Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-04-07
HIRMONT FREDERICK COUNTY, Md THURSDAY. APRIL z. 1921

by developing it. To the surprise Of
all, dark spot appeared on it be-
meath where the mineral had rested.
'In a word, some unsupported rays
had gone through the black paper.
This was the startling beginning of
the discovery. Becquerel rays became
the new wonder. BY delicate tests
they were proved to be electrical.
"Then began the pursuit. All Joined
In it. Every form of uranium in labO-
ratOries was tested.
Mime. Curle took the next great
step the deciding step. She went to
the mines near Carlsbad, where the
mineral pitchblende had been mined
for century for the extraction of
uranium. She examined the refuse.
of which fifty tons had accumulated
In years past.
"Pitchblende had always been
known in laboratories of Europe as
composite ore containing mixture
of dozen different metals beside the
uranium for which 1t seemed alone
worth mining, such as lead, silver,
tin, bismuth, etc.
ITO her surprise, Nine. Curie found
the refuse was Luch stronger in
Bacquerel rays than the uranium
2 which had been extracted. This start
ling fact then stared her in the face,
that something unknown existed In
the refuse.
"By chemical processes she proceed
ed to dissolve out first the lead, then.
the tin, then silver, and so on until
ns the residual mass became purer 1t
became stronger and stronger, sixty
times stronger than uranium.
This small remnant glOwed In the
dark. All but two metals had been
eliminated. These were known not to
have the slightest radioactivity.
Therefore there could be but one con-
clusiOn-she was facing mysterious
new force. The excitement ran high
as the months went by.
"Finally, after two years, she was
able by ultra-chemical resources, with
the help Of her teachers and PrOfes-
sor Curie (who, meanwhile, had Of
fered himself and been accepted In
marriage), to announce to the world
(1S9S) the discovery of a new element
-radlum.
st was her beautiful tribute to
science that an impersOnal name
>radiun-was given, because 1t gave
out rays. knowledge, and not fame,
was her pursuit. In contrast to her
unselfish zeal, the Austrian owners Of
the mine would give Ger only one
fifth oS the refuse which she desired
for further study. The rest, they
found, had new commercial value,
owing to her research, and they kept
it for profit and study. She, on the
other hand, industriously extracted all
the radium from her small store and
after year, believing the physical
qualities were now understood, offered
It to the medical world. not only in
Paris, but to us.
Supply Soon Exhausted.
'In 1903 she released it and we
were able to purchase the first morsel
for New York. 1t Is interesting to
record that, when second order was
cabled to her for more 1t was with
held for two months, until she had
finished some calorimetric tests. Then
she released all she had for scien-
lists to use. A quarter or more Of
that historic bit, which proved that
radium gives out heat continuously,
came quickly to New York.
"Her small store Of Austrian refuse,
however, was quickly exhausted and
was for some time made in Germany.
That, also, we could buy, but at much
larger price.
Miners everywhere in the world
then searched for this new precious
metal. 1t was not difficult to discover
for by placing Photographic plates in
black paper envelopes and leaving
them In any mine, If the plate de-
veloped black, it meant radium. Some
small quantities were found in Portu-
gal, in Colorado, In Utah, and in one
or two ether places.
"The quantity available In the
world Is Insignificant. Its extraction
is by elaborate and delicate chemical
refinement, consuming at least six
months before the atoms can be sepa-
rated. In more than 500 tons Of
rough ore one cannot get more than
quarter of a thimbleful-hence its
cost Meantime Nine. Curie and her
collaborators have found new and
startling qualities in this precious
metal.
"The credit for this discovery was
settled incontestably by commission
giving Nine. Curie the Nobel Prize In