The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-04

All buried and Chokcd hlm--just a
nttle--less. Here ho waited, Listening
to the new cadence and slower rbv,hm
| or that clapping outlet vaIy. and ,h,
| blessed sound OF gurgllng water in tho
pipe, while the light above erevy
| stronger and the growing hope of IT.
IN his heaving breast strove vajnlv III
formulate itself into words OF prayer
tn pass his cracked and bleeding iips
Then the buzzing Of fans and motor
softened, tho rhythmic cadence of the
capping valve lessenod and lowered
the gurgiinG sound of water ceased
ana though tho fans still vhirled
| slowly the pumping came to an end
The $500 ampcrc hour battery was
exhausted. but tho work was done.
Breen again climbed the ladder and
pushed upward on the hatch. II
yielded. and when tho lifting spring
was past the centre II flew upright
Raising his head and shoulders through
the opening he looked across q dark
hcavirg sea at a full moon hanging
above the horizon. IIe had seen II
last a month before.
And the air that he took into his
poisoned lungs cut like myriad knives
OF ice.
Three members Of the board OF in
quiry that later eNoncratc,l Breen
from misuse OF Government property
met ut the Army and Navy Club long
before h. was able to answer questions
and unof'lclally discussed him. Ono
was "A captain, another surgeon and
"A thfFA lnpinanv urI -.
naval constructor and an electrical
expert
"One thing We'll have to and.
surely" said the captain; that is.
that the course in chemistry at An
napolis Is not thorough. 7 passed I'm
the subject, but what did I know
What do know now? Who but a
specialist Ike Breen could save the
boat and hts life in that manner-if
he did save his life. How about that.
DOCTOR"
Hell nun through" said the doc
tor. His hair will turn dark again
and the wrinkles will go I'm time. Lord.
how he looked, TO years old gray
haired and emaclatcd. shows what an
excess ~ oxygen will do, even diluted
with all those poisonous gases. HIS
lungs and throat are Just so mucl
raw meat"
But it's funny" said tho engineer.
NO one can deny Brcen's knowledge
OF chemistrv--that's understood Yet
he was IN my class, You know
Breen Just pulled through his exams
ny ,he skin Of his teeth Chemical
,1Nof Ia
him and chemical equations a
deep. dark mystery And yet down
there in the dark, at tho bottom.
he took chance that NOTHING
but utter desperation would IN
duce me 70 take. and make
discovery n chemical reactions no,
down IN any textbook and never an
nounced by any one that know Of
What chance? What discovery?
'WeT. his. T-lec.rolysis Of water Is
easy. as We all know. and the product
Is oxygen and hydrogen, which can bt
hrea'h"d for time; hut Il is an
eNpluSiv" mixture that would hay,
blown him 70 eternity had enough of
Il touched spark from either OF thos"
three fans"
"Ru, he Rad enclosed me commute
tors
Yes hut that was his chance, never
theless. Here Is another: lie turned
both wires into the pipe leading int"
his fen system He was evolving
large quantities Of chlorine gas from
the salt IN the water. ana this f..
equally explosive when in contact with
hydrogen. not only from sparks but
from strong llEht. Now. he was IN
pitch darkness Of course, and every
pipe feed led directly in front Of the
next fan. 20 that the mixed gases did
not touch the sparks and explode. Blu
what he riskrd MAS the POISONING
effect OF that free rh,orine before he
made his discover"
And Il did poison him. said the
surgeon. Ripped his mucous mem.
brane 20 shreds and smlthereens. Ru,
what did ne discover"
THAT hydrogen and chlorine GA,
mtyed IN utter darkness and Violent
aGitsted. will cumhuc without cxplu-
sion into hydrochiu1. acid gas. Water
takes mp $50 volumes Of this gas. but
only two and a hii volumes OF free
chlorine. and less Of hydrogen HI
discovery saved hIS life"
"But," said the Captain drylv. "hr
made n much greater practical demon.
stratlon, He has proved that men
may safely be cjorred from torpodn
tubes. that n Whitehead will supper
two men IN the water and that tho
man left 70 die can turn into gas and
eNnel ~ the hilEc pumps tho weigh, uf
water that holds down rho boat How
t~,t L.,