New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-04-30
CAPITAL CITY IN
H0sP|TAbLE MOOD
WASHINGTON AGAIN CENTER OF
ATTRACTION FOR THE MANY
TOURISTS.
GEcPH0NE WILL BE USEFUL
Device Will Quickly and Accurately
Locate Entombed Miners, Under
ground Fires and Leaks in Water
Mains.
BY M p.

BY JAMES p. HoRNADAY.
Washington.-The national capital
Tor the first time since April, 1917, is
receiving tourists with open arms.
Apparently the word has already gone
forth that the capital city is again in
n hospitable mood for the tide of
s~ightseers is running strong. They
are coming in these days from New
England, from all the South Atlantic
states, from New York and Pennsyl-
vania and even from the central West.
The 'rubberneck" wagons, the guides
In the various public buildings, as well
as the guides who ply their trade on
foot and O~ut-0f-doors are once more
for visits from high school students.
Not a day passes but that several
thousands of these students come in
for a stay of from "a to rs hours.
They are always accompanied by a
few of their teachers. and go about
the business of sightseeing as me-
thodically as they go about mastering
their lessons in school.
Practically all the restrictions that
were In force here during the wal
and for a good many months after the
signing Of the armistice have been re-
moved. The one notable exception is
the White House and the White House
grounds. Before the world wal came
on, the s~o-called front White House
grounds were always open to the pub
lie, and n section of the lower floor
Of the White House was open to WIS.,
itors for two hours during the middle
of the day. Under that arrangement
tourists were permitted to visit the
historic East room, saunter through
the halls of the presidents home and
occasionally get a look into the Red
room, the Blue room, the dining room
and yer the kitchen. With the COM
ing of war, II was not deemed advisa-
BILE to permit the public to have free
access 10 the presidents home, and 1t
was also thought best TO close the
White House grounds.
May Reopen Grounds.
Recently the question as to whether
the grounds shall again be opened to
the public has been under considera-
tiOn at the White House. II seems
only n question of time until the big
iron gates will stand open as they
formerly did. and If President Wilson
acts favorably on the advice he is re-
ceiving, the East Don will again be
opened TO visitors. For n long time
extra precautions were observed at
the treasury. Strangers were not per-
mitted TO go below the main floor;
they We're prohibited from looking ut
the great stacks of money In the base
ment, hut those war restrictions have
been lifted, and the tourists are now
permitted not only to look at the
plled-up wealth of Uncle sam, but to
handle packages Of money.
The big attractions for the tourists
gress Is In session, the congressional
library, the Washington monument,
the various public buildings. the Lin
coin Memorial on the Mall. now near
ing completion. the National Museum.
the Smithsonian Institution. Arlington
and Mount Vernon. The local guides
predict that this is to be the banner
year for tourists. They are sure that
there are probably n million persons
who had planned to visit the capital
during 1917, 1918. 1919 who did not
get here, and who will come this year.
They say that If the April stream up
10 date Is indicative of what is to
come, not fewer than 100000 Ameri-
cans will take a look at the capital
during the year. Before the war the
tourists numbered about 100000 n
year.
VIII man. In the nea future, he able
TO talk through the, earth as he now
talks. without wires, through the air
and the seap Perhaps. Progress along
that line Is reported by the bureau Of
mines. which relates that after n series
of important tests with the geophone.
a listening device invented during the
war by the French To detect and To-
cate enemy underground operations,
may be put to a number Of remarkable
uses in mining and other industries.
The most extraordinary result of
these tests is that the bureau Of mines
men have been able, not only TO hear
and locate sounds through the earth.
but have actually understood talking
through 30 feet of solid coal and have
detected the human voice fully 80 feet
away. What this may mean In the
near future can only be cOnjectured.
An engineer of the bureau was able.
through 300 feet Of coal. to distinguish
nine out Of ten different coal mining
tools that were used at different times,
characteristic are the sounds. In
one mine where experiments were be-
ing made at the face Of a tunnel, the
mine foreman who vas listening heard
workmen in another tunnel preparing