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One of the Most Interesting Discov eries of the Age. Cosmopolitan. If not the most i mportant certainly one of the most In teresting discoveries of the age pertains to that new metal or substances which contains in itself such an infinite en ergy that since the very beginning of creation it has been emitting streams of material particles projected with the velocity of from 60,000 to 90,000 miles per second. The total mass of this ma terial thus far collected weighs only about one-thirtieth of an ounce. So rare is the substance that to produce one ounce, it is estimated, would re quire an expenditure of more than $300,000. The name given this posses sor of these startling qualities is radi um. Though the experiments thus far made have been very limited, a long line of suggestions has been indicated. A trifling particle of radium brought ito the vicinity of an electroscope re sults n the discharge of its electrifica Into the vicinity of an electroscope ra diant activity is such that the air be comes a conductor of electricity suffi sults in the discharge of its electrifica of the gold leaves. The ray sent out is apparently a conductor of electricity almost as WW it were a copper wire. Glass brought into contact with this metal becomes permanently of a brown or violet-tinted hive. Oxygen is converted by radium into ozone. These are but a few of the many curi ous changes which take place in the presence of what has become known as the Becquerel ray, in honor of the pro found studies of Barquerel, through whom the marvelous properties of ra dium came to be known to the world of science. These rays are so powerful that not only do they furnish light, but pene trate the most opaque bones. Still more powerful, they not only penetrate, but seem to impart for a length of time their powers of radiation to the sub stances with which they come in con tact. So more contradictory in at tributes, these radiations seem to pos sess the dourble character of the diver tible cathrode ray and the indivertible X-ray of Roentgen. Some have estimated that thut a small weight of radium would furnish a light for economic purposes so brilliant that the human eye and body would have to be protected from its Influence. Once in place, however, it would be Installed for all time.
Newspaper Details
Columbia Professional World
Columbia, Missouri, US
Fri, Sep 19, 1902
Page 3
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 04 Feb 2026
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