1:06:04
We shall be very grateful
to have the shade.
1:06:31
This was the shade
across the courtyard
1:06:33
from the school of physics.
1:06:35
This was to be the laboratory
of Marie and Pierre Curie
1:06:39
The place was even worse than
they had expected.
1:06:42
There was no equipment.
1:06:43
They were at the mercy of
the worse extremes of the weather.
1:06:47
How could they do anything
worthwhile under such conditions?
1:06:51
If they'd know at the start
1:06:52
how long they will have
to work here and
1:06:54
what difficulties awaited them
would they have dare to begin?
1:06:58
Well, yes, they probably would.
1:07:01
They were that kind of people.
1:07:03
At first
it was sheer physical labor
1:07:05
beyond the strength
of either of them.
1:07:08
During those winter days
1:07:09
they carried on between them
1:07:11
the work of
the entire chemical plant.
1:07:14
The raw material was pitch blende
1:07:16
from the mines of
Bohemia tons of it
1:07:18
from which they plan to
extract all the known elements
1:07:22
until only a few ounces remain.
1:07:24
From this few ounces, radium
1:07:27
their precious element
was eventually to be isolated.
1:07:31
In the beginning
in spite of the bitter cold
1:07:34
the work had to be done
out of doors
1:07:36
because of the fire and fumes.
1:07:38
The first step was to
melt the crude ore
1:07:41
on a large oblong tank
1:07:43
till it was boiling like lava.
1:07:45
Then acid was poured in.
1:07:47
This was to
dissolve out the salts.
1:07:56
When this was done
the next stage was to melt down
1:07:58
the residue in separate cordon