Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1894-02-20
A7GREAT DISCOVERY.
PRAcTIcAL pHoTocaAPHYw WITHOUT
LIGHT on LENS.

LIGHT on LEN3.
A rIctuce Tnhonby Electrical Action Only.
uea;zs Experiments invaded by a Pro
feseor In the Leland sta ford. Jr, Uni
vsrsify.
Clork MaxwelTs electro magnetic the
DRY Of light received striking coniirma-
ton seven or eight years ago when Helm
rich Hertz performed q number Of ex-
periments in which electrical waves were
made 70 initiate the conduct Of light
waves IN several particulars. This gifted
investigator, now connected with the
University Of Bonn, concentrated the
rays to q focus with n parabolic mirror.
Refraction as well as reflection was ac-
complished. Electricity, proceeding in
straight lines, was diverted from its course
by a prism Of pitch. The phenomena Of
interference and polarization were also
reproduced.
It 10 now announced that a photograph
has been taken by using electricity in
stead Of light, and if this story is true
then additional evidence will have been
afforded rs to the kinship Of these two
forces or forms Of force, Hertz, it will
be observed, only showed that the cleo
trical radiance conformtd to mechanical
laws which are known 70 control life,
but photography introduces sne element
Of chemical action, so mat this later
achievement, If 1t proves TO be al that 1t
seems, is one Of tho most remarkable
revelations Of our day.
Professor Fernando Sanford, who
claims TO have attained this wonderful
result and who gives some account Of it
to the San Francisco Examiner, occupies
the chair Of physics in Leland Stanford,
Jr., university and is one Of the young
est members Of the faculty Of that insti-
tuition. AS the story appears over his
own signature, and he intimates that he
has repeated the experiment several
times, there Is little room for doubt as to
the ~genuineness Of the occurrence de-
scribed. Professor Sanford obtained his
picture in the dark without even a Ions
in the following manner
1t is we'll known that when two brass
rods connected with the sides of the bat
terry or placed in the, secondary circuit
Of an induction coil are brought close
enough together a spark will fly from
one to the other. If to each rod, a short
distance from the knobs in which they
terminate, a copper wire be attached and
the two wires be led Off to suitable metal
plates placed facing each other, but not
quite touching, an electrical oscillation
will occur between the plates whenever
there is a discharge between the knobs.
X Now. Professor Sanford substituted a
coin, the object to be photographed, for
one Of the plates Of such a pair, and laid
it face downward upon a thin sheet Of
mica, which in turn rested on the sensi-
tive gelatin film Of a glass Photographic
plate.
Tinfoil was arranged on the other side
Of the glass and took. the place of the
other metal plate of the pair. This com
bination was now placed between two
boards and left in the dark for an hour,
during which time n series Of sparks
were flying from one knob TO the other
of the discharger across an interval OF
one-sixteenth Of an inch. Upon devel.
oping his sensitive plate Professor San.
ford had an image Of his coin-that is
of the portions in relief on that side
which was in contact with the mica
The Examiner prints a copy Of the pic
turo, a positive, which shows the Liberty
head, date, inscription "E Pluribu.
Unum," circle Of stars and raised edg,
In white on a dark background.
Professor Sanford does not enter int
a discussion Of the theories involved, bu.
he mentions that the tinfoil was not onlJ
of the same size as the coin "a silver dol
lar), but placed directly opposite. APP
parently electro magnetic waves flowed
! from the coin to the tinfoil, but prefer
b ing the shortest route radiated mainly
] or exclusively from the raised part o
8 the dollar. They seem to have proceeded
] in straight lines too; otherwise the chem
b. ical action on the film would not havl
! been confined so accurately to region.
0 directly opposite the pattern.
. Right here it should be noted tina
! Hertz discovered in his experiments tina
I the induced magnetic radiance excited
in tho manner described, and now calleC
J. "Hertzian waves" in honor Of that nov
famous physicist. had this Remarkable
trait not possessed by a primary cleo
4 trical current: Good Conductors, " lk
. copper OF other metals, being interpose,
would stop them, but they would &
/. right through wood and other 30 Gale
: ''~insulators.' Hence in Professor San
ford's experiment the mica and glas
were evidently no barriers to the passag
Of the particular kind Of electricity pre-
= duced.
: Although it docs not at first appea
! clearly what practical applications @
: this discovery a be made, it Is not in
= probable that uses will DO found for il
[. The indirect consequences are sure to b
: valuable as well as interesting.-Ee
= YORK Tribune.