Semi=weekly graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1895-1902, 1896-05-30
x RAYS MADE PUBLIC
INTERESTING SPECTACLE AT NEW
YoRNs ELECTRIC SHOW.

Hundreds See Their Bones Presented ON
Edison,s Fluorescent Screen = Funny
Scenes and queer Remarks by Some of
the Audience.
It was Roentgen ray night at the
electric show in the Grand Central pal
ace last night All the way up from
Menlo Park had come Thomas Alva
Edison, the contriYer of the fuoresoent
screen, to be sure that his discovery
! worked properly for the benefit of GU
rious public that wanted to see its own
skeleton. Some hundreds of persons
passed through the dark compartment
and viewed the shadowy outline of
their bones with emotions varying from
hilarious amusement to shrinking af-
fright. The experiment worked without
hitch, except that once or twice the
! fuoresoent screen was pushed out OF
place by the pressure of the hands
against it, and the lights were turned
on for few minutes until the screen
could be set back in place. An impa-
tient crowd waited outside the dark
chamber for the performance to begin.
Entrance was effected through long
passage lighted only by dim and dark
red light, which gave an effect Of Egyp-
tian mystery to the surroundings.
oh, is it going to be very awful?'
inquired the first woman who entered Of
her escort, and when presently she put
her hand behind the screen and beheld
the flesh melt into transparency she
gave little shrek and declared it was
either witchcraft or trick, and that
she didn't think it was right to do such
things. As rule the women underwent
the operation with considerable trepida-
ton, fully 10 per cent of them inquir-
ing anxiously of the assistants:
Are you quite sure it doesn't hurt?'
One of them, after being repeatedly
assured that there was no feeling, said,
with some little heat:
s'You needn't tell me that those rays
can go clear through my hand and
not feel it. I have some nerves left, l
can assure you.
1 Then, too, the woven would insist
on removing their gloves, frequently
keeping the line waiting for this pur-
pose. A little object lesson in this mat
ter was given by the assistants to a
girl who appealed for minutes delay
while she removed her right glove.
Put it back on, madam, " said one
of the men, and put some coins in it
if you have any handy. :"
This was done, and the woman's
hand was placed back of the screen with
a book three inches thick between it
and her eyes. When the ray was turned
on, the coins and the bony formation of
the hand were perfectly apparent. Some
thing of a sensation was caused by a
small child who burst into tears upon
seeing the bones of his own hand and
refused to be eomforted until he finally
bethoaght himself CT redeeming CIR
eumstance.
IF [ look like that all over inside, .
he said, shifting as he was led away,
I'm awful glad l ain t made of glass y
Not five minutes afterward an elder
ly woman took one glance at a hand
that was rather bony from the outside
and a most remarkable exhibit inside
and burst into wild laughter, which
presently developed into case of genu-
inc Mysteries Next to her the most up
set person who tried the screen was a
rather pompous individual, who, being
led away at the side, couldn't see the
transparent effect and declared loudly
that he couldn't see anything in that.
putin a feller's hand behind cloth
and turnin light on.
TRY it yourself, " suggested the at
tendant, and, taking the mans hand,
he pressed it against the screen. There
was the whir of the machinery, the
glow of the light, and then a whoop of
dismay from the scoffer.
Oh. my Godn' he yelled. aLemme
gop' And in the dark he knocked over
two inoffensive spectators before finding
the entrance and boiling through it
like a scared rabbit.
Probably the most pleased visitor to
the dark chamber was a man with q
terribly mangled and distorted hand,
which he held behind the screen with
weird effect. 1t was all the attendants
could do to get him to move on and
give the rest a chance
Just look at thatl'' he kept saving
in accents fairly trembling with pride.
Il don't s'pose there's another hand
like that in the United States. y
Finally they got him away by prom
ising to photograph the member.
The rest Of the electric show went ON
with the usual brilliant spectacular eff
feet Crowds watched the Erie canal
trolley and heard the roar of Niagara
and reyeled in the display of light.
There were comparatively few women
there, but the average of good looks
among those present was remarkably
high, fact perhaps explained by the
remark of girl which the reporter
overheard
No girl who hasn't got good COM
plexlon dares come under this light. 1t
Is the most trying thing in the world
for bad skin. New York Sun.