Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1896-02-20
WHERE WILL THIS ENDa
Mr.. Thomas A. Edison Now Proposes
to Send Pictures Over a Wire.

ORANGE, N. H., feb. ia new nne
of investigation that may have most
important commercial results was be-
gun to-day by Thomas A. Edison in
his experiments with the new x rays.
These results may be process of
sending pictures over wire. As yet
Mr.. Edison is very conservative re-
garding the matter. He will not even
say that he hopes to attain that end,
but part of his time this afternoon was
spent in preparing apparatus to de-
termine whether or not the effects OF
the new ray may be transmitted by
wire.
The apparatus consists of the trans
mitter and receiver of an ordinary
telephone, coil of telephone wire
and sensitive plate. The x rays
will be turned into the transmitter
and the sensitive plate will be kept
close to the receiver. Mr.. Edison hopes
that the rays acting somewhat like
sound waves win produce an impress
sion upon the sensitive plate. If this
experiment is successful, 1t may be
possible by the development OF the
principal to send pictures instantane-
ously over ordinary telegraph wires
by placing them between the light and
a perfected receiver.
MIR. Edison spent most of the fore
moo in consultation with his patent
at torney and it is thought that the
great inventor is preparing to patent
something in connection with the new
discovery.
1t is believed that this may be new
process of hardening aluminium and
making it like steel. This strange
effect of either the cathode or the X
rays was discovered by Mr.. Edison last
night. He happened to pick up. one
of the aluminium disks that had been
used in tube producing the rays. He
tried to bend it into certain posi-
ton with his fingers, but was sur
prised to find that its nature seemed
to have been entirely changed and II
had become hard. Whether the change
thus induced may or may not make
the metal more valuable for CONNER.
cial purposes, MIR. Edison did not say
If he has found a method of making
aluminium a substitute FOR steel, q
revolution in the manufacture of va
rious things, but especially of bicycles
may be expected.
Mr.. Edison is not ready to make th'
experiment with a human skull. Sun
til can get through three inches o
wood,n he said, 81 shall not try it.
have now got through one and one
fourth inches, but hope to get bet
ter results to-day.''
In piercing the one and one-fourt'
, inches of wood. Mr.. Ediso
! used plates heated to increase thei
sensitiveness. The rays produced
,, good picture at 200 degrees Fahren
: heit, but it did not differ much frol
!, thoso produced with a cold plat.
Edison is now preparing to try th
effects of a battery of tubes with th
, rays directed through a steel funne
Three tubes are to be used, and the
will have a greater degree of vacuum
than any heretofore tried.
!. By this means Edison hopes to g
4 a ray of sufficient penetrative enc
to go through the skull.
81 As to transmitting pictures by wiz
!. Edison calls attention to the hume
. GUS instances where images of tree
rocks and similar objects have be-
= photographed by lightning on t
= human body. In these cases the ele
!, trio fluid penetrated the clothing j.
;, as cathode ray goes through opaq
objects. Edison argues that ii ligf
ID ming can make these pictures the sal
"a results can be accomplished by mea
,e of electricity, provided the proE
IA apparatus is discovered.