The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1897-07-15
Y RAYS.
Photographs Through an
Iron Plate Twenty-Five Centime-
ters Thick

Photographs Taken Through nm
Iron Plate Twenty-Five Genuine.
tiers 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
entists, 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 nov it
is known every where. Prof. Donnenn
lie Syke is the name of the fortunate
~discoverei. He is an Austrian scient-
list and in interchangeable investigator.
Hitherto his reputation has apparently
been rather local than European. but
all who know him maintain that as an
t.. H.. -. L. t. - - lna ,Z
the first rank.
The exact nature of Prof. Sykes dis
covery has not been divulged. What
he 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 ap-
| pears in a 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
t~eresting points. Yet there is no rea-
son why we should hesitate to believe
this story. We have learned from the
discovery of the Roentgen rays not to
pass q rash judgment In such matters,
since experience shows us that ever
those discoveries which appear to us
the most improbable are precisely
those which are often made by modern
Investigators"
There is naturally a good deal OF
Speculation as to the nature of these
new rays. According to an authority
"they are far more powerful and magl
cal than the Roentgen rays and vii
certainly take precedence over them il
all practical work" This is only nat
ural. The Roentgen rays can penetrate
many substances. but cannot penetrate
metals. These new rays. we are told
can penetrate all substances, including
metals. Thickness, too. does not seen
to act as a barrier In their case, If we
may Judge from the announcement
that photographs have been takel
through a comparatively thick plate o
iron, In this connection it seems rathe'
curious that no mention has as We
been made of tests with any othe1
metal than iron. Some scientists, III
deed, claim that rays which will pas
through iron will pass through an,
other metal: but others. who know how
different is the composition of the va
rious metals are inclined to be skep
tical on this point.-New York Herald