis for the con-
tention which many hold that it may
some time be possible to make gold out
of iron or some other substance,
Radium comes in different strengths
which are all the way from one to a
million. The basis upon which the
strength of piece of radiun1 is calcu-
lated is a comparison of it to ura mum
and the power of the latter to render
air a conductor of electricity. Uranium
is taken as a unit and as radfum has
one hundred and forty-three times the
strength of that substance it would
mean that radium renders air one
hundred ana forty three times more OF