SCIENTISTS TRAGIC DEATH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10963, 4 May 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

SCIENTISTS TRAGIC DEATH.

FAMOUS CHEMIST DIES WITH TT •■•■-.■. HIS WIFE.

■■.-, PARIS, March 18. In most dramatic and affecting cicumstances > ■ the death occurred this c .ning of "M.- Pierre Berthelot, tiie famous chem ist

. Mme. Berthelot has for some time! past 'been seriously ill, arid the who wag deeply attached ; to hei, .was extremely anxious. This afternoon he attended .a. meefinc of the Academy of Sciences, of which he was secretary. .'-. Returning tc his -wife's bedside, he devoted himself to cheering her m her suffering. ' Afc half-past five he withdrew with his. sons to; his study; There, with tears m his eyes and trembling voice, he sa : d to them, "My boys, if your mother -.ere to die I could npL survive her." Hk sons returned to Mme. Berthelot's room, while the scientist set himself resolutely to work m an -effort to forget liis troubles. A quarter of; an hour later Mme. Berthelot's illness came :to a sudden crisis. Before her husband. could be called she had passed away. ~ _ : . ->.-.-

The chemist., eldest son went to his father's study and r brokenly informed him of Mme. Bertlielot's' death. :.--T_lieJscientist, who was sitting; writing, turned round m, hi_ chair as. his son entered. Hearing the terrible news, -he .-gasped, "My God," and fell back m his seat vUh his hands clasped over his; eyes.. A ininute later his hands fell limply to_ his side. ■•'.' The son, m an agony of terror, called the doctor from tlie death-chamber. But the doctor could only say that .L Bertlielofc liad died suddenly from. heart .failure. So was tragically fulfilled the scientist's saying of a .quarter of an hour before. He had not been able to live even a few niinutss after, the loss of his wife.^ The dead scientist, whose name 'is a household word among the savants of every country, _ was born at; Parisln W27. He was the pioneer of .synthetic, chemistry and the\ autlior of rriumerou." tradtises; Daring 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-gly-cerine and dynamite. ; He is reported to have been the chief irispirer of the late M. Curie m the research work wliich led to tlie discovery of radium. "•'•'." ■