Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1910-11-23

an emanation that is highly phosphor-
escent, causing the phenomenon term
ed "will-o'-the-wlsp," or "elf fire" II
is not reasonable to suppose that
there is some relation, in respect to
cause. between the will-o'-the- wisp
(which occasionally misleads unfor.
tunate travellers into Doggy places)
and the corpse candles" said to be
often seen moving about in the mys.
FERROUS 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 ut night.
The skeleton OF an adult human
being contains about four pounds Of
the metal calcium. This, in fact, In
the most abundant metallic element
OF the body structure. In the fluids
OF the body, also, there is a good deal
OF 1t. But calcium and phosphorus.
when combined, form selfignitable
substance. Indeed, water will set Il
on fire. II bit Of phosphide OF cal.
cium be dropped into q 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 alright jar.
Three other selfignitable 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 ia
miliar use for fiashlight purposes by
| photographers. The other two arc
sodium and potassium-rather moro
than five ounces Of each. A piece of
the former, II thrown into water
bursts into rosy flame, and swims
about violently on the aurface until
burned out. The latter is likewise set
ahre by contact with water. on touch.
Ing which IL explodes like fireworks.
throwing a shower of sparks into tho
air. AS for magnesium, IL is SO fierce
ly combustible that 1t has TO be kent
tightly corked In glass bottles. to pre-
vent 1t from igniting.
Thus is appears that the bum.
body contains, In considerable nuantt
ties' quite a number OF substanceu
which are selfignitable. and fercel,
so. on coming into contact with watey
The marvel is that we refrain fro,u
going of by spontaneous combuetio.
so TO speak, while we are alive Uybo,'
burned, these substances Of co,,rso
convert themselves into Eases. which
are luminous. Under favoring grave.
yard conditions (the processes NJ do.
cay going on very gradually, tbo.
pass Off slowly, by eyaporatiop 80
not in any such way as that above de
scTIOed. They present themselves ~
inc view, In darkness as mere chem.
icai emanations-luminescent blor-n
ABOUT BY light airs, or dissipate1 az.
uTely Tor the moment by nassiro
gust OF wind. In all probability tbevl
CONSIST mainly Of phosphorus.
one cannot capture ghost ~ tb,,
AInu IL cannot be trapped In a Dor
or bottle and conveyed to a scientific
laboratory for examination or analv.
SIS. Hence II is likely that the tryo
composition OF phantoms will forova,
remain as much a mystery as II is ~
Day. But (supposing the theory bero
SET iorth TO be correcO Il is confor,
20 Know, In a general way, what grave.
yard spectres are made OF.
When people are murdered and
theirDbodies las often happens, are
buried IN cellars or other damp places
their ghosts, for the chemical reasons
already given, are particularly Ii,eIS
to walk. SO says Prof. CbarIes =
Munroe, famous chemist, and dean
OF the George Washington university
who even goes 80 far as to declare
that he could at pinch produce IN
his laboratory phantoms in ALI n,
portant respects corresponding a.
those which graveyards are populayIs
supposed to mapufacturs.