The morning times., 1896-10-04
Edison Gives His Name, But
Did Not Invent It.
HOW THE WONDER WORKS
Description Of the Machine
Which Throws Colored
Photographs on Screen.

ally credited. Sopronr is public prejudice TO
look in the same direction for successive
wonders and least of all To expect them Of
the home prophet. Nevertheless it was
"A Washington man who conceived, elabo-
rated and perfected the wonderful ma chine
which bears the name of.the great Edison.
He philosophicalIy held his peace when
he finished his model, and with rare busi-
ness shrewdneSs associated his invention
with the name to which we link all modern
wonders. He secured an Invaluable trade
mark and the ready attention of the public
and ready riches is his result.
The vitascope was invented by Thomas
Armdt OF the well-known firm of Daniel
n Armat OF street. MI Armat's weak
point, it was generally supposed, WAS d
suburban subdivision or an urban corner
lot. II is BOW revealed that he can '"ih
ceulimcS and kilonIcters. hydroS' a'IeS i'''u
Theostats ike a native of the Spaf'iS- S-ii'-
habted land where the pracIiGdi iiii's 'siiI''-
'tion OF the scientist dwel!s'
Mr. Armat conceived the hott"h "l 'he
yitaSrone from the kinetoscope. MS I'M
movement needs no explanation; 1t has
already been seen ny al New fork and halI
Washington. and 50 famlliarareits results
that a description of the realistic antics
of The vivificd lights and shadows ihonwn
outhe screen. would be much like describing
a man 10 himself.
Tile most interesting thing in Conh2"ti0n
with the yitaScupe. after You have seen the
sureeudisplay is 10 see the instrument itself.
People sit III front with popping eyes and
gaping Mouths III ccstatic wonder, and
their thoughts pierce the white wall Of
linen in curious desire To see the vita
scope Itself. Some curious Speculations
about Is construction are whispered obout
the thcatcr: miny are the vain appeals TO
the management for Il private view OF be
hind The scenes
THE MYSTERIOUS BOX.
But the people in front are all wrong.
They might search the stage III every
corner for the yitaSCupe in vain. IL not
there The magic rays, which spread
upon the screen steal from piercing bril-
liant eve in The far corner of the balcony.
There at the top and very back is
mysterious box, much like the woodshed. at
the back of YOUR lot. 1t is padloCEed
without and t'ultel within, and all the c'Ii-
muuicauun which the occupant has with
the outside world is a little bcle about
the size of 4 coffee cup, to send the rays
through, aud ii square "peeper," to which
stage.
Mi Armat consented 10 the writer ac-
companling him To the mysterious box
the other Afternoon. and the exhibition
at this end of the theater was quite as
Interesting as al the other
The viiascupe To the uuSCien'iiIc mind Is
an incxplicabe affair. 1t is very hig,
very simple. very exquisite in mcchamcai
Workmanship and very mysterious. AT the
Rijuu there are in reality. two yitasCope>,
for while one is displaying Its pict:re
The attendant equips the other, and thus
saves time and permits the performance
To ruu with snoothncss.
What one secs in the shed-likc inclosurc
are two Ing iron supports. which resemble
the supports of piece of heavy Machinery.
On these j. mounted the wonderful con-
trIvanec which has astonished the country
rs no other invention since the telephone
The vitascope proper consists of small
lens. such as is used in an ordinary camera,
This lens : nearest the solitary eye which
peeps ont over the heads Of the audience
aud winkS so wonderfully on the screen
Right behind the lensis Il metal frame about
picture to be reproduced passes. Behind
tins is a large lens. and right behind this
large lens i an arc light of 1000 candle
power
THE RIBBON FILM.
The pictures TO be reproduced have been
photographed on kinetoscope films and art
no bigger than the nail of ones thumb
The ribbon is from 90 to l 80 feet long at
curding to the picture, but only an incl
Wide. 1t is of IN indescribahle composition
which looks like transparent celuluid. Or
each long ribbon there are about ZOO O
the little pictures. They pass before th'
reproducing lens at the rate of from 81
60 % second So that the perception o
change is at a minimum They pas
slower fnr distant objects and Increase il
velocity for nearer ones. When the Ion;
ribbons are not in use they are kept il
little tin boxes about half deep as til,
ordinary Tin can These NJ. Amat call
'his repertoire The pictures to be dis
played at performance hang ON pegs at
ihe back OF the mysterious box like ribbons
at a bargain sale. Handling these il is i'm
possible to notice the change i'll position
Of the objects in ten and twenty al time
each one.
When Il picture is to be shown. ho
of rpictures is taken from the peg and strung
on the almost endless succession Of delicate
little black velvet mounted spool wheels
They pass over whese wheels at a rapiC
rate, propelled by electricity, and as tn,
picture passes the frame behind the smal
lens mentiuned the light from the arc lamp
passing through the large lens and beini
fucused upon it, throws the picture through
the smaller lens upon the screen as tn
audience sees it.
A New York paper stated that the pic
ture WAS ma gnified 600 times. AS
matter of fact. il is ma gnified, according Il
Mr. Armat'S statement and demoilstTltioI
10000 times at least. Each little pictur
is on the film about three quarters Of al
inch square. The screen is sixteen fee
square and contains 90, 500 square inches
IT REPRoDuCEs COLOR.
An astonishing feature Of the vitascop
is that ii reproduceS any and all color
on the screen. A shirt dancer displayed
last week appeared life size. Her hal
was soft brown, her eyes blue, her skill
. delicate pink. and her dress was
flaming red. 1t was all reproduced q
the screen and at times the picture wa
enveloped III various colored lights as if ,
calcium light had been turned on the
dancer.
But. il should be said. the cuIors wer,
not phoi ographed on the ribbon film The
Were painted on it later and in such wa,
that they do not rub off as the film passe
over the wheels OF the vitascope Thi
Gnting is an infinitely trying process anc
the artist can only discover the outline