Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-07-01

A ,1llNl llAyal
fHo oeRAPtiac GALLERY ON AN
AMBl,L ANcE SHIP
| An Odd Enterprise of tho War Depart.
ss.1nsnt. n inly FOR Il Surgical Cases 4
ss Permanent Record Wanted - 8 Ray
IEz Equipment.
a5 The ). AZ an Spanko war, as they
call il ii England, is to have its photo.
graphic side, and this aspect Of the con-
| fict promises to be exceedingly inter
sesting as well as picturesque. n 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. 4s3 .$s 81
m The war department is managing this
particular branch Of military enterprise
in q way to insure the most comprehen-
sive and valuable results. For obvious
reasons it would be jmpracticable to
put a photograph gallery afloat exclu-
sively as such. It 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. y. - ~ 3
+, II, 11,orl ruo-, Sr, ~ ~
made a 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 a steel passenger
steamer jof about 4, 900 tons and was re-
Gently purchased by the government.
Her speed is IS knots, and in every
way she is ezcellently adapted for the
purposes in view. Just at present she is
being fitted up as al 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. -. "a
The war studio will not occupy much
space on board Of the vessel. Its 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 ceases" treated, which is
expected to be Of the greatest value to
medical science. The taking Of snap
shots Of injured men is nc exhibition of
heartlessness, but 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 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 a bacteriologist Of note, both of
which accomplishments will have spe.
3cial value for reasons presently. to be.
menti toned: His acquaint lance wi I'll 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.
It 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
a scene, and the ambulance ship, unlike
the hospital vessels, will not follow the
war fleets. There is a distinction be-
tween the ambulance ship and the hos
pital ship, the latter being especially a
navaladjunct, intended for the accom-
mediation of wounded sailors, while the
former is for army use. The Relief, for
example, will be in effect a transport
between Cuba and the United States,
provided with arrangements for caring
for sick and injured soldiers. It's 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
gagements possibly Of those Incl
dental to the siege of Havana and his
hope is that he may obtain a vitascope
series Of glimpses Of q naval fight off
shore. zsg$=s ,.:.< s -. Il. .s.
/. The apparatus furnished by the war
department for this Photographic enter
prise will be of "a very elaborate and
costly description, including cameras Of
huge size, which afford accommoda
for dry plates three feet square. In addi-
ton there will be photographic
appliances for taking pictures Of micro
.scopic objects on a scale enormously en-
larged. This is the most difficult Of all
branches of photog and will be
employed for making acknowledgements
Of injured and diseased tissues and Of
the various germs that do their best to
aggravate wounds and to propagate
Imaladies among soldiers. &
One Of the most important parts Of
the photo rapher's equipment on board
IF fhp am hn lance, al IN WI II not ha STRICT