The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-11-23
MOTION PICTURES.
How Photographs From Which They
Are Produced Are Made.
Pictures Of First R. |. Marching In Review
Secured Under Difficulties.

"What would our grandfathers say?"
is an oft-heard question Ina these days
OF marvellous invention, quick travel
and lightning results; and IL applies
especially TO that wonderful invention
by which photographs are taken of
moving objects and shown upon
screen with every movement reproduc-
ed with absolute fidelity. Indeed. the
Biograph is one OF the great wonders
OF the age.
1t is doubtful, however, IL any OF
the delighted thousands who see it's in
teresting motion-pictures at Keiths
new theatre understand the methods
employed to secure such remarkable
results or appreciate the almost mar
velous character of what they see and
applaud so enthusiastically.
This may, perhaps, best be made
clear by taking the highly effective pie
ture OF the First Rhode Island Regi-
mcnt passing in review before Gen.
Shafter, which is so popular that the
management has felt compelled to de-
fer TO the insistent popular demand for
it's retention week after week and
which alone attracts hundreds of peo-
pie to the palatial new playhouse.
"
mosphere was far from clear; but such
is the progress that has been in taking
these motion-pictures that this diff
Guilty was very successfully overcome.
Some hours before the review. the cam
era and apparatus. which weigh sever
al hundred weight, Were placed in po-
sition where they could be connected
by long wires with the motive power
required TO operate the complicated
and delicate mechanism; and this by
no means easy work was accomplished
under a good many disadvantages.
AS soon as the regiment came in
sight the switch was turned on and
the apparatus set in motion. Photo
graphs of the moving troops were
taken by this wonderful machine at the
rate of about Al per second and in this
phenomenal rapidity itself lies one of
the extreme difficulties in securing sat-
isfactory results. for the faster the pic
lures are taken the greater the chance
of imperfections of many kinds
To say that the pictures were taken
at the rate of about Al per second does
ndt, however. convey a proper idea of
the process, for in reality the exposure
of each separate picture is only about
1-400 of a second. The pictures are
taken upon long and extremely sensi-
tive finn, which is m"Sed past the lens
by a delicate mechanical contrivance,
and so much of the time is taken up
with the moving of the film until new
portion large enough for a picture 10
be taken IL brought before the lens.
then for a halt long enough TO take
the picture and again shift for the
next one. that the actual time of ex-
posure is reduced to the almost lncom-
prehensible short time stated.
"speedemeter" attached TO the ap-
paratus indicated precisely at what
speed the pictures were taken from the
moment when Drum Major William ID.
Eddy, with gracefully swinging baton,
came in sight until after the national
colors and those of the state presented
by Gen. William Ames passed by; and
the operators were kept Informed by
special gauge as to the exact amount OF
electric current in reserve and the
amount in use at each movement OF the
apparatus.
This picture of the First Rhode ISL
and Regiment is regarded as one of the
best successes of the Biography; and the
people of this state are thus especially
fortunate in having the opportunity TO
SEE il at keithS.
The size of each of the original pic
lures is 2&x3 inches, and as soon as the
picture is completed the film is care
fully removed, packed and shipped to
the laboratory, where it must be de-
veoped and dried and positive
must be made from IL. This is much
larger picture than is taken by any
other motion picture machine. the usual
size being about that of the two-cent
postage stamp just passing out of use:
and with other machines the pictures
are taken only at the rate of 10 per
second. so that the great superiority of
the Biograph is readily understood.
Within the past month some most
marvellous feats have. been accom-
pished abroad under the personal di-
rection of Mr. Kopman. the foreign rep
resentative On Thursday. October 5.
the Grenadier Guards. while the victory
of Omdurman was yet fresh in the
minds of all Englishmen, arrived home
after travelling thousands of miles. AS
they landed at Waterloo, a Biograph
picture was taken OF them at O'Clock
in the afternoon, and at $3.50 on the
same evening il was reproduced I'm
London theatre before an astonished
audience. As a matter of fact, three
months ago the inventor and owners of
the invention would have laughed at
any one who might have predicted that
this would even be possible. An even
more remarkable feat was accomplished
week before last, when a view of Sir
Herbert Kitchener, ttst returning frnm-
the Soudan campaign. was taken as he
landed at Calais. France, whence the
film was shipped TO London, and there.
after being put through the regular
process, was shown in London the
atre on the same evening, actually only
an hour after the general himself ar
rived in that city.
These and other similarly remarkable
views, including an excellent series COW
ering the recent coronation of Queen
Wilhelmina. are TO be seen later at
Keith's, as the Biograph is a permanent
feature i'm the four theatres in the fa-
nous Keith circuit. Mr. Keith con-
trolling all the rights for theatrical
purposes
In his Providence playhouse the ar
rangements for its use are such as are
found in no other theatre in the country
for any moving picture machine. The
entire apparatus is located in a special
room built for the purpose I'm the rear
Of the first balcony. whore the rays OF
light from the machine pass through
cylindrical holes I'm the wall to the
screen. thus entirely obviating the pos
sibility Of any noise from the opera