The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-22
GREAT LOSS IN ONE MANS DEATH.
Killing Of Prof. (urie q disaster to the
Scientific World.

Special cable Despatch TO TIE SUN.
LONDON, April q The ~stupendous, trag-
edy In western America which has held the
world in awe for the past week has made
such an absorbing claim on the pubic
interest and imagination that the sudden
end Of the career of Pierre Curie. the CO.
discoverer with his talented wife OF the
wonderful element of radium, has been
almost overlooked, - Yet the opinion may
be hazarded without the least dero cation
from the claims of the San Francisco dramA
upon human sympathy that the premature
death of the simple lived, retiring scientist
who was killed by a foolish break OF fate in
a Paris street, was an event Of greater actual
Importance to humanity than the terrors
which convulsed a comparatively small
section OF the worlds population on the
Pacific coast.
One need only recall some Of the posi-;
bilities to which the possession Of the new
element opened the way to realize the loss
to the world Of one of the pair OF master
minds which brought it to light. The
potential aid Of radium in combating cancer
Alone conceivably compensates from the
broad human viewpoint the tragedy Of any
war, earthquake or fire.
Nothing is known at the moment OF the
~ork on which DR.. Curie was actually
engaged at the time Of his death. but his
unremitting devotion to science and his
despisal of all public distinction and social
distinctions had led the scientific world to
look to him and his wife to lead the way
to further epochAmahing discoveries. 1t
was characteristic of. the man that he re-
fused the decoration Of the Legion OF Honor
as useless, that when he had obtained
some few decigrammes of radium he re-
looted a rich mans offer of half a million
francs for them because he wanted the
precious stuff to work upon and that he
only accepted the Nobel prize Inc certain
subventions SO that he might consecrate
the money to further reassarch. When he
accepted the professors chair at the Sor-
bonnie in 1905 it was on condition Of having
n laboratory furnished there where hs
could continue his labors in company with
his wifi. 1t is a coincidence that the Min
istry Of Public Instruction issued official
documents relative to this erection OF this
laboratory on the same day that Prof.
Curie was killed.
1t is interesting to note that Prof. Curie
as a boy seemed so stupid at school that
his parents withdrew him and put him under
4 private tutor. All through his years Of
ttudy, including the final preparations Tor
the arts degree, he was hampered by the
necessity Of studying uncongenial subjects.
# was only when he was free to follow his
natural bent that his p gers were mani
tested.
It is not surprising to learn that Prof.
Curie was generally 80 absorbed mentally
that he was unaware Of happenings around
him. There is no doubt that his untimely
death can be ascribed to this.
While crossing the street in front Of a
cab which an ordinary. man would have
passed behind, he suddenly became aware
of his danger and ran into a pair OF horses
drawing a dray, which he apparently did
not see, and fell beneath the wheels of the
dray.
Prof. Curie' devoted laboratory assistant,
on viewing the bod at the police office,
said tearfully: Il knew my dear master
would be killed some day. He was very
imprudent and was constantly dreaming
when walking the Streets