Omaha daily bee., 1900-12-21

g signal corps men put In their places.
These men are now operating the lines and
they do It without pay other than their
regular salaries. Even at that, however,
the service is too expensive owing to the
small amount Of commercial business and
the expense OF replacing wires which
have been blown down by cyclones. In
speaking OF the lines from a practical
standpoint General Greely says that IL the
military advantages OF the wires are con-
sdered as Offset by the pay, subsistence,
etc., Of the men of the signal corps, the
normal receipts OF the lines when under
military control will amount to about
;l2 900 annually and this will increase
within a year or two to about SIS OOO an
amount entirely inadequate for the main
tenance and operation OF the lines by
paid civilian force. In regard to the ulti-
mate disposition of the telegraph lines,
General Greedy says that three
courses are open: First to ope-
rate the lines by the United
states postofice In the manner done by
Spain; second, to transfer the lines to the
insular government, with view to their
operation and maintenance at the expense
Of Porto Rico; and, third the operation and
maintenance as at present as military tele-
graph lines. In the first instance, General
Greedy says, 1t would mean a large outlay
for the United states every year, as It
would require a new department, with
large personnel, and has nothing in its
favor except the idea that telegraphing Is
governmental function. His objections to
the second plan are that 1t would force a
large monetary burden upon the people OF
Porto Rico, and that none OF the inhabi-
tants OF the island would be benefited
except the old force OF telegraph operators
numbering about $50. In regard to the
third plan, General Greedy reports as fol-
lows: The third plan seems to the chief
signal officer OF the army the easiest and
most natural solution or the question
Porto Rico must necessarily be fortified and
garrisonei by troops OF the regular army;
and, as u Is detached island, liable in
time OF war to certain Invasion, 1t is of
the utmost military Importance that the
different garrisons should be in either tele
phonlc or telegraphic communication, thus
insuring the greatest possible military efil-
cheney of the defending forces. II this sug-
gestion is adopted, it may be added that for
the execution OF this plan no legislation Ia
necessary, as the signal corps of the army
Is now charged with the operation and
maintenance OF these lines until action is
States. The same policy would be followed
with those military lines as elsewhere,
namely, the gradual condemnation and sale
of lines no longer necessary in the public
interest and the maintenance of only those
necessary for strictly military purposes
X-Rays for Detective Work.
signor Brguiti of the State archives in
Rome has discovered that the X-rays can
be used fer copying manuscripts concealed
beneath book covers when the ink OF the
manuscript contains such chemicals as red
lead, cinnabar or ultramarine. This sus
gests the question, Can the X-ray be used
for the detection OF forgeries? "In certain
cases. yes" says an expert in X-rays. to
whom the question was propounded, II
have used the rays both in connection with
alleged old masters and Wills thought to
be forged-in both cases without material
result. In the case of the old masters l
tried to find IL there we're any signatures.
Old pictures are vanished periodically to
preserve them and the signatures are often
obliterated, or rather covered up. found
no signatures. u is doubtful, however,
whether the rays would have revealed
them, supposing them there, unless they
were very thickly painted. As to Wills the
| rays might detect II the parchment had
been Eiade thinner by erasure, but the
microscope would probably show this still
better. The visibility OF a substance to the
eye is no criterion of its visibility to the
rays. The rays cannot see through glass,
which is transparent to the eye, whereas
aluminium, which is Opaque to the eye, is
transparent to the rays. The rays can see
splinter OF glass In the hand. but not a
| splinter OF wood. Most inks are trans
| parent to the Xrays including printers
| ink, but some are opaque. The rays can
see through "Postofice Directory" but
| IL paper with words written on 1t In
Opaque ink is put in the middle OF the direc-
| tory the rays will reveal those words and
nothing behind them. 1t would appear.
| therefore, that the rays can only detect,
say, forgery in check, providing the
| body OF the check is written in transpar-
ent ink and the forger is considerate enough
| to make his alteration in opaque ink, or
| vice versa.
Recording TeIephonic Messages.
Here is a brief description OF new
teegraphon for receiving and recording
telephone messages: The steel band on
which the records are made is wound on
four rollers arranged in a rectangle and
the winding is so arranged that the band is
cont inuous and for reproduction of the
rec ord 1t is not necessary to reverse the
| band and start 1t again, but simply to let
| II run on. The cores OF both the recording
and reproducing magnets are parallel tc
the breadth OF the band and not perpendic-
uar to its surface. They are made to
touch It, For the guidance OF the wires
four brass combs are mounted near the
rollers. The whole apparatus is driven by
a one-sixteenth horse power electromotor
which imparts to the band velocity OF
three metres per second. The duration OF
speech Is two minutes That is not much
for a phonograph, but, OF course, 1t can be
increased by increasing the number OF rol'
lers or the distance between them. Sew
eral hearing magnets can be arranged anC
II It should be necessary to repeat a short
passage that can be done by mounting
hearing magnet on another part OF the
wire and switching II on as required"
| Current Notes.
| The power transmission line between
| Snouualme Falls and Seattle, Wash, hat
| been looped to make circuit more than IS
| miles long, and power has been success
| fully transmitted over this great distanc,
| with the commercial apparatus at hand.
Wind power has been utilized for tht