The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

8 THE PHONOSCOPE August, 1898 boat with news from the fleet. The men posed for Paley out of good nature, although for some of them that hundred yards dash meant much loss of breath and much perspiration for an hour afterward. Paley 's final experience in his effort to furnish to the New York public the latest views from life of the scene around Santiago nearly finished him. It was related by Charles E. Hands, the war correspondent of the London Daily Mail, who came back from Cuba with Paley on the Seneca. "Paley got an army teamster finally to carry his machine and himself from Siboney to Shafter's headquarters," said Mr. Hands. "Then he got another wagon and started for El Caney, where the refugees from Santiago had gathered. It had rained and the road was bad. Half way to El Caney the wagon broke down, and as it was close to nightfall and he had no tent, Paley remained where he was for the night. With darkness came rain, but he stuck to the wagon seat, and in the morning they managed to fix the vehicle up and get into El Caney. "When he started in to take pictures Paley found that his machine wouldn't work. Whether it was water-soaked or whether it had got broken by the jolting in the rough wagon I don't know, but anyway, it refused to take pictures. Paley got back to Shafter's headquarters that night and crawled under somebody's dog tent. He was pretty well broken up. "All that night it rained, and he got soaked to the skin again. He had a bad case of fever in the morning. He was helpless, of course, owing to his great bulk. I hustled around and got a wagon that would take us down to Siboney. Bill and his machine got on and I rode with them as far as La Guisima, where the trail over the mountain joins. I took the mountain trail on foot, and Bill and the wagon went along the valley road. It rained hard for about six hours, and the wagon got stuck and couldn't go any further. So Paley spent that night, his third, in the rain. When he got into Siboney in the morning he was a wreck. The Seneca was going out in the afternoon, and we were both lucky enough to get aboard. Paley was wretched all during the trip. He lay out on the deck all day on a cot that somebody got for him, and never changed his position at night. I'm glad he's getting better now." Mr. Hands is one of the many war correspondents who bought horses in Tampa and then were unable to take them to Cuba, owing to the lack of transportation. A friend asked him where his horse was. "I don't know, and I don't dare send to Tampa to inquire," he said. "The blooming beast probably has eaten his head off long ago, and his hind heels as well. The livery man will have to keep him for the oats he's been feeding him. But there are others, as you Americans say." Monte Cutler. Slot Machines If anybody in reading about the slot machines in liquor saloons takes it for granted that what are meant are such innocent-looking instruments as are sometimes found in grocery stores, railroad stations and other public places, he is greatly mistaken. In this case when one puts a penny or a nickel in the slot the contributor knows just what is to be received in return, whether it is a caramel, chewing-gum, music, pictures or a statement of how much one weighs. This appears to be a business transaction, and of not an objectionable character. But the gambling slot machine is quite another institution. It is one in which, when a man or boy deposits money, he takes the risks of the lottery, faro and roulette combined. There is not an element of honesty in it, and yet it appeals to the lovers of games of chance in a most alluring manner. The stake is usually a small one, as it must necessarily be in order to succeed in the locations where the machine is placed; and the objections lie all the more forcibly against it for that reason. We have just been reading the record of a case in court in the city of New York which helps throw light upon the viciousness of this machine wherever it is permitted to exist. It appears that in this case the police inspector had made an arrest, and had captured an instrument, bringing it into court for the purpose of officially testing its character and showing the methods of its working. In the course of his testimony the inspector informed the court that the gambling machine could "do" the public every time. "How do you know that, inspector? I thought that a man could win once in a while," said the Magistrate. "Well, I've played 'em," said the inspector. "But you won sometimes?" "Not a time. This made me think, and I got a machine down to police headquarters once and opened it to see how it beat us." "Did you find out?" "I did." The inspector then detailed how it is done. "The machine is so constructed that it wins 90 per cent. That's the profit of the play. On a dime you play ten times before you can win a cigar. On 25 cents you must play seventeeen quarters, and on 50-cent pieces you must play thirteen times." The inspector then told the court that the machines cost the purchasers from $200 to $500 a piece. It was considered a great thing for the country when