New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-04
LONDON NOTES.
Nitric Acid from Air-The bruce
ReUiUal-HeireSS 1cith ReUolUer.
London. January Pa

years of strenuous investigation. mas confessed
that he knows as little at the end as he did In
the beginning about the deepest things IN crea-
ton such as chemical affinity or the relations
between ether. electricity and ponderabls mat
ter. He believes that the world is on the eve
Of discoveries Of Unreasonable Importance by
which the welfare OF humanity viii be pronot-
ed; and cherry as is his own spirit OF optimism
he is saddened by a sense OF failure IN having
done SO little TO reveal hidden laws and basic
principles. Sir William CroOkes. who is eppar-
emily TO be credited with promoting one OF these
discoveries practical method of drawing nj
trogen from the atmosphere and converting #
into nitric acid and fertilizers-not chemical
mamma dropped from the sky q substitute for
bread. but an economic means OF doubling tha
fertility of soiIs-is also modest man. content
with searching after truth and too closely en-
crossed with his work TO talk about It boast
fully or to pretend that he has done anything re-
markable.
The professor IS seventy-nve. although he
does not look so old. and he has passed his life
in chemical research work. He has received
medals degrees and all the distinctions which
the British Association can bestow, but he "a
not g university man, and has never acquired
as lecturer or investigator any trace OF AGA
denaic scholarship. His scientific training was
secured at the Royal College Of Chemistry. and
his first professionally was at the Training Col
lege. Chester; and he has been at work cont1nu-
ously in experimental laboratories and has taken
up long series Of practical questions In applied
science. The discoverer Of thaIlium and new
elements in gadolnite. he has concentrated his
attention during recent years upon chemical
analysis and radiant matter; and at last he has
accomplished with the aid OF experts at a Swiss
university what he proclaimed ten years ago Al
the greatest and most useful work awaiting SCI
entihc invsstigatOrs-'th hxation OF atmospheric
y,ftr sfa
facture on large scale.
The investigators attention was first called 70
the subject during his exhaustive studies Of nj
trates and other fertilizers for wheat lands The
atmosphere enveloping the world Is charged
with the same elements which had been deposit
ed in the Gillian nitrate beds. IL there were
only a cheap method OF extracting them, the
food supplies Of the world might be Quadrupledl
He worked In his laboratory until he succeeded
In producing nitric acid from atmosphere, but
the high cost Of the process was admitted TO be
a fatal drawback 20 commercial use. This wss
fifteen years ago, and chemists have been labor
ing over the problem stranUously in America.
England. France and Germany. Some Of them
have thought that they had solved 1t with the
help Of electricians. but they have been disap-
pointed in the final results. Possibly similar
fate may be IN reserve for the capitalists now
investing their money IN the new processes
and IN accomplished electrical engineer after
haustiye research work at the German University
OF Frlbourg-Joseph Won Krowalski and Nos
cIGkI. Yet SIR William Crooles. who has wit
messed the final experiments az the university,
and may be regarded as the best expert living,
asserts that the conversion Of atmosphere into
nitrous oxide and then into concentrated nitric
acid has been brought about under conditions
Offering promise OF profitable commercial in
IN SIR IA fTnp IA IN
a research laboratory must be supplied by
syndicate OF capitalists; and the world viii have
an industry for enriching all soils at low cost
an industry that can be established IN mountain.
valley or desert. Sir William Crookes may be
too optimistic. but he is not loquacious dream
er nor a self-advertiser. He Is re-eminently
practical man OF science worker with genius
for silence
The bruce penny dreadful" has come up
again I'm the form of a sixpenny pamphlet writ
ten by Mr. q. H. bruce and edited by Mr.. Ken
meth Henderson. II revives the case OF triple
Identity which was dismissed from the courts
ten years ago, when Mrs. bruce undertook 70
prove that the fifth Duke OF Portland played
two parts besides his own-a tTadesman named
bruce. with uphOstsTing business in Baker
street and a Wife and children, and an insane
patient named Harner in an asylum Sho AZ
piled FOR the reopenng OF the bruce vault in
der TO prove that the coffin was filled with lead
and that the tradesman was never buried in it.
but neither the Home Office nor the courts
granted her request. Mrs. bruce was not prop
erly represented by counsel. and her incredible
tale made little impression. although there was
u public and press eager TO have
sattOn rtVallng the TiehbOFue case. The new
claimant is the alleged grandson OF bruce, the
prosperous upholsterer and tunnel builder, and
while he has not yet appeared in court, he has
secured a solicitor, Mr.. Charles Russell, and re-
tained eminent barrister. Mr.. Rufus Isaacs.
who ought not 10 find II difficult to prevail upon
his Liberal associate. Mr.. Herbert Gladstone, al
the Home Office. 10 issue an order for exauin-
ing the coffin and asceFtaining whether there
was a mock burial at Highgate The claimant
In his pamphlet reasserts that there a fc-
Portland had transferred an immense property
TO himself under that alias.
The proofs depended upon by the Australian
claimant 10 a ducal title and an immense estate
include his resemblance 10 the eccentric duke.
the construction OF secret tunnel IN Baker
street, the mysterious wealth OF the upholsterer.
scrotulous disease In the bruce children, with
which the duke himself was reported 10 have
been afflicted, mysterious remarks BY Mrs.
Druces husband. and cOrrObOra tive evidence re
speCting the lead in the coffin. There IS some
fresh evidence, but not much that Is new. The
important feature pr the revised edition OF The
bruce story is that reputable lawyers have a.
cepted II Us credible and going to the courts
with II, and, moreover, that stock Is TO be sold
for financing the prolonged proceedings in court.
II is currently reported that the present Duke OF
Portland has evidence which will dispose OF the
claimants case and compel Mr.. Isaacs and Mr..
Russell 10 abandon II. one OF his witnesses Is
OF the eccentric duke. The claimant would sue
coed the present Duke of Portland IL he were 10
win his case and no would also deprive Lord
Howard de Walden or the valuable London
property Inherited from his mother, the sister OF
the fifth duke and the alleged uphOlsterer and
lunatic The Identification OF these three men as
one and the same grOtesQue person. who was
cusing himself Of the murder OF Lord George
Benttnck, seems a vagary OF Bedlan.