SCIENTISTS TRAGIC DEATH.

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 May 1907, Page 3

SCIENTISTS TRAGIC DEATH.

COULD NOT SURVIVE HIS WIFE'S DECEASE. In announcing the death of the famous French scientist, M. Pierre Berthelot, as following on that of his wife the brevity of the cablegrams of last month failed to convey in full the dramatic and affecting circumstances of the double decease. ~_,_, , Says a Paris telegram of 18th March l ast : _Mms. Berthelot has for some time past been seriously ill, and the scientist, who was deeply attached to her, was extremely anxious. I his alter noon he attended a meeting of the Academy of Sciences, of which he was secretary. Returning to his wife s bedside, he devoted himself to cheerins her in her suffering. As half-past five he withdrew with his sens to his study. There, with tears in his eyes and trembling voice, he said to them: "My boys, if your mother were to die I could not survive her." His sons returned to Mme Berthelot's room, while the scientist set himself resolutely to work in an effort to forget his troubles. • A quarter of an hour later Mme. Berthelot's illness came to a sudden crisis. Before her husband could bo called she had passed away. The chemist's eldest son went to his father's study and brokenly informed him of Mme. Berthelot's death. Ihe scientist, who was sitting writing, turned round in his chair as his son entered. Hearing the terrible news, he gasped "My God," and fell back in Ins seat with his hands clasped over his eyes. A minute later his hands fell limply to his side. The son, in an agony of terror, called the doctor from the death chamber. But the doctor could only say that M. Berthelot had died suddenly from heart failure. So was tragically fulfilled the scientist's saying of a quarter of an hour before. He waa not able to live even a few minutes after the loss of his wife. The dead scientists, whose name is a household word among the savants of every country, was born in Paris in 1827. He was the pioneer of synthetic chemistry and the author of numerous treatises. During the siege of Paris in 1870 he was appointed president of the 'Scientific Committee of Defence." and did much for the city by the manufacture of nitro-glycerino and dynamite. He is reported to have been the chief inspirer of the late M. Curia in the research work which led to tha discovery of radium. M. Berthelot had also some claim'-, to fame as a statesman. A Scntaor at the time of his death, he had previously occupied the posts of InspectovGenernl of Education, and, in 1895. Minister of Foreign Affairs.