Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-10-31

Copyright 1900 by Rights Reserved
FTER this glorious age of achievement has
a passed into history and been recorded simply
~ as an of remarkable progress; after its
y miracles-the miracles of to-day-have become
mere commonplaces, then what will take their
place and dwarf them into crudy and insignhcance!
What will the world of tomorrow be-the wonder
full magical enchanting world beyond us? What
must it be?
1t is very fascinating this attempt at forecast;
and 1t is by no fancfu, for the great discov-
cries of the last decade have all been richer in proba-
hities than they are productive of immediate results
If as has been asserted the surface of science has
merely been scratched least beneath the scars there
are revealed quite clearly illimtable opportunities for
future achievement.
The subject is a very expansive one. Volumes
might be written in the way of forecast for the
recent progress made along all lines of human achieve
ment is wonderfully diversified. Just few can be
briefly touched upon here.
Let us begin by reviewing briefly some of the most
remarkable discoveries of very recent years
Take radium It is white powder-white by day
light but glowing in the darkness like white hot
coal-made from the resdues of pitchblende, a min
era which found in small quantities in this country
i'll North Carolina, Colorado and Utah.
The present cost of radium is enormous. Accord
ing to figures given by Dr. George F. Kunz, of New
York. gramme of perfectly pure radium is worth
to-day the sum Of 100000. An ounce-whch does
not exist-s therefore, worth in round numbers
nearly $3000,000 and a pound would bring the
colossal figure of over forty-hve million dollars
"But radum may become much cheaper says DE-
Kunz "Take calcium, for instance Not long ago it
brought $4,000 pound To-day you can buy it in
England for shilling pound believe that radium
viii be more cheaply neutrality-suspicious. along with
other minerals silver for instance. Carnotite re-
Gently discovered in the West in comparatively large
quantities, will yield radium-probably at greatly
reduced cost"
A pinch Of the powder through a spenthari-
scope gives an appearance described by Professor
Cure the discoverer resembling the birth of crea-
tlon
Within the area of postage stamp Is seen heaven
of flashing meteors most brilliant In the centre, FAINTER
at the RIM where the stars glitter and die away
These stars the rays of the powder, ceaselessy
in motion and shooting off at speed estimated as
greater than 92500 miles a second.
With Terrific Energy.
In other words they are particles OF the radium
ITSELF and yet despite their constant myriad produc-
ton and despite the terrific energy of the whole micro
scopic mass the actual loss sustained by the radium
is practically nil.
That is the most wonderful, scarcely believable
property of this miraculous substance 1t gives off
tremendous heat and most brilliant light; but herein
is the wonder of it ALL that 1t yields that heat and
light without any appreeabe loss of weight or bulk
and, moreover it will continue this yield of energy
forever
10 put this in concrete form;-Professor curie est-