The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-14
.RADIUM BLOWS UP:
ABBEY IN DANGER \. c
Strange Element Explodes in
Laboratory Of ST. Lukc's
Hospital Expert.
VANISHED INTO THICK CARPET
Located 4B ~ Roentgen Plate, II
Was All Recovered By#Prof.
Pegram, Of Columbia.

NEW YORK, May 13.-The mysterious
element radium has developed strange
explosive properties in the laboratory OF
Professor Robert Able, OF st. Lukes
Hospital. this city. Dr.. Able had q
lucky escape from serious injury for
which he is being congratulated BY his
fellow surgeons and scientists. Ills ex-
perence is a warning to all who handle
radlum. rs5 y5tl Il s5i
Professor Pegram,7 OF Columbia Uni-
yerslty, succeeded in restoring to Profess
sor Able all OF his exploded radlum. even
to the last particle, though at first i
seemed that the precious metal so sud-
denly dispersed was irretrevably lost
In December. 1906, Professor Able, to
use his own words. received from Pro-
lessor Hugo Iieber fifty milligrams Of
pure radiunl bromide OF the strength OF
], 100000. just imported from Berlin He
had 1t transferred TO q small glass tube,
in which it was Theoretically sealed after
drying.
The radlumf was used daily by Profes-
sor Able for months being ceansed al
ways by immersion In carbollc acid. fol-
lowed by alcohol, and always handled
carefully in the forceps.
Radium Explodes.
Finally one day, on removing 1t from
silver tube by n thread tied about it.
the radium stuck in the opening of the
tube, and Protector Able pressed It
lightly with the end OF the metal for
cops. IS
INSTANTLY the radium exploded with
81 loud report. the glass being shattered
into numerous small fragments, much of
Tho radium bolng distributed against the
inner lining of tho tube At the same
time Professor Able saw n cloud of pull
verified radum come from the tube rs
large as his hand and fall In n shining
shower to the carpet.
Laying the tube carefully on a clean
sheet of paper, Professor Able made Il
chalk outline on the carpet around the
area within which ho supposed his pre-
cIous rndium had fallen, though nothing
OF It was visible,
In hope OF recovering 1t, lie laid
large photographic Roentgen ray plate
upon he carpet, believing It would make
its Impression through the double paper
envelope, To his chargin only one spot
showed Mt tho corner Of the plate when
developed, That night he tested the car
pet with a piece of willemte, which
glowed brightly at a. spot some distance
from the suspected area, That spot no
again tested with another photograph.
Plate Reveals Grains.
To his delight every smallest. grain Of
radium made It's autograph on The plate,
though only few could be to glow
in tho dark, ms they had sunk into the
heavy carpet. The atomic weight of tho
radum was SO great that It had all afllen
within n very small radius, being kept
together by its heavlness,
Professor Able cut out n big piece OF
the carpet and put It and the tube at
the disposal OF Professor Pegrnm, OF
Columbia. The latter, with delicate beat
ers, succeeded In extracting nj OF the pre-
clous particles from the carpet so much
so that when the piece OF carpet was
subjected to the photographic test none
remained, The radium which had been
dispersed against the sides OF the tube
was also finally resolved and the radIum
restored to the tube. To guard against
another explosion, fine platinum wire
has been fused into the end OF the tube,
to permit the stored-up positive electricity
to discharge through It. on the theory
that the negative current passes ont
through, the glass with the beta rays
z