The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-04-22
CAPITAL CITY IN
H0SP|TABLE MOOD
WASHINGTON AGAIN CENTER OF
ATTRACTION FOR THE MANY
TOURISTS.
Ge0PH0Ne WILL BE USEFUL
Device viii Quickly and Accurately
Locate entombed Miners, Under.
ground Fires and Leaks in Water
Mains
BY JAMES p. HoRNApAv.

BY JAMES p. HoRNADAY
Washington. The national can,tal
Tor the first time since April, 1917 is
Receiving tourists with ,pen arms.
apparently the word has alread- gone
'orth that the capital city is again In
hospltable mood for the tide of
sightseers Is running strong. They
are coming In these days from New
England, from all the South Atlantic
states' from New York and PennsyI-
wanna and even from the central West.
Inc "rubberneck" wagons. the guides
In the various public buildings. as we'll
as the guides who ply their trade on
root and out-of.doors are once more
pusily engaged. April is the month
Tor visits from high school students.
MOI day passes but that several
thousands Of these students come in
ror stay of from "a to 4s hours
Ihey are always accompanied by a
Few OF their teachers. and 90 about
the business of sightseeing as me-
medically as they go about mastering
their lessons in school.
Practically all the restrictions that
we're In force here during the war
ana for 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 war came
on. the so-called front White House
grounds were always open to the pub
lie, and 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 we're permitted to visit the
historic East room, saunter through
the halls of the presidents home and
occasionally get look into the Red
room, the Blue room, the dining room
and even the kitchen. With the COM
ing of war. II was not deemed advisa-
BILE to permit the public to have free
access to the presidents home, and II
was also thought best to close the
White House grounds.
May Reopen Grounds
Recently the question DIS to whether
the grounds shall again be opened to
the public has been under considera-
ton at the White House. II seems
only a 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 room will again be
opened to visitors. For long time
extra precautions were observed at
the treasury. Strangers were not per-
mitted to go below the main floor;
they were prohibited from looking at
the great stacks of money In the base
been lifted. and the tourists are now
permitted not only TO look at the
pled-up wealth of Uncle Sam, but to
handle packages of money.
The big attractions for the tourists
are, of course, the Capitol where con-
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 a 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 II the April stream up
10 date is indicative of what is to
come. not fewer than 100000 Ameri-
rams will take look at the capital
during the year. Before the war the
tourists numbered about 100000 a
year.
VIII man. In the near future, be able
TO talk through the earth as he now
talks. without wires. through the air
and the sea? Perhaps. Progress along
that line is reported by the bureau of
mines, which relates that after series
Df important tests with the geophone,
4 listening device invented during the
war by the French TO detect and To-
-uAt thtihy ulutI STounu operations,
may be put to / number Of remarkable
Uses in mining and other Industries.
The most extraordinary result OF
ihese tests is that the bureau OF mines
men have been able. not only TO hear
md locate sounds through the earth.
,ut have actually understood talking
through so feet OF solid coal and have
detected the human voice fully 100 feet
lway. What this may mean in the
rear future can only be conjectured. |
In engineer OF the bureau was able. |
through 800 feet OF coal. TO distinguish
line out OF ten different coal mining
ools that were used at different times.
o characteristic are the sc unds. In
ne mine where experiments we're be-
ng made at the face OF a tunnel. the
nine foreman who was listening heard
gorkmen In another tunnel preparing
0 blast, and ordered the engineers to
etire until the blast was fred. The