Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-14

the cave, while the little hand camera wa
held as firmly as possible against one of th
walls. An intense smoke followed, which
nearly suffocated the rash experimentor a
we'll as the gloomy denizens of the cavern
and it was only with extreme difficulty tina
the ascent was made. When developed, tht
photograph showed an excellent picture O.
the cave interior; but no sign was there o
hidden treasure.
| PICTURES IN OIL WELLS.
The perfection of "Aash" light photog
| raphy suggested to e. P. Gotham, a native
of the oil country in Pennsylvania, to EN-.
ploy it for depicting the bottoms of oil
wells. Heretofore nobody had ever seen the
bottom of an oil WELL When tools were
lost and it was desired to locate them an i'm
preston block was used. This was heavy
wooden block covered with tallow or bees
wax, which took an impression of the bot
tom of The well, and gave some idea of the
| condition of things below. By means oi
the "geolograph," which Mr.. Gotham has
| named his invention, an excellent pho
tograph, it is said, can be made of an oil
we'll bottom.
The instrument is made in two styles, ac-
| cordlng to the nature OF the we'll whose Sc
crets it is desired to discover. For dry wells
the instrument used is a small sheet-iron
case shaped very much like five-quart tor
pedo shot 1t encloses a camera with a
qulck-working lens, and sensitive dry
plate. On the outside of the instrument,
near the point. are two projecting fanges
with cups to contain percussion caps and
magnesium flash" powder. Running
through the top of the case toward these
cups, and held in their place by stout
strings, are two iron bolts. The camera is
lowered carefully to the place where it is to
be used. II, for instance, it is desired to
locate tools, it is lowered till it strikes the
tools. Then it is drawn back 18 inches to
get the proper locus, and a four-ounce
weight is slipped upon the cord by which
the instrument is suspended and dropped in
the same manner as "go-devil' in setting
off can of glycerine. 1t strikes the plate
and sets off the 'fash" light, at the same
time uncovering the lens When the geolo-
graph is pulled up a photograph of the bot
tom of the we'll Is found within. In photo
graphing under oil or water, the instru-
ment is made more carefully water-tight
The flash is then obtained by means of a
wire rope and an electric incandescent at
tachment
LIGHT IN THE SEA.
The principle is similar to that used in
marine photography, which is another inter-
esting branch OF subterranean photography.
Paymaster George II. Read, of the United
States Navy, described in the the Ameri-
can Annual Of Photography for 1890 how
photographs are made beneath the surface of
the sea. His experiments, however, were
undertaken with a view more to determine
the intensity OF light at various depths OF
the ocean or elsewhere, than to photograph
submarine pictures, though the photometer,
by means of which light force is measured,
is capable of making excellent photographs.
1t is a metal box about six inches square,
open at the top, and containing in two op-
posite sides drop. One holds the plate,
and the other is designed to cover it after
exposure. The drops are released by the ac-
tion of the wings projecting through the
sides and acting upon their resistance to the
air, according as the photometer is raised or
lowered.
1t carries small Photographic plate; and
when the apparatus is a short distance be-
low the poins where the exposure is desired
to be made, it is raised to that point where
both buttons which secur. the one drop are
turned by the action of the wings, while the
other drop containing the plate is allowed to
fall to the bottom of the box. AS soon as
the exposure has heen made the photometer
is again lowered short distance, so that the
other drop is released to fall upon the first
and cover up the exposed plate. 1t is then
ready to be raised. and the plate to be de-
veloped. 1t may be interesting to know
that the penetration of daylight about mid
day during fine weather in spring was found
to be about 965 feet, by means of the photo
meter designed by Paymaster Read.
PHOTOS OF FISHES.
Doctor Rombouts, of Amsterdam, has
fishes actually swimming in
the water, by means of magnesium light
The camera is focused on the plane of glass
in front of the glass which contains the
fishes, and black cloth over the back of
the tank prevents reflections from the glass
forming on the side. The magnesium
powder is burned in box placed on a
tripod, and so stationed that the reflections
from the glass tank will not enter the lens.
His photographs are very interesting to ex-
perts, as they showed exactly the various
of piscatoria] motion.
Mr.. S. R. Stoddard, the Adirondack
has been most successful in
by means of artificial light.
His photographs of Howe's Cave in the |
AGlrondacks are most remarkable. One |
shows the great Eagles Wing. which is a |
Stalactite in this famous cave; and another, |
and perhaps the most interesting of all, a |
number OF bats hanging to the wall of the |
cave. He used an ordinary tripod camera |
for making these photographs, but flashed |
q quantity of magnesium powder.
There are no end of applications which |
may be made of photography by means of |
artificial light to the depicting of subter-
ranean subjects. When the photometer is
perfected so that an ample charge of mag
nesium clash" compound can be carried to
the bottom of the sea with the little instru-
nent, and thus illuminate n subject far be-
yond the point to which the strongest day
light can penetrate, what interesting pic
lures shall we not be able to photograph,
perhaps at the very bottom of the ocean it.
self! There can no longer be "bottomless"
pits, for the ingenious geolograph of Mr..
Gotham can show us exactly where the bot
om is and what it is like. Coal strata in the
OF Pennsylvania may be accu.
,ately depicted by means of the camera, and
he innermost recesses of the earth may be
explored and faithfully portrayed.
W. 1. LINCOLN ADAMS,
Editor Photo0raDhic T;,nos