Fiction's Aids to Science,

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5270, 29 May 1895, Page 4

Fiction's Aids to Science,

As it is claimed for Jules Verne that his romantic imaginings con- j statute him the real inventor of the sub-marine boat, bo is it claimed for Edgar Allan Poe that he is the true discoverer of the new gas wbich has been called "helium." It is not on record whether or not Professor Ramsay had read Poe's tale of "Hana Pfaall's Journey to the Moon," or whether Poe had any scientific man's conjectures to guide him ; but the gas which Hans Pfaall made to inflate hiß balloon, as described in the work of fiction, is marvellously like that which the Professor has jußt discovered while experimenting with argon, and the news of whioh was communicated to the Chemical Society in March last. Here is Poe's description of what his hero Hans did;—

I then took opportunities of conveying by night, to a retired situation east of Rotterdam, five ironbound casks, to contain about fifty gallons each, and one of a larger size; Bix tin tubes, three inches in diameter, properly shaped, and ten feet in length ; a quantity of a particular metallic substance, . or semi-metal; which I shall not name, and a dozen demijohns of a very common acid. The gas to be formed from these latter materials is a gas never yet generated by any other' person than myself— or at least never applied to any similar purpose. I can only venture to say here that it is a constituent of azote, so long considered irreducible, and that itß density _3 about 37*4 times less than that of hydrogen. It ie tastelesß, but not odourless; burns, when pure, with a greenish flame, and iB instantaneously fatal to animal life. , The italics are Poe's own, but they singularly enough emphasise the points in the process for the production of helium. To begin witb, helium is prepared by pouring a very common acid — i.e., sulphuric acid— on "a particular metallic substance or semi-metal"— i...,cleveite. Next, its density is probably very much less than that of hydrogen. Azote is another name for nitrogen— a zoe, without life. A writer in the Lancet, who draws attention to this parallel, suggests that helium will be used for the exaot purpose for which its fictional inventor destined it. "If helium could be obtained iv tolerable quantity, what an important bearing it might have in aeronautics. Thus, if it be muoh lighter than hydrogen its lifting power would be much greater, and the cumbersome and clumsy dimensions of our present balloon, it is easy to see, could be reduced with very great advantage." If things go on at this rate, the old adage that "Truth is Btranger than fiction," will have to be revised. We have not yet reaohed the vision of Tennjßon, of "navies grappling in the central blue ; " but what with helium balloons, flying machines and other inventions, we may not be far from the realisation. Evidently, we live in a time when " dreams come true."