the Louisiana lottery was expelled, after a long a serious controversy ; but that institution was far less objectionable than is the gambling slot machine. As a rule, the poorer classes are the victims, and it not infrequently happens that from excessive drinking and joviality the victims are scarcely in condition to know what they are doing. But with the revelations made in the case it is to be seen that they are simply parting with their money without any consideration. Charles E. Snapp, of Grottoes, Va., has invented a coin-controlled vending machine. This invention provides for a machine which will automatically deliver cigars, packages of cigarettes, and similar articles when a trip mechanism is operated by a coin of a certain denomination the device being so arranged that no coin or piece of metal other than the proper piece of money can operate the machine. The apparatus is provided with a coin-chute and compartment for holding cigars or other articles. A tiltable table is located below the compartment. A movable coin-carrier and lever mechanism are adapted to be acted on by the coin in passing through the chute so as to release one or more cigars. Police Justice Whelan of Detroit, Mich., gave Special Officers Nies and Hayes twelve search warrants recently to enable them to seize nickel-in-theslot gambling machines in many down-town, hightoned saloons. That was at 6 o'clock, and at that very time the machines were in operation. But when the raids were made not a machine was to be found, the proprietors having concealed them. It was evident that some officer of the law had given the offenders a tip. Ihnpvoveb IRabioorapbic Hpparatus The continual improvements in the technique of Rontgen rays have happily resulted in a constantlyincreasing use of Rontgen photography and radiography, both in medicine and surgery. Were we to summarize the results obtained we should have the following list : 1. Considerable shortening of the time of exposure by using improved spark coils and Rontgen tubes, and by using fluorescent screens. 2. The production of pictures richer in contrast than hitherto, obtained by excluding stray Rontgen rays ; and, 3. Improvements in the apparatus employed to effect a more ready means of manipulation and greater transportability. For the production of good Rontgen photographs, as well as for rendering the interior of the thorax and pelvis visible, an efficient spark coil and a good Rontgen tube are prime requisites. Since Rontgen rays were first discovered, spark coils have been vastly improved. Max Kohl, of Chemnitz, who for twenty -two years has made a specialty of constructing induction coils, has succeeded in bringing his instruments to the highest plane of perfection. Even when the current is interrupted 1,500 to r,8oo times in a minute, these new coils of Kohl give sparks of the maximum length at each interruption. The current is broken by a vibratory' interrupter. A small electric motor is made to dip a platinum pencil in a glass vessel partially filled with mercury, and then to withdraw it again. Petroleum is poured over the mercury and is prevented from being hurled out by the form of the receptacle. The electric motor is connected with a tachometer, which indicates the number of interruptions made in each minute, thus dispensing with the use of a watch. The pointer of the tachometer places itself over that numeral on the dial which corresponds to the nnmber of interruptions. A glance at the dial, therefore, suffices to show whether the desired number of interruptions are being made. It is only by this arrangement that it has been made possible to determine accurately the number of interruptions, whereas, in other interruptions, recourse must be had to guessing and to rough calculations. By means of a current regulator, the interruptions maybe made as rapidly or as slowly as possible. By using an adjusting screw, the mercury vessel may be raised or lowered while the instrument is in operation. The induction coils are constructed with most elaborate care. They have a very long primary coil, which increases the efficiency of the instrument and lessens the strength of the operating current. The secondary coil is carefully insulated and can readily withstand the great tension of 150,000 to 300,000 volts produced in large induction coils. The primary coil is inclosed in a peculiar vulcanized rubber tube, and can be readily removed from the secondary coil. The secondary coil, moreover, is not fastened directly to the condenser, but is mounted on two wooden supports. By this arrangement the coil has become readily transportable. The induction coil can be connected with any convenient direct current lighting circuit, but when such a connection cannot be made, portable storage batteries must be employed. These batteries, however, require charging only at intervals of several weeks, and are built in wooden boxes lined with rubber to guard against breakage. They can be sent charged to any distance whatever. Since no acid vapors are developed and but little room is taken up, these batteries can be stored in almost any place. The charging, niorever, can be effected