The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-08


W. Lee. Stevens, in Troy Times.
Several weeks have now elapsed since
the announcement of Professor Roent-
gems discovery at Wurtzburg that 'ln-
der appropriate conditions Il photograph
may be taken by utilizing rays that pass
through media which to the eye are per-
fectly opaque. While 1t cannot yet lie
said that the explanation Is possessed even
by Roentgen himself. 1t is possible now
to give an account that Is less mysterious
than what was first afforded In the COL
umns OF the daily press.
-lI:-
a familiar lecture room experiment is
that of sending an intermittent electric
current through u nearly vacuOus tube,
into the ends of which metallic cleo.
trodes have been sealei: IRON one or
these conductors. called the kathode, col
ored rays pass In straight lines TO the
other eiectrode and to The glass OF tho
tube. These kathode rays are readily Wis
ible. and are easily detected from their
original course by magnet. Up TO IA
short time ago it was not known that any
tually transmitted through the glass
otherwise than as light of short wave
length. affecting the eye or. the photo-
graphic plate like any other light reluir-
mission. There are certain solids and
liuu.ds, such as canary slass. qunine So
luton and kerosene oil, which are caused
by this light to shine with beautiful coll
cent The well-knOwn Geissiev vacuum
tubes are often made to include various
fiuoregcent substances. which AFFORD at
tractive spectacular effects wnen iiiu.
minated BY electric discharges from an
induction coil. These have been familiar
phenomena during the last thirty or forty
years. The luminous kathoi" rays may
be reflected from a mirror or conveyed ny
a lens or stopped by an OPAQUE body or
registered on the photographers sensitized
plate.
A short time ago. while producing kath-
ode rays In Il highly vacuous tube Whtrh
was covered during the discharge, Pro-
fessor Roentgen noticed mat an erect
was produced upon photographi2 pate
that happened to be near This caused
him 10 test the efficacy of a variety of PRO-
tecting screws. and to establish the fact
that a peculiar and hitherto unknown sl'e-
cies of energy came through the vacuum
tube and tine projecting screen that was
perfectly efficient In cutting off light.
Some years ago Herr. the brilliant young
physicist, whose Investigations In rela-
tion to electric waves made him world
famous. discovered that kathode rays
could be transmitted through opaque
metal films, and subsequently MS assist
ant. Lenard. has published many expert
ments on this subject. Roentgen's disrov-
cry, therefore. while entirely original,
cannot be called wholly new. he has at
tained success far greater. however. than
any of his predecessors. His results have
been already confirmed by several physi-
cists In Austria. Germany and England,
| and he has received a decoration from the
German emperor.
All students of algebpa are in the habit
| of using as the symbol for an unknown
quantity. Professor Roentgen calls these
| newly discovered rays S-rays. They
have some properties in marked contrast
| with common rays of light AM even with
| the typical ka;hode rays from which they
| are derived. Like the blue, violet and
ultra violet waves of common light, they
| affect the Photographic film and excii,
| huorescence. a card covered with fiucr-
| escent material was found by Professor
Roentgen to shine in room otherwise
dark when brought near the opaque card
broad tube that encased his excited vacii-
um tube, and this even when withdrawn 70
| a distance of six or seven feet. Unlike
| true kathode rays the X-rays are not
DETECTED by magnet. Unlike kathode
| rays and common rays they are not re-
! fiected from a mirror refracted through
| a lens. They are transmitted to some
extent through nearly all opaque bodies
| ~ these be in moderately thin masses
such as sheets of ebonite. carbon. copper
| aluminium and iron. But transmission L.
| always accompanied with ABSORPTION. even
| in the case of common light. The X-rays
pass easily through paper. exciting fuor-
| escence through bound volume or Il
| thousand printed pages. They are but lit.
| lie stopped by a slab Of wood. or OF hard
rubber. an inch thick Metals exert more