Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-07-19
UNDISCOVERED DISCOVERIES
Some of the Wonders ACCOMPLISHED IN
the Way OF New Things.

| II Is six years since Prof. Poentpsr
passed his new light rays through
| rood. paper and flesh, and to this dav
no ono alive understands why. or how
| these rays act as they do. In desnair
some scientists fell back upon the old
theory OF light, which was that !
radian substance gave off light as a
| fio wer does scent. But, as this idea
| s totally exploded, the mystery q
still as great as ever. and newer dIs-
coveries have added to il, instead az
clearing il up.
Y-rays are greater miracle than X
rays. BY their aid. their dlscoverer.
Alex Orloff. has steered torpedoes at a
distance of two and half miles, and
| that without wires or any connecting
medium but the air and water. He
made the torpedoes go forward or
back. In a curve or straight line, and
sink or rise. exactly as he desired.
At two miles distance the Y-rays
beam is 200 yards across, and the
torpedo can be controlled anywhere
within this area.
To puzzle the average man still more
the Polish scientist CURE has invented
the Becquerel rays. with which he has
obtained results which puzzle nobody
more than himself. A substance called
radium. which he has discovered. has
been made 10 act as q sort Of mineral
giowworm. 1t will store up sunlight,
and. even If kept in pitch darkness for
five years. be found to CLEAN with the
same soft radiance al the end of that
time.
Becquerel rays pierce not only flesh,
but bone. They offer a sure test for
distinguishing between true and false
dia monds. but are not likely to be
largely used for such a purpose. as
radium costs S2500 announce to prepare
one more mystery of light. BY Sim
ply spinning lump of loaf sugar on a
lathe. and tapping 1t rapidly with a
small hammer. a constant play Of light
car be produced and here, again Is
an effect without a known cause
When NJ Tesla came over to this
country some years ago he horrifedan
assemblage Of scientists by transmit
ting through his own hands and body
current Of electricity 100 times greater
than is generally used to kill criml-
nal. He stood there perfectly un-
harmed. while a roaring, cracking
blaze at the end of the conductor
which he held showed the appalling
power of the forces he handled 50
calmly Asked why he has not in
simultaneously burned to a crisp. be
replied that it was perfectly safe to
handle q current If ii was alternating
electricity. He even offered to trans
nit through his own body the whole
energy of the 10000 horse power o.
tanned from the falls Of Niagara. Inc
currents he has actually handled would
have been sufficient to melt thick iron
wires like wax. His experiment IS
about as much of a miracle as any
thing ever seen.
BY means of an instrument made OF
glass prisms, and called the 81 20
scope. scientists have discovered that
the sun and moon and all the stars we
can see in the skies are made up OF
similar materials to those of which TINS
earth is composed. Iron. gold. each dii-
fc" IT clements, produce different DARK
mes across the rainbow-lke play OF
Cclors into which the prism divides
white light. We know by experiment
where the lines of each different SUD
stance will be found in the spectrum.
and We know that these lines are pro-
duced by interference of rays. bul
why the various substances should
produce such rays is another mys-
terry. AS in so many other matters,
result has been reached without inc
cause being understood.
Even so seemingly simple contriv-
anCe as the compass is really MIRA
Gle. We have discovered that mag
netiZed strip Of steel swung upon
pivot will point in a certain direction
but why il is does so is not known Tor
certain, and perhaps never will be. we
are aware that the magnetic pole IS mol
always in the same place, but Slowly
and constantly shifts. We know also
that there are parts Of the world where
the compass will not act at all. Al
place called Kotchetowka. il Russia.
Prof. Leyst of Moscow found that the
Tipping needle pointed DOWNWARD
lust as it does at the magnetic pores.
md yet there is on iron within oo'
feet of the surface of the earth.
che whole subject of magnetism ana
Electricity is fun of miracles and mys-
cries. Man can make young plants
row at nearly double their natural
tc by passing Il mild current through
he soil they are planted in. He can.
n Il similar fashion. double the size OF
,ucumbcrs and cabbages: but. he can
lot tell why such results are obtain
able @
The main reason why fresh milk Is
% expensive as it is. is that it sourS SO
xtremely rapidly as to make its car
i7se to any distance very trouble
ONE. Quite recently it has been dis
ovcred that by putting milk into hol-
Nv steel cylinders. and applying great
'ydlaulic pressure. ii may be kept
e"fectly sweet for days. A pressure
seven tons to the square inch for an
our was found to delay souring for
even days: while other samples. kept
'nder a pressure of 10 tons to the incn-
ere sweet and fresh at the end OF
'rtnight. Here is another miracle to
ponde'cd over. for how mere pres
f,rc can Fecp n substance from fer
venting is not easily understood.-IT-
lie. !.