Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1910-11-17

an emanation that is highly phosphor.
ed 'will-o'-the-wisp," or "elf fire" II
is not reasonable to suppose that
there is some relation, In respect to
cause, between the o'-the-wisp
(Which occasionally misleads unfor
tunate travellers into boggy places)
and the corpse candles" said to be
often seen moving about in the mys-
terious and awesome darkness of
cemeteries? The "sheeted dead" are
alleged to carry these candles in their
ghostly hands when they walk about
among the graves at night.
The skeleton of an adult human
being contains about four pounds of
the metal calcium. This. in fact, is
the most abundant metallic element
of the body structure In the fluids
of the body, also, there Is a good deal
of II. But calcium and phosphorus,
when combined, form self-ignitable
substance. Indeed, water will set II
on fire. If bit of phosphide of cal
cium be dropped into a saucer of wa
ter, 1t will instantly burst into flame.
on which account. in the laboratory,
to protect 1t from dampness, 1t has
TO be kept in an air-tight Jar.
Three other selfigntable sub
stances, all of them metals, are con-
tanned In the human body. One of
these (about two ounces in quantity
Is the silvery-white magnesium-of fa-
miliar use for flashlight purposes by
photographers. The other two are
sodium and potassium-rather more
than five ounces of each A piece of
the former. II thrown into water.
bursts into rosy flame, and swims
about violently on the surface until
burned out The latter is likewise set
afire by contact with water, on touch
ing which 1t explodes like fireworks
throwing shower OF sparks into the
air. AS for magnesium, II is so fierce
ly combustible that II has to be kent
tightly corked in glass bottles. to pre-
vent it from igniting.
Thus is appears that the human
body contains in considerable uuanti.
ties, quite number of substances
which are self-ignitable. and flercely
aoTon coming into contact with water.
me marvel Is that We refrain from
going of by spontaneous combustion.
so To speak. while we are alive. When
burned, these substances. of course
convert themselves into gases. which
are luminous. Under favorlng grave.
yard conditions tthe processes of de
cay going on very gradually, they
pass on slowly, by evaporation. and
not In any such way as that above dc.
scribed. They present themselves 10
the view, In darkness. as mere chem.
zeal emanations-luminescent blown
about by light airs. or dissipated ON.
ufely Tor the moment by passing
gust OF wind. In all probability they
consist mainly of phosphorus.
One cannot capture ghost OF this
KIND. II cannot be trapped in a box
or a bottle and conveyed 10 a seientIfc
laboratory for examination or analy
sis. Hence Il Is likely that the true
composition OF phantums will forever
remain as much "a mystery as Il ia Ia
day but tsuppusinE the theory here
eel forth 10 De eorrecu Il IL a coinfort
q know, IN a general way. what grave
yard #poctrea are made Of
When people are murdered and
their bodies taa often hapensl ar,
buried in cellars or other damp places
thpiF ghosts. for tho chemical reason.
already given, are particularly Hksl
10 walk. SO says Prot Charles
Muufoe, "a famous chemist. and dea
oi the George Washington univrrslt,
Hh" even Hoes 80 iar as Ga dcclaf
ihat De- coald at "a pinch produce
h'h laboratory phautoms .n uu IA
poiiaHt respects corresponding
tlus which fIuKeylrds are uobulafI