The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-20
MORE EDISON WONDERS.
The Great Inventor Still Adding to
His Scientific Achievements
BY the Aid of His Latest Invention q,
looks Through Two and = HaIf
Feet of solid Wood-An In
defatigahIe Worker.

With his microscope Thomas 4. Edi-
son can now lcok through 21s feet of
solid wood. Nothing better illustrates
the tremendous progress he has made
in his X-ray experiments.
When the announcement was first
r5ade that Mr.. Edison had perfected
M apparatus that enabled him 10 look
through eight inches of wood the whole
world marveled. Many persons doubted
the possibility of it. New eight inches
of wood offer only a slight impediment
10 the eye under the Y ray and there
have been times, when the conditions
were peculiarly favorable, that Mr.. Edi-
son has penetrated sheet of steel one
sixteenth OF an inch in thickness
Porous substances, like cork, for ex.
ample, practically offer no obstacle at
all to the Horoscope. Through three
feet of cork objects may be seen rs dis
tinctly as though there was no oDstruc-
ton at all, and there is reason TO believe
that cork wall of sufficient thickness
to obscure the vision could not be set up.
"As matters are moving now" de.
c,ared one enthusiast, who was watch
ing Mr.. Edison at work recently, ''he
the earth into China" And this idea
must occur TO everyone who sees the
wonders that ere being perfected at
the wizards laboratory in Orange. AS
for Mr.. Edison himself, he says that he
only wants to perfect his vacuum tubes,
SO that they will stand "32 lamps'-that
Is, the power used in 80 incandescent
Iights-and then one may see through
anything except the earth.
Mr.. Edison's enthusiasm and energy
continue unimpaired. The things he
has already accomplished, marvellous as
they are, have only whetted his appetite
fer more. He sticks at his experiments
day and night He does not seem TO
know what fatigue is. For As hours at
a stretch he keeps going at times and
then he stops only long enough TO
snatch four or five hours sleep, when
he is up and at it again.
He never leaves the laboratory now.
Mrs. Edison has gone on a visit to out
Cf-town friends, and this gives him per-
feet freedom to do as he likes. While
his wife was in Orange she compelled
him at times to come home, going TO
the laboratory after him and refusing
TO stir until he consented 10 go with
her to their house, across in Llewellyn
park. But he grudged the few hours
he had to spend away from his expert
nenting-room, and though he is most
rffectionate husband it is doubtful if
he did not hail his wife's trip with en-
thusiasm.
Not the least remarkable thing about
the wonder-wcrl1er is the manner in
which he manages to infuse his own
enthusiasm into the people all around
him. His assistants are as earnestly
interested in the work on hand as he is
himself, and remain with him constant
". Quitting time" has been entirely
abolished at the big laboratory. From
the meanest laborer in the place to the
chief assistant. all hands stay with the
chief far into the night
The reporter left the place at mid
night, and there were then no more
signs of rest than there had been at
midday. Mr. Edison himself was as
lively as cricket. Between times at
the lamp" as be calls his vacuum tube,
he skipped and danced about the place,
cracking Jokes, telling funny stories
pnd acting as frislSy as boy just out of
school. Yet he had not closed an eye
N "a hours.
"Tired?" he said. in a surprised tone.
Certainly not This isn't work. This
is fun, and lots Of il. What do we want
TO get tired for? Wen keep at it until
Blk or seven o'clock in the morning and
then we'll go to sleep for little while"
X Y IOurnal