The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-28

Hospitals Ship


fiict promises TO bc exceedingly inter
csting AZ we'll xs picturesque. In fact.
the government Is going to organize .
floating Photographic studio, which
will make pictures Of every possible in
cidcnt in the great conflict that Is now
beginning.
Tho war department is managing this
particular branch Of military enterprise
in q way to insure tho most colnprchen-
sive and valuable results For obvious
reasons it would be impracticable to
put photograph gallery nfioat oxclu-
sivcIy as such. 1t would scarcely bo re-
garded as neutral by Spanish ships Of
war. and ono or two explosive shells
might wreck all tho cameras and tho
entire collection Of dry plates Hence
the ingenious scheme has been adopted
Of placing the whole affair on board Of
On ambulance ship.
In word, the war studio Is TO be
made department Of vessel that voy-
ages under the Rcd Cross. The craft in
the John Euglis--renamcd tho Relief
which now lies at the navy yard ia
brooklyn. Shc is steel passenger
steamer of about 4, 600 tons aud was rc-
comfy purchased by tho government.
Her speed Is Is knots, and in every
way she is exccllently adapted for the
purposes in view. Just at present she IL
being fitted mp as an ambulance ship
with cots and other paraphernalia suit
able for carrying wounded men. She
will DO painted white. with hugo
cross in red on each side to distinguish
her as noncombatant.
The war studio will not occupy much
space on board Of the vessel. Its most
essential feature will bc a dark room,
which may be located In any part Of the
ship that happens to DO convenient.
Much Of the actual photographing will
bo dome in the operating room, where
the surgical work for the wounded IL
performed. A pictorial record viii be
kept OF the leases" treated, which is
expected to be of the greatest valuc to
medical science. The taking of snap
shots of injured men is no exhibition Of
heartlcsmess but scheme tor obtain
ing knowledge that will save suffering
to others in the future.
Tho 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 is a
man Of the highest distinction in his
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 vnlue for reasons presently 10 BE-
mentioned. His acquaintance with cleo
t-icity will be Of particular use in the
management of n biograph OF vitascope
apparatus, by means of which it Is hop
cd to get moving photographs of various
interesting incidents of warfare.
IL 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 such
scene. and the ambulance ship, unlike
the hospital vessels, will not follow tho
war fleets. There is q distinction be-
tween tho ambulance ship and the hos
pital ship, the latter being especially
naval adjunct, intended for the accom-
mediation Of wounded sailors while tho
former IL for army use. The Relief, for
example, will DO 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 liko hos
pitnl ON shore, tho beds employed being
folding iron cots hung betwcon 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 md fro
between the island and various ports Of
tho United States. He confidently ex-
poets to get some biograph views of land
cngagemcnts--possibly Of those Incl
dental to tho siegc Of Havana--and his
hope is that no raay obtain vitascope
series Of gli.npscs Of naval fight Of
shore.
The apparatus furnished by tho war
department for this Photographic enter
prise will DO Of very elaborate and
costly description, including cniuoras Of
huge size. which afford accommodation
for dry plates tlirca feet square. In addi-
tion thcro win bo phosomicrographic
appliances for taking pictures Ct micro
scopic objects on scalo ormcusiy Gu
larged. This is tho most dif11cult Of oil
branches Of photography and will bc
employed for making photomicrosruphs
of injured and diseased tissues and Of
tho various germs that do their best TO
asgravato wounds and to propagate
Ealadics among soldiers.
One of the most important parts Ct
The photographers equipment on board
RI the ambulance ship will not be strict
ly Photographic, though relato'l thereto
IL will be an x ray apparatus for TAX
ing 'shadovgraphs" by means of Roont-
gen rays. Necessarily thcro will be
many bones fractured by Spanish hul-
lots, and in such cases accurate obscrya.
tions OF the injuries inflicted will bc Of
great value. Tho Spaniards AFRO armcd
with modern rifos CT tho Mauscr mako.
and project1,s from thcso weapons at
near ranges produce explosive effects.
smashing homes to cnlintcrs Amputa.