Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-28
Mystery of the Beginning
Garrett p. ssrviss.


WYE MUST go back to the nebuae 10 tins an an
w swer to your question. Gold came out Of the
original fire mist like ell the other elements.
whether they TO US In the form OF metals.
rocks. liquids gases. Let your imagination trans
port you some thousand million years into the past
when particular corner OF space was apparently
empty gap.
II contained nothing but electricity in its primevsl
form OF nfinitesimal-and ell
alike in their mnuteness and their potentialty The
electrons swrled together and began TO CLEAN ana
flash. forming electrical vspor" II the birth
OF light, the first Of created things
What dim. wondrous memory inspired man when
in the earliest records of his thoughts he declared
that in the beginning darkness and that Gods
first command wssi Let there be ilght'7 Man had
science when he made that declaration but today.
when he has science It repeats for him the same
fornula All Of concerning the nature
of matter lead back TO the conclusioneveryth'ng
began in a luminous cloud.
In that cloud the spinning eeotrons gathered into
atoms. and with the birth OF atoms what we know
as matter came into existence. At first the speed
OF the electrons great that densey packed
atoms were formed The first elements recognizable
such were three four light gases two Of which
called hydrogen and helum. acquainted with
upon the earth. while two Others OF which we have
experimental knowledge. to be seen glowing
in the nebulas that sti scattered through the
| depths OF space.
Back Of these elements IL is probable there 1t
least that stil lighter with yet simpler atoms
After aeons OF time had rolled by star
born out OF the condensing nebulae 1t the baby
sun, and Just ordinary babies have few ideas in
| their heads. so the newborn had few elements
| in its composition.
II consisted mostly OF hydrogen. We a proof Of
| that when we find that stars which yet in an
! early stage OF evolution composed mainly OF
| hydrogen and of heum while others contain
| stl more primitive element asterium
But with continued condemnation heavier atoms con-
ssting OF larger numbers OF electrons. formed
these constituted denser elements When our sts-
| the sun had condensed far Sirius has done
| Csirius is a younger SUM. OF the metallic ele-
ments. which when cooled form solids. were born.
These increased In number and density as time went
until. It is. the sun possesses large num-
ber OF the elements known TO upon the earth such
iron calcium silicon sodium and some thirty others
which are recognizable with the spectroscope.
! But owing TO the high temperature of the sun,
these elements there all in the gaseous or vspor
state. Stll, their atoms have been formed and thus
they be recognized.
II 10 probable from hat see in the stars. where
various stages OF evolution exhibited that the
heavier elements have all been formed from the
lighter by the aggregation Of greater and greater
numbers eleotrons into atoms This evolution con-
tnues after star has cooled and condensed into a
| planet. like the earth kven the vapor OF gold has
| not been found In the sun. and It may be that no
| element dense gold can be formed under solar
| conditions of temperature.
But gold exists in the earth because here heavier
atoms be formed than In possible in the furnace
Of the sun. In the earth's interior IL may be that
| gold In still forming from lighter elements All the
| gold within reach has come from the older rocks
the earth those which cooled first II is relatively
small in quantity and the same is true OF all the
elements composed OF very heavy atoms. because
| these elements have been formed last, when the
process OF atomic condemnation had become slow.
The earlier. lighter elements like hydrogen. evidently
were formed with comparatively great rapidity.
| But there is another chapter 20 the story. which
| seems 20 be just beginning. at least on the earth
The phenomena Of radio-activty indicate that the
heavy elements finally decay and to pieces their
losing their accumulation OF eectrons until they
| change into light gaseous elements possibly re-
turn IN the end. 10 the original state Of electrical
| vapor." Shakespeare had wonderful fore-vison
| when ne wrote
| 'The cioud-cappd towers. the gorgeous palaces.
The soirnen temples. the great globe itself
| Yea ali which Il inherit shall dissolve
| And like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not rack behindf'