Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-01-27
FAMOUS PANORAMAS

Hooker was not only the best mounted Off
Ger in the Union army, but he was far and
away the handsomest."
FAMOUS PANORAMAS
Invented by n Scotchman in His
Prison Cell.
PARIS, Jan. IN. Germain Bapst de-
lvered an interesting lecture the other day
to the Sociste Historique of the st. Tiniop
club on panoramas. The invention, he
said, was due to a painter named Robert
Barker, who lived in Edinburgh toward
the close of the last century. In 1885 he
was imprisoned for debt in the Scotch cap
ital. His cell was lighted by an air hole in
one of the corners, which left the lower
part of the room in such darkness that he
could not read the letters sent him. He
found, however, that when he placed them
against the part of the wall lighted by the
air hole the words became very distinct.
The effect was most striking. 1t oc-
CURED to him that if a picture were
placed in similar position it would have
| a wonderful effect. Accordingly, on his
| liberation, he made series of experiments
| which enabled him to improve his inven-
| patent in London which establishes his
claim to be the inventor of the panorama.
| The London artists spoke with great con
| tempt OF Barker's exhibition. Panoramas
| had nothing to do with art. They We're
| industrial speculations and nothing more.
| However, the opinions of the connoisseurs
| did not prevent the public from rushingin in
crowds to see those exhibited in the Ro-
| tunda in Leicester square, among which
1 vie of uh .ans
mouth and the naval battle of June ].
| 1895, the battle of Aboukir, and other bat
| ties.
After his success in London, Barker be-
came connected with Robert Fulton, so
well known in connection with the history
of steam navigation. In 1896 he also in
troduced panoramas into France, while
Baker exhibited his London pictures in
Holland and the great German cities
| Everywhere he was received by the public,
but the press was not so unanimously in
his favor. Thus Hamburg paper said:
| 1.-The view of the Port Of Hamburg with
| its innumerable ships, seen from the top
| of the Baumhaus on bright day, is inf
| nitely more striking than the psnoramas
of Baker.
Robert Fulton sold the patent he had OBJ
| tanned in France to NJ Thuyer, and it was
with the proceeds that he was able to de-
vote his attention TO the utilization of the
steam engine in navigation. Thuyer had
two rotundas constructed on the Roule-
ward Montmartre in front of the arcade
which still bears the name of the Passage
| des Panoramas There were exhibited
| pictures by Pierre Provost and Constant
Bourgeois. The Colosseum overlooking
the Regents park was erected in London
at immense cost and opened in 1929 The
| first view exhibited in il was one of Lon
1 Il sol-.z ,E
| This was followed by view of Rome, and
afterward by one of Paris.
| According TO N. Bapst, it was Colonel
Langlois who made the first great improve
ments in panoramic exhibition. The view
| of the Battle of Navarino was the first eA-
hibited on the new plan. Tho picture was
so skilfully combined with material objects
placed in front of il that the eye could not
discover the junction. The illusion WAS al
most perfect In speaking of the panora-
mas still exhibited, II. Bapst referred to
the view of Rio Janeiro by Messrs. Merelle
and Lanycrock, the bombardment of the
Fort d'Issy by Philippotay in the Botonde
of the Champs Elysees and the Bataillc de
| Rezonville by Messrs. Neuyille and Detaille
in the Rotonde of the Rue de Berry.
The lecturer said that the latter was the
best executed and most perfect work of
the kind. The jury of the last exhibition
/
neur, the first ever awarded TO a pano-
ramic painting In concluding, NJ. Bapst
said that il would be enough to enumsrate
the names of the great painters who had
devoted their talents to the production of
panoramas to prove that they were not TO
be placed among the inferior works of
art. They required for their production
not only solid and brilliant qualities, but
special knowledge and consummate skill
4
encountered by the ordinary landscape
painter.
Kentucky Desperate Converted.
| From the Pittsburg Commercial Gazette
The mountainous section of Kentucky
Is very much excited now over the sudden
reformation and expression of religion of
Andy johnson, of Pineville, Bell county,
who has killed no less than ten men, and
who for years has been regarded as the
terror of the mountains. Ir all of his
killings he was acquitted.
johnson has been brought to repentance
through the efforts of the Methodist evan
gelist, the Rev. J. c. Morrison, formerly
of this city. For some time past the Rev.
Mr.. Morrison has been holding revival Sc
Il
who has been many times stained with his
brothers blood. Among the constant at
tendants upon the revival services Andy
johnson has been conspicuous. Those
who saw him concluded that he was mere
ly there for lack of q more exciting pas
time, and presumed he considered a reyi-
val service in point of enthusiasm second
only to a killing. When the time came
for the redeaned and penitent to come
| ri Ives f1au arTH.
ers' bench Andy johnson was the first to
rise and advance. The wonder was inten-
sifed by the fact that the first man to
grasp his hand was Mayor JEFF Hoskins,
an ardent Christian and devout Methodist
, To see johnson and Hoskins Join hands in
the cause of religion was the most excl.
ting episode of the revival. Hoskins had
not spoken to johnson In years, as the lat
tet almost in cold blood murdered two
, brothers and a niece of the mayor. As
! they stood hand in hand expressing zeal
in the cause of religion and future broth
| erhood no one would have believed the
/ men had been deadly enemies.
} The worst of the murders of Andy
/ johnson was the killing of the Hcskins
, brothers, though Andy claimed to have
! good provocation, as Cy Hoskins several
years ago knocked out Andy Johnson
eye. Andy did not particularly object to
the loss of an eye, but he did object to Cy
| Hoskins' subsequent remarks. On All oc-
casions Hoskins would refer to johnson by
terming him "his one-eyed rooster" Ac-
cordingly one Sunday Andy, with his ri.
fe, waited for Cy Hoskins and his brother
! to pass certain house. When they came
in sight the two brothers were accompa.
, MED by q daughter of Cy Hoskins and
were riding in a spring wagon. johnson
opened fire, killing all three. Consistent
Christian, Mayor Hoskins avoided the old
r enmity, which is now oblitersted by the
bonds of religion.
Since his conversion johnson has been
prominently identified with the revival
work, and will shortly start into the
mountains as an evangelist. johnson is
naturally a bright fellow and liquor has
been the principal cause of the crimes by