The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-30
WAR STUDIO AFLOAT.
A PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY ON AN
AMBULANCE SHIP.
An Odd Enterprise OF the War Depart
ment. Mainly For Surgical Cases = A
Permanent Record wanted-An X Ray
EQuipment.


Permanent Record wanted-An X Ray
Equipment.
The "Yanko-Spanko war;" as they
call it in England, is to have its photo
graphic side, and this aspect of the con-
fiict promises to be exceedingly inter
esting as well as picturesque. In fact,
the government is going to organize a
floating Photographic studio, which
will make pictures of every possible in
cident in the great conflict that is now
beginning.
| The war department is managing this
particular branch of military enterprise
In way to insure the most comprehen-
sive and valuable results. For obvious
reasons it would be impracticable to
put photograph gallery afioat exclu-
sively as srSh. 1t would scarcely be re-
garded as neutral by Spanish ships of
war, and one or two explosive shells
might wreck all the cameras and the
entire collection of dry plates. Hence
| the ingenious scheme has been adopted
OF placing the whole affair on board of
an ambulance ship.
| In word, the war studio is to be
made department of vessel that voy-
| ages under the Red Cross. The craft is
| the John Englis-renamed the Relief
which now lies at the navy yard in
| Brooklyn. She is steel passenger
steamer of about A, 900 tons and was re-
Gently purchased by the government.
| Her speed is 18 knots, and in every
way she is excellently adapted for the
purposes in view. Just at present she is
being fitted up as an ambulance ship,
with cots and other paraphernalia suit
able for carrying wounded men. She
will be painted white, with huge
cross in red on each side to distinguish
her as noncombatant
The war studio will not occupy much
space on board of the vessel. It's most
| essential feature will be a dark room,
which may be located in any part of the
ship that happens to be convenient.
Much OF the actual photographing will
be done in the operating room, where
the surgical work for the wounded is
performed. A pictorial record will be
kept of the eases treated, which is
expected to be of the greatest value to
medical science. The taking of snap
shots of injured men is no exhibition of
heartlessness, but a scheme for obtain
ing knowledge that will save suffering
to others in the future.
The name of the government photog-
rapher selected TO take charge Of this
work is not permitted to be mentioned
at present. Suffice it to say that he * {.
man of the highest distinction in Ii.
profession and better equipped for such
business probably than any other living
expert. He is also practical electrician
and bacteriologist of note, both of
which accomplishments will have spe-
cial value for reasons presently TO be
mentioned. His acquaintance with cleo
tricity will be Of particular use in the
management of biograph or vitascope
apparatus, by means Of which it is hop
ed to get moving photographs of various
interesting incidents Of warfare.
1t may not be practical TO secure NOV
ing photographs OF big sea battles for
reasons that are somewhat obvious
Smoke in volumes is apt TO obscure --ch
a scene, and the ambulance ship, un Ike
the hospital vessels, will not follow the
war fleets There il a distinction be-
tween the ambulance ship and the hos
pital ship, the latter being especially
naval adjunct, intended for the accom-
mediation of wounded sailors, while the
former is for army use. The Relief, for
example, will be in effect transport
between Cuba and the United States,
provided with arrangements for caring
for sick and injured soldiers Its interior
will be divided into wards like hos
pital on shore, the beds employed being
folding iron cots hung between stan
chions. However, the expert photogra-
pher in charge will transfer his base of
operations to Cuban soil at intervals the
ship oscillating continually to and fro
between the island and various ports of
the United States He confidently ex-
poets to get some biograph views of land
engagements-possibly of those incl
dental to the siege of Havana-and his
hope is that he may obtain q vitascope
series of glimpses of a naval fight off
shore.
The apparatus furnished by the war
department for this Photographic enter
prise will be of very elaborate and
costly description, including cameras of
huge size, which afford accommodation
for dry plates three feet square. In addi-
ton there will be photomicrographi
appliances for taking pictures of micro
scopic objects on scale enormously en-
larged. This is the most difficult of all
branches of photography and will be
employed for making photomicrograph
of injured and diseased tissues and of