The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1922-03-17
TRANSMUTE METALS
BY new DISCOVERY
Age Old Goal of Chemists And
Alchemists Reached But
Not in Gold.
USE STEINMETZ FLASH
Chicago University Scirnt' SITS Change
Tungsten Into Hclium By Great
Heat-Transmis>ion Requires 5O,-
600 to 10000 Degrees: Hotter
Than Molten Steel.

600 to 10000 Degrees: Hotter
Than Molten steel.
Chicago, March 10 -Transmuta-
ton OF metals. sought throughout
the ages, has finally been accom-
piished. II was announced in pa
per read today at q meeting of the
middlewestern sections OF the Amer
lean Chemical society at North
western university.
Tungsten. which is used in the
hla1nents OF electric light bulbs. has
been definitely and permanently
changed. into another element.
helium. through treatment in tenn
peratures OF between $4,000 and
$4,000 degrees. II was declared in
report on experiments conducted
by DR.. Gerald l. Wendt and c. E.
Irion. working at the University Of
Chicago.
1T means that the alchemists
who tried to turn tho baser metals
into gold. were right on one point
that the nature Of metals could be
changed" said DR.. Paul N. Leech,
OF the Chicago section OF the chemi-
cal society. in commenting on the
paper. But. OF course, II has moth
ing to do with the assertion Of scala
ways that the baser metals can be
transmitted into synthetic gold.
1T does. however, actually blast
the theory that the ate ,s OF ele-
mants, supposed to be absc tutely in
destructible. cannot be broken up by
men. 1t opens vast new field to
science and may result in many far
reaching and important scientific
developments We cannot yet fore
see what these developments may
be.
History Of Transmutation Theory.
Until 1895 il was believed that
| no decomposition OF elements was
possible At that time. however. il
was discovered that radium. which
Is one OF the about 90 known ele-
| ments. naturally decomposes into
lead. Nature. however. performs
that change. and until Or. Wendt
and Mr.. Irion completed their ex-
perinents. man had mover been able
to produce a similar result.
The heat developed TO break
down the tungsten atoms and
! change them into hclium is the
greatest ever known-hotter than
the sun or than sthe hotties. star
known to astronomers The heat
Of molten steel is about 1000 de-
grees: the temperature OF the sun
ts about 5000 degrees and Of some
degrees.
But these scientists have. by
| means of artificial lighting. such
as Or. Charles p. Steinmetz recently
produced. developed the hottest
known spot in the universe.
Astronomers have long known
that while in general the materials
which compose the sun and stars
are the same as those known on
earth. the list OF substances and
chemical elements becomes shorter
and shorter when the hotter stars
are examined
ON the brilliant white or blush
stars. which are masses OF gas at
about 10000 degrees. only the sim
piest elements are present They
seem to consist entirely OF the
easses. hydrogen and halium. The
heavier metals, such as iron. are not
present
ITO determine whether this was
due to decomposition by the great
heat. Wendt and Irion reproduced
conditions such az are on the stars
and succeeded in reaching n temper-
ature twice as high as that Of the
hottest star and found that ordinary
metals are decompose,i into the sim
pie eases. particularly helium.
The method used was the same
as that used in producing artiNcia,
lightning. recently announced BY Dr.
Steinmetz. OF Schenectady. and was
originated by Dr. J. A. Anderson
OF the Mount Wilson solar observ
atOry at Pasadena, Cal
Heat Of Lightning Bolt.
1T consists in charging a large
electrical condenser to 10000 volts
and discharging this large QUANTITY
OF electricity at high speed thro1g"