The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1897-03-11
PERFECT x RAYS.
Photographs Taken Through an
Iron Plate twenty-five Centime.
tiers Thick,

Photographs Taken Through an
Iron Plate Twenty-Five Centime.
ters Thick.
When Prof. Roentgen discovered the
X rays, or rather made known to the
world the wonderful fact that by their
means objects can be photographed
through solid substances, the general
opinion, except among optimistic sci
e~ntists, was that the acme of achieve
ment in this direction had been at
tanned. Those who hoped for a still
greater wonder pointed to the fact that
the X rays, while passing readily
through other substances, find it i'm
possible to pass through metallic sub
stances, and thus are to a certain eX-
tent imperfect. In other words, they
maintained that since the sphere of
the X rays are limited there must be
some method supplying the deficiency.
and that it is only reasonable to sup
pose that in course of time scientists
will discover this secret also.
According to the European papers
this secret has now been discovered.
The story of the discovery was first
whispered in Vienna a few days ago;
thence it spread to Paris, and now it
is known everywhere. Prof. Donnenn
de Syke is the lame of the fortunate
~discoverer. He is an Austrian scient-
list and an interchangeable investigator.
Hitherto his reputation has apparently
been rather local than European, but
all who know him maintain that as an
| investigation hQ iS opfit1a6 tO q p1oca in
the first rank.
The exact nature of Prof. Sykes dis
covery has not been divulged. What
lie has discovered we know; how lie
discovered it or how he uses his dis
covery we do not know. The clearest
statement regarding the matter APP
pears in q French journal. 1t says:
Prof. Syke has discovered a system
of radiationS by means of which pho
tographs can be taken through all sub.
stances, even metallic ones. We are
told that by the use of these new rays
he has taken fifty photographs through
an iron plate twenty-five centimeters
in thickness. What objects he has
photographed or how these new rays
are produced we do not know. The
Austrian journal which tells of the dis
covery is silent as regards these in
teresting points. Yet there is no rea
son why we should hesitate to believe
this story. We have learned from TIN
discovery of the Roentgen rays not t.
pass a rash judgment in such matters
since experience shows us that ever
those discoveries which appear to III
the most improbable are precisel,
those which are often made by moderl
investigators"
There is naturally a good deal o
speculation as to the nature of thes
new rays. According to an authority
"they are far more powerful and mag
cal than the Roentgen rays and vii
certainly take precedence over them l
all practical work" This is only mai
ural. The Roentgen rays can penetrat
many substances, but cannot penetrat
metals. These new rays, we are tolo
can penetrate all substances, includin
metals. Thickness, too, does not seer
to act as a barrier in their case, if W
may judge from the announcement
that photographs have been take
through a comparatively thick plate Q
iron. In this connection 1T seems rathe
curious that no mention has as "
been made of tests with any othe
metal than iron. Some scientists, IL
deed, claim that rays which will pas
through iron will pass through an
other metal; but others, who know no
different is the composition of the VI
rious metals ARE inclined to be skel
teal on this point.-New York Heral