New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-18
THE X RAYS IN SUNLIGHT
REMARKABLE EXPERIMENTS REPORT
ED BY DR. 8. H. EMMENS.

RESULTS WHICH CONVINCE HIM THAT THE NEW
RADIANCE EXISTS IN ALL LGHT-EMITTING
soURCEs-FINDrNG OF THE RAYS IN DARK
NESS AIsO-THE QUESTION OF REFLEc-
TIoN-A NEW INSTRUMENT DEVISED.
Almost every day brings forth some new devel-
opments OF the properties and peculiarities OF X
rays Hitherto 1t has been maintained that the
new radiance could be obtained only through the
medium Of vacuum tubes. Now. however, Dr.
Stephen II. Emmens, well-known scientist OF
this city and California, announces that he has
succeeded in obtaining the X rays with the aid
only Of the sunlight, and without the use Of
Crookes tubes and induction coils. DR.. Emmens
for some time. at his home In California. has been
conducting a series OF interesting and unique ex-
periments, with the result that he is convinced
that the rays are not only to be found In sum
beams. but in various other kinds OF light. DR..
Emmens, who Is the inventor Of the powerful ex-
plosive known as "emmenste." which was adopt
ed by the United States Government, has been
assisted In his operations by his son. Newton w.
Emmens
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS DISCARDED.
Discardng the orthodox electrical apparatus
used for the production Of the radiance. DR.. En-
mems and his son placed various objects on
sensitiZed plate underneath the vucanite screen,
md after exposure 10 the sun. varying from
twelve to thirty-six hours, pictures Of these OBJ
jects were produced on the sensitive film. 1t -
apparent from the developed plates Of these OBJ
jects. as shown yesterday to A Tribune reporter.
that. while the sunbeam was Of course stopped
by the vucanite. the plate had been penetrated
by the ray. In one OF these experiments
visiting card bearing the words. Mrs. Hattie c.
Emmens." and Christmas card. decorated with
filings OF tin. copper and brass, were inclosed
in n plate-holder over the sensitive film. This
was exposed TO the direct sunlight for thirty-slx
hours. Then II was found that the outlines OF
the card were visible on the plate clearly and dis
tinctly. while the lettering the visiting card
could be very easily read.
DR. EMMENs'S CONCLUSIONS
DR.. Emmens said yesterday that these expert
ments had conclusvely proven to him that the
R6ntgen ray existed in sunlight. He said that
many Of the scientists who had been giving their
attention to the rays and who had held that
the rays were only to BE- produced with vacuum
tubes might possibly insist that the results he
had obtained were mere ordinary colorographs.
1t is. OF course. known that the heat OF the sun
will throw impressions Of inttrpoeed objects on
q sensitized plate. But DR.. Emmens ex
planned. II his pictures had been colorographs
the outlines Of the impressions OF the objects
placed upon the plate would have been strictly
uniform In density over the whole OF the sur
face. In the plates which Dr. Emmens exhi-
btel yesterday. such uniformity OF density
was wholly absent. and the impressions Of the
different lines Of letters carried with them all the
wel-known peculiartics OF the "cantankerous
X rays" as professor at Yale has termed
them.
Again. In the case Of the Christmas card. the
Kim f,lngs were easily penetrated. but the cop
per and brass nlngs that also adorned the
card. were impervious, another circumstance
which seemingly proves that DR. Emmens was
really experimenting with the true ray. Pct-
ures taken OF the headlines OF various news
papers and OF a s5-bl were also excellent i'm
pressions
THE EVIDENCE OF REFLECTION.
The question OF the possibility OF rejecting
or refrac,ng the new radiance Is one that
has been persistently Investigated by many ex-
perlmenters but the substance OF their work
In this direction has tended to demonstrate that
the rays can neither be reflected nor refracted
Dr. Emnens ,s opposed to these conclusions
and contends that he has discovered evidences
Of reflection Of the rays. In the visiting card
duced much darker shadow than was on the
opposite edges. proving that more light had
fallen along those lines than anywhere else on
the plate. Consequently. IL would appear that
the rays striking the edge of the card were re-
fected downward ard thus concentrated on the
plate along lines colnciding with the side Of the
card facing the
CONSTRUCTION OF THE PHOTOSCOPE.
u NJ
constitute a class OF vibrations by themselves,
and that all bodies permeable to something
in the nature OF radiant energy, Or. Emmens has
succeeded in constructing an instrument which
he calls the "photoscope." by means Of which, he
contends. II Is possible to examine the limbs ana
the interior Of the human body with the aid or
sunlight only and without the assistance of any
Photographic materials. He was not willing yes
erday to enter into a full description OF the In
strument. for the reason that In the course OF
the next few days he will have perfected 1t and
will thus be In position to prove Its utility ana
value Its principle. however. Is that upon which
Edison has acted-the coating Of screen with
chemical substance that huoresces under the ~
rays. and then casting an Image on the pia'e oi
the object plac ID before the light In appearance
the "photoscope' is a slight modification or
telescope. but instead Of the lenses IN the ia.ter
II contains various huorescsnt screens ana sort
OF cOnuenslnR apparatus tHdt VIII ooN
the rays not only from a vacuum tube, but
from sunlight or in fact. any other KIND OF light
upon the object 10 be examined.
DIR. Emmens does not hesitate 10 say tnat ne
IL convinced by practical proofs that the Rontgen
ray exists In every source that emits llght. ana
he further asserts that every source that em!ts
heat also emits the X-ray vibrations.
DARKNESS EVOLVING LIGHT.
Probably one OF the most interesting results
attained by the Messrs. Emmens In their expert
ments was the finding OF the rays In darkness Stiil
working on the theory that the radiance was uni
versal. they covered sensitive plate with the
compound ordinarily known as Prussan blue,
and the plate on being developed after being left
An the darkened receptacle for twelve hours. was
found to contain plainly pictured impressions OF
the patches OF the chemical substance. The
plate was affected as II by an ordinary light. ana
q nenlnahra aurrnunded each picture. ShOWlng