The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-04-05
SkiIfu| Work Required TO Secure
Blograph Photographs.
How Pictures Of First Rhode Island voIun.
teers Were Obtained.

iStfilllldli very lew peoplc ISdllIt AHc
extreme difficulties that confront the
operators in securing successful results.
/ was quite as ignorant as any one up
TO last Friday; but i know thing or
two more now than / did.
"If you think there's any fun in
trunk i'm an express wagon, with your
legs twisted out of shape in the endeav-
or TO find a place TO get your feet into,
part of the time holding with all your
strength on the big iron tripod on which
the biograph camera rests, to keep IL
from breaking the ropes and chains
that hold 1t and being overturned as
you go quickly around corner. and all
the time worrying lest any one OF
thousand and one dreaded obstacles TO
the success of your excursion shall be
encountered. just try il once. My word
for il. you'll be quite contented to re-
turn to journalism and never again
envy the men who enjoy CD the distinc-
tion of having taken the first biograph
pictures in Providence.
I'm the first place you don't feel very
comfortable. knowing that the camera
costs several thousand dollars, until
you've seen IL safely unloaded at the
express office and securely set up in
your wagon. with all the batteries and
other paraphernalia necessary TO its
operation; and then you begin TO worry
for fear something will happen TO IL
while you're carting Ii around town.
and you don't let up on this worry
little bit till you've seen IL safely
started off again III you have any ad-
vance idea Of what you are in for, you
will leave your overcoat at home and
wear a celluloid collar, for you are
bound TO be in a sweat as long as you
and that camera are riding In the same
wagon; and you will do we'll to lay in
a store Of hair-dye 10 restore your locks
10 their natural color after you and the
camera have parted company.
I'VE found Gov. Dyer. Mayor Baker
and Secretary George, Chief of Police
Baker. Deputy Chief Egan, Fire Com
missioner Luther. Chief Steere and all
others in authority exceedingly court
eous and interested in our efforts ana
glad 10 do all in their power TO facili-
tate our work and smooth the pathway
of science. so TO speak; and IL would be
difficult to express our deep apprecia-
tion OF their unvarying kindness. That
didn't take the pictures, however.
Friday afternoon we got what should
prove TO be an excellent picture of the
apparatus at the Three Ones respond
ing To an alarm. with Chief Steere and
Deputy Hill i'm their carriages, the
weather conditions all being favorable:
and the apparatus made the splendid
time of 81 seconds i'm hitching up and
passing us at 800 feet distance from
he time the gong struck. This was
good beginning; but i lay awake all
that night worrying lest the weather
on Saturday or some unforeseen con-
tingency should defeate our plans TO
catch the homecoming regiment under
ia a hi
proved to be all right: but there still
remained the worry lest at the time
each picture must be taken. the sun
might be behind a cloud or shining
from the wrong direction, which is
something of a consideration when you
remember that a film costs from s15 TO
800. and any unfaVorable condition or
the passing OF the sun behind a cloud
while the picture is being taken may
render the finn worthless.
1--WE got down to Fox Point in nick
of time to back our wagon up TO the
extreme south end OF the dock; and,
under conditions almost ideal. got
what the operators expect will be one
of the finest views of the kind ever
taken for the biograph. showing the
steamer with it's enthusiastic passeng-
ers cheering and wavin gtheir hats and
arms, just coming in at the dock,
picture full Of life and of interest. es-
pecially here In Rhode Island. and IL
will probably be shown next week.
Then we hustled back 10 Market
square. where we were able to make a
panoramic picture. taking in an arc
bounded by the south Side of the Board
of Trade building and by the north side
of the building at the corner of the
square and Washington row. This view
should show a great deal OF motion, for
there were many teams and cars pass
ing, and large number of people on
the sidewalks and a number OF bicycles
in the street; hut YOU have no idea of
the worry ~e-<ttffAFea- -ftlt-4tf-fctf- ffrTt
an electric car would stop right in
front of the camera and thus PRACTICAL
ly destroy the value OF the picture.
Ion we started again and soon land
ed on the west side Of Exchange place,
at the eastern corner of the depot APP
proach nearest the city hall. Now be-
gan our troubles anew for IL was evil
dent that by the time the parade
should reach the city hall the steps
where the governor and mayor were to
stand would be in a shadow ana so
make IL impossible 10 get them in tho
picture. We canvassed every possible
position, but all TO no avail. and finally
decided TO get a good view Of the regi-
ment and trust 10 getting the officials
at the training ground. The crowd be-
tween us and the city hall was solid
mass OF humanity. and Just as an cleo
trio car was forcing It's way through,
we started up the camera and got a
very lively and unique picture. run
ming perhaps ten seconds. And right
here let me say that when YOU see the
pictures shown on the screen they seem
To be very much longer than they real
ly are.
Suddenly we heard the music n the
head OF the line turned into Exchange
place. ana the police began To try TO
get the crowd back. hut you might as
well have tried % push the city hall
over. and WIEN the line reached us the
crowd between the camera and the sol
diers was - dense that the lens took
I'm only the heads of the soldiers. Here
was our fret failure and due 10 no
fault OF our own or even Of the wealth
er conditions. Now we sweat blood In
deed. and the fow was not diminished
when we found " almost impossible to
get ont ~ Exchange place to carry out
our design Of heading on the line on
Broadway and getting q picture there.
which now wnr orr only hopa. Final