The Washington times., 1901-07-14
NOVEL uses OF THE X-RAY.
Spiritualistic Seances Held by
Means of the Discovery
Certain Objects Made Luminous i'm
Darkness-The CreduIous DeIudcd
Into the Belief Tint They Are Com
municating with the Spirit Land.

DarkneSS-Ihe tTeuulOuN Deluotu
Into the Belief That They Are Com
municating With the Spirit Land.
X-rays are now being utilized not
only by surgeons and physicians, but
by conjurors. So remarkable are some
of the tricks performed with the aid of
this scientific marvel that the manifes
tations of spiritualistic mediums are
approached, if not excelled, in weird
ness.
a French manufacturer Of physical
apparatus, who has been devoting him
self for some time past to experiments
with the Roentgen rays in his labora-
tory. which is encumbered with cleo
trio lamps. lamp globes, and glass ap-
paratus of all kinds, recently perceived
that these glass objects, under the ac-
ton of the X-rays, shone in the dark
ness. Here was one of those interest
ing, perhaps useful, discoveries due to
accident, useful in this instance be
cause the photographs obtained up to
the present. by means of artificial
screens, have been really good only
when the sensitive bodies have been in
they are nearly insensible to the
X-rays. and it is almost impossible to
obtain the grain of the screen upon
the Photographic plate. 1t is easy,
on the contrary, TO work the glass in
such a way as to prevent any irregu-
larity in the radiograph. Such expert
ments, it is said, viii unquestionably
be made in the near future, but at pres
ent it is the fantastic uses to which the
discovery may be put which are of
popular interest.
Porcelain. enamels. and diamonds, as
we'll as objects covered with platino-
cyanides Cused by Roentgen) and with
calcium tungstate, zine sulphate, etc,
have. like glass, the property of be-
coming luminous in the darkness under
the action Of the X-Tays. There is,
therefore, only the trouble of selection
in order to get up spirit dance" with
every certainty of success. while gen
uine spiritual seances fail in most
cases. as is well known, because the
spirits" are unruly and disposed to
be coyish.
The following manifestation will
prove. il is assured, sufficiently start
ling to jar the nerves of one not famil-
lar with the terrestrial modus operan-
di. The Ruhmkorf coil is part of the
apparatus used, but TO prevent the
spluttering vibrations of this mecha-
nism from destroying the effect, it is
placed in a distant room. The cur
rent that produces the X-rays is led
into the Crookes tube by wires. This
apparatus. which is not very bulky,
may be placed behind door or be con-
cealed under black cloth. The objects
designed to become luminous are
placed as near to the tube as possible
In the experiment under considera-
ton diner (who may be supposed to
be nearsighted, since he wears glasses)
is about TO do justice TO a tempting
meal Armed with a knife and fork
he proceeds to alta * his beefsteak
He is not particular in regard to the
liquid portion of the meal, washing the
eatables down with cold water, while
a single candle affords all the light on
the occasion. a black curtain on the
other side Of the table conceals from
a
zinc sulphide.
The light is now put out and the
Euhmkorf coil put in action. Then
comes the surprise. A plate, a glass.
a water bottle, and a candle shine in
space with a weird uncanny radiance
a sinister guest in the form OF a skel-
eton sits opposite the place occupied
by the nearsighted gentleman, who has
disappeared, and whose eyeglasses
alone have held their own before this
ghasuy apparition. Finally, to com
plete the illusion, hands are seen NOV
| ing over the heads of the spectators
and these multiply. and then disappear
| only 10 appear anew.
II may be remarked that, in order to
! make the experiment more conclusive,
| il is allowable for the more incredulous
! persons among the spectators TO tie the
gentleman tightly TO his chair. and if
! they desire, TO hold his hands and feet
! during the entire time of the expert
ment. 1t is, perhaps. scarcely neces-
! sary To explain how the latter is per
| formed. The X-rays pass through the
! black cloth on the door that conceaIs
the Crookes tube and also through the
! body Of the gentleman, and render lum-
! nous the glass objects covered with
! zinc sulphide. As for the mysterious
hands. those are simply gloves, cover
ed with the same substance, and fixed
to the extremity of long sticks that are
moved in all directions by confederates.
Scenes such as this may be varied to
! infnity, and the inventive spirit is so
! fertile that new variations are said to
| be made continually with even more
! wonderful and startling resnlfs