The independent., 1907-03-21

flowing stream, l lay down close 70
the hank. and the thought came TO
me that if rolled over should soon
be relieved of all my torture.
"Just then I heard voice hallihg
me A friend of my fathers happened
to be passing along In his gig, ana see
ing me lying so close to the pank, anu,
as he thought, asleep. ne stoppcu sii1
came over to waken me 10 my ra.neI
perlous situation. He raised me up IL
q dazed condition, and drove me nome,
little knowing then that In all PROD
ability he had saved my NE.
"T was treated by many doctors, and
no doubt they did their best, out
knew my case was hopeless.
Nevertheless, when Mr.. Buffers, the
Plymouth oculist, pronounced my maj
doom. | being then sixteen years OF
age it came as a most terrible DioW,
and for Some minutes ! could not
speak: there being great lump IN my
throat and a tear in my eye. Mr.. but
ters sought to comfort me by telling
me that his own sight was failing, and
that in a few months time he. like me-
would be blind.
".Ah. yes.' said, bitterly; but you
have seen the world. have not and
never shall .o
4
or two and then, summoning up all
the grit / possessed said:
"Tf God wills 1t, He knows best
What must be will be. And, | added,
nutting my hand up to tear that
trickled down my fact, God helping
me. this Is the last tear l shall ever
shed for my blindness. 1t was.
"My father did all he could for me,
~ csaIa went on F"When / became
blind he gave me the choice OF either
having a couple of persons to read 10
me and write for me or else Of going
to some institution. for the blind. !
decided to employ secretaries to read
to me and by this method-and by
closely training my memory soon
found that I was able to make progress
in my studies. In those early days
was deeply interested in chemistry,
and before many years ! managed 70
4 master the subject fairly well. SO far
as it then went.
ION one occasion / was experiment
ing with some gunpowder. In ordel
to deaden It's explosive effects, | mixed
with 1t some fine sand. To my SUP
prise. I found that the explosive
hover OF the powder was destroyed
! In after years, when / wished to in
vent non explosive form OF gun
powder, / made this childish exper-
fence the basis Of my experiments, and
was successful not only In inventfna
, a non-explosive powder, but managed
to enlist the substantial interest o1
!, the British, French and other govern
ments. An interesting test to which
my invention was put In those day
!, was the filling of one Of the Martellt
watch towers on the Sussex coast
built to repel the expected Napoleoni'
, invasion-with five tons Of gunpowdel
treated by my method. Not only dit
! the powder not blow the tower up
but when the barrels caught fire ant
fell to pieces the powder actually pu
out the flames BY mixing gun powde
with finely powdered glass 1t wa
rendered harmless for storage pur'
! poses: after which the glass could b
!, sifted and the powder restored to 1T
! primitive efficiency.
while speaking of my inventions
!, might mention that I also designed Al
! ammunition slide gun, by means o
= which LAG shots per minute could b.
! fired from rife: fog shell, bal
y loon shell and the rudder bell cart
: ridge. I also invented various electri
T alarm clocks, with fire and burgia
: alarms. It might be interesting TO
! you to know that / carried out tn
T first electric light installation at Ply
. mouth for the horticultural society
v exhibition"
In consequence OF his valuable In
g ventions DIR. Gale received tiatterin
= recognition not only from Queen Vic
!. toria and the prince consort but ais
d from Napoleon LII of France, tho the
car of Russia and the rulers OF man
- other countries. besides, as alread
. mentioned. having degrees conferre
\ on him by learned bodies. II was no
4 of these things. however. that he care
!, to talk when interviewed by you
II correspondent.
/, "As an example of what a blind ma
s can do" he said. II may tell you tina
: with one-leggcd man as my partncl
onco played game of bowls. Q
skittlas. against two men possessed Q
n their sight-and what In more. va wo
: ID. On another occasion ! Rttnnded
shooting match. and soma ono asin