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Show TO TALK WITH MARS. The "Mllford Times." Dr. Albert C Albortson, of Now York, tho ingenious electrician and scientist, who nttractcd tho attention of engineers somo threo years ago by tho Invention of a magnetic train which dovelopod a speed of 300 mllor an hour, has nlnco then been expert mentlng along now lines. Ho has succeeded suc-ceeded In constructing an oxtrnordln-nry oxtrnordln-nry apparatus for extracting music and other soundB by light rays from tho sun, moon, or tho remotest vlslhlo stars. It might bo-supposed that tho more powerful tho light ray tho better tho musical result, but this Is not so. It Is tho pale, far-away fixed star that produces the sweetest tones. Tho reason for this Is not qulto clear, but Dr. Albortson thinks It Is duo to noninterference non-interference of tho reflected light from tho Invisible plnnets revolving about tho fara-way, dim sun, for, obviously, such reflected rays must bo extremely weak nnd Ineffective by tho tlmo they reach the earth. "It Is a scientific fact." Dr. Albert-son Albert-son Is quoted, "that n light rny falling fall-ing upon tho surfaco of n small polished pol-ished steel plato. for example, will produco a tono. This Is known to every ev-ery school boy who hns mastered tho first lessons In elementary sclonco. Tho tono, however, Is Innudlhlo unless tho plato bo Inserted Into an oloctrlc circuit also containing a mlcrophono or a telophono car-pleco. This Is tho principle underlying tho now Invention, Inven-tion, nut Instead of a plato or hollow stool shell, thero Is hero Involved a number of small steel cylinders varying vary-ing In length and perfectly polished Inside, tho open ends of which aro arj ranged In such a manner within the box that they may vibrato freely, S ;yiio.ontlrobox U.nTvio.rmrt o'.pf, electric circuit from tho battery, and In this circuit Is contained tho microphone micro-phone or telophono car-pleco. In front of tho cylinders . Is a revolving disc, which Is perforated per-forated In such a manner that a light ray will ho thrown In dlfforent directions when passing through tho small holes, Thero Is also a glass prism fixed behind tho revolving disc, and a tubo containing a lens which mny bo directed towards nny particular particu-lar star. When tho Instrument Is used It must bo placed upon a soft foundation, n pillow, for Instance, and covered with a dark cloth In order that all light, except that from tho star, may bo excluded, tho tubo and ear-pleco alone remaining exposed. "Tho perforations In tho disc may correspond to any musical composition or notes. Instead of an ordinary light ray I uso tho seven component colors of light, and as tho disc revolves tho various notes cut the Bpcctrum and lead tho respective colors of light Into tho openings of the different cylinders, striking at an anglo. Any piece of music may bo thus perforated In tho discs, which. In turn, enn bo removed re-moved and another ono Inserted. Tho Internal polished walls of tho cylinders cylin-ders aro coated with a certain chemical chemi-cal substance which makes them hundreds of tlmoB moro sensitive to tho touch of light." When asked what tho primary valuo of his Invention would ultimately prove to be, tho scientist appeared at somo loss to nnswer. Whether tho human rnco Is on tho vorgo of realizing Its own relatlvo position In tho scnlo of creation, as It were, and tho Invention Inven-tion Is tho beginning of Interstellar communication, he was unablo to say. (Whon perfected, howevor, ho declared that It was not at all unlikely that wo should bo ablo to converse with jthe Martians, tho Jupltcrltes (If thero nro any,) and the Inhabitants of other tars, thus realizing tho dreams of dead and gono scientists. |
