The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-06-10
TRANSFORMATION OF METALS
Has LANCE Discovered the Secret or In
He Pooling Himself.

Scranton, Pa, June s.-Stating that
the announcement that he had discov
cred the long sought process Of trans
hitting base metals into gold and sill
yer was absolutely true. although pre-
maturely made by himself. DR.. F. w.
LANCE of this city, in whose laboratory
|C. c. Dickinson, the banker, inhaled
fumes which brought on his death,
declared in an interview that he will
be ready in a few days to give the
details of his discovery to the world
The world has heard the news too
soon,' he said. "a few days more and
everything will be in readiness to give
the details Of the discovery. Then will
follow my revolutionizing Of some Of
the principal industries.
For reasons which are obvious
must Of necessity withhold at this time
the nature Of my process. 1 will say
this much, though: My discovery makes
| it possible for me to combine silver
chloride and silver nitrate with the
baser metals in such proportions that
II can sell silver chloride for one-tenth
of what it costs to manufacture and
shall make a fortune for myself. The
same is true of the nitrates; silver
Mating can be done at cost"
Tested at Mint, He Says
Dr. LANCE was asked if he could
Itransmute base metal into silver
What is the difference?" he said.
take my silver chloride, which is just
silver and hydrochloric gas and oxy-
gen. I take my base metals. I subject
them to the process. The silver chic
ride is increased MANIFOLD The in
tense heat mutes the metals. I pre-
|cipitate the silver. The base metals
have disappeared.
1.-The resultant substance has been
|assayed three times at the United
States mint as pure silver. 1 cast the
silver into bars. Big chemical houses
have said they would pay me the mar
ket price for my silver chloride, which
costs me only a fraction of the present
|cost of manufacture, and that they
Will buy it in trainload lots. Leading
|analyZists to whom 1 have submitted
the nitrates and chlorides as well as
the silver for assay and analysis say
it is the real thing.
Can I transmute metals?" the chem
ist soliloquized. THE world will not
believe my discovery is possible until
lit sees. In few days 1 will explain
Everything"
"DfscOverers" Self-Deceived
Philadelphia, Pa, June 9.-Officials
Iof the assay department of the United
States mint here, together with lead
ing chemists Of this city, are skeptical
of the report from Scranton. Pa, that
the secret Of changing base metals into
gold and silver had been discovered
81 don't think it can be DONE" was
the comment of the chief assayist at
the mint 81 take no stock in the re-
port Re said.
"Of course, anything is possible in
oh emistry, but the possibility of sue
lcessfully transmitting base metals into
precious ones is very remote. We have
had innumerable cases Of gold and sill
yer being brought here for deposit, &C
lcompanied by statement that it haa
been made OF course, the stuff itself
was all right or we would not have
q ccepted it, but it certainly was not
made
cit is sometimes pathetic that in
nearly every case the person making
such a claim seems to have honestly
deceived himself. They really believe
in their own claims. Actual fraud or
trickery is rare, although not quite so
rare successful transmutation of
base to precious metals"
Or. Edgar F. Smith, vice-president
CT the University of Pennsylvania, and
professor Of chemistry, made a similar
statement ITO convince me of the
practicability of such scheme" he
said, Il would have to have a demon
tCfr