Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-19
rur RAYS IN SUNLIGHT.
Experiments Hepor''"
NV DIR. s. III. Emmens'

New York Tribune)
.,,.os, avery day brings forth SOM
so,,o,o,nents Of the properties anu
necu,,aritIes of X-rays. Hitner'o :.
been maintained that the new rau'" 49,
o',,, ne obtained only through INC
,,,od,uro of vacuum tubes. Now io"
go mr. stephen II. Emmens' W.,
49,, scientist OF this city ana |a"
,orr,o announces that he has suceoe
=. o,,a,r,rg the X-rays with the aiu oN''
NJ the sunlight, and without 'ne ~,
Crool,es tubes and induction eonS' =,
r,nomens for some time, at MS Hoii'N'
coI,fornia. has been conducting ST.
:, ,n,eresting and unique experi'ien'''
-. ,ho rasult that he is convinced ul.''
W " ro,,s are not only TO be fouhu III su
-. hut i'm various other KINDS Oh iisu'
mr. T,mmens, who is the lnVeh'o. y.
powerful explosive known as I,'t.ad
site" which was adopted py ene fstod IL,
So cn1ernment, has been assisted IL
bis operations by his son. NC" -"
Emmens. o,.pDr-n
FLECTRIC1TY DISCARDED.
Discarding the orthodox electrical appa.
ratns used for the production oi
radiance. DR.. Emmens ana ms son P". -,e
1,a~ious objects on a sensitiZed p'"te
atlOu the yulcanite screen, and al
ter exposure TO the sun, varylhs 49, 30
tu,elve TO thirty-six hours, pictures "a
thase objects were produced on the sersi-
.t,,. aim IL IS apparent from te oe
,,a,ored mates OF these objects, as SHOWN
Yesterday to a Tribune repoiuei' -,
5rbi,e the sunbeam was, OF course, stop-
ned nv the vulcanite, the plate hae 49,
penetrated by the X-ray. In one Va ~ ~
exneriments a visiting caro- pediine IA
words. "Mrs. Hattie Z. fiiiiISo' a,,nars
y christmas-card, decorated Win nhne
., Tin conner. and brass, were lhcloseo
- nlate-holder over the sensitive MN.
mhts uoe exnosed to the direct sunlsh.
g.. ,hirtv-six hours. Then 1t Wss loui,u
that the outlines of the cara "eie 'i III
an the plate clearly and dlstihcuy, WI"
tha letterlng on the visiting caro- couiu
be very easily READ.
DIR. EMMENss CONCLUSIONS
~ r,,roens said that these expert
nnts had conclusively proven to MN
that the Roentgen ray existed III suhiisi,''
IL cold that many OF the scientists VIM
"a heen giving their attention 10 TIC
avg and who had held that the IdSo
were only to be produced with vacuum
t,,bes. might possibly insist that lhe
suits he had obtained were Here ~
nary colorographs. IL 49, Vi ~, 49,,
known that the heat OF the sun WIN W."
i,nnresslons OF interposed obJects on
sansitized plate But, as DIR. Ehiinehs
exnIoined IL his pictures had Deeh coio-
roaranhs the outlines Of the impressions
80 the objects placed upon the piate
Unujd have been strictly uniform III
density over the whole OF the SUI iaS1'
In the plates which DIR. Eninens eNHi
bited such a uniformity OF density "as
yvholIv absent, and the impressions Oh
W. dieferent lines OF letters carried viii,
them All the well-known peculiarltles Oh
the "cantankerous y rays as pIoAeS-
sor of Yale has termed them.
AGAIN. in the case of the 'Chrlstnas-
cord the tin filings were easily pehe-
trated but the copper and brass hiinss
that also adorned the caro- were IN
nervous. another circumstance "IlIci.
seemingly. proves that DIT Ennhehs "Ss
really exSerimenting with the true y
raw. Pictures taken of the headlines OF
,a,5ous newspapers and of Sj-bill were
also excellent impressions.
EVIDENCE OF REFLECTION.
The question of the possibility of. re-
fecting or refracting the new radiance IS
ono that has been persistently invest-
gated by many exper!menters, Dut ths
Substance of their work in this direction
has tended TO demonstrate that the rays
can neither be reflected nor refracted
pr Emmens is opposed 10 these conclu-
sions and contends that ne mas us
covered evidences OF reflection OF the
rays. In the visiting-card experiment the
edge that faced the sun produced 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 or the
card were reflected downward and thus
concentrated on the plate along the lines
coincidng with the side or the card
facing the sun.
CONSTRUCTION OF PHOTOSCOPE-
Working on the theory that the X rays
do not constitute a class Of vibrations by
themselves, and that all bodies are per-
meable to something In the nature OF
radiant energy, Dr. Emmens has succeed
| I'm constructing an instrument, which he
calls the "photoscope." by means OF
which, he contends, 1t is possible to ex-
anime the limbs and the interior of the
human body with the aid OF sunlight
| only, and without the assistance OF any
Photographic materials. He was not Will
ing yesterday 10 enter into full descrip-
ton Of the instrument, for the reason that
| In the course of the next few days he VIII
| have perfected H. and will thus be In a
| position to prove its utility and value.
| It's principle, however, Is that upon when
| Edison has acted-the coating or screen
| with a chemical substance that fuoresces
under the Y rays, and then casting an
image on the plate OF the object placed
before the light. In appearance the
| "phOtoscope" Is a slight modihcation OF Il
| telescope. but, instead of the lenses In
t.fr, FiaY HfnF9SGHnt
| screens and a sort of condensing appara-
tins that will concentrate the rays,
not only from vacuum-tube, but from
sunlight, or in fact, any other kind OF
light, upon the object to be examined
Dr. Emmens does not hesitate 10 say
that he is convinced by practical proofs
that the Roentgen ray exists in every
source that emits light, and he further
asserts that every source that emits heat
also emits the X-ray vibrations.
DARKNESS EVOLVING LIGHT.
Probably one Of the most interesting re-
suits attained by the Messrs. Emmens in
their experiments was the finding of the
RAYS In darkness. Still working on the
theory that the radiance was universal,
they covered a sensitive plate with the
compound ordinarily known as Prussian
blue. and the plate, on being developed
after being left in the darkened recepta-
Gle for twelve hours. was found 10 con-
tain plainly pictured impressions OF the
patches OF the chemical substance. The
plate was affected as IL by an ordinary
light, and penumbra surrounded each pic
ture. showing that the phenomenon was
caused by light, and not by chemical
means,
TT showed that the dark receptacle
was full OF radiant energy" said DR..
Emmens, containing rays that were