The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-16
PBOToGRAPHY THROUGH roc.
interesting Experiments Said to Be In Progress
on Kaiser williams Yacht.
From the Chicago Tribune.

TFOVt bfN q
Somewhere in the cold waters OF the Baltic
Sea Is the imperial yacht OF the German En-
peror. and on board OF it, in company with the
Kaiser. are two expert photographers who may
be marking the way for vessels OF the German
Navy soma time in the future to steal into a
hostile port under cover Of a dense fog and capt
ure It before the enemy can see its assailants,
c. Knox Harding. an eleotro-chemist OF
Chicago, has Just returned from Germany and
the Continent. and through a friend In Zurich
brings the news OF the Ksiser's expert
ment and a fairly accurate description
OF the apparatus by which In the densest fogs a
clear-cut outline OF a vessel may be discovered
probably two miles away. Mr.. HsrdinR's
friend Is connected with the Ph~oto-Chroms
Company Of Zurich, and from his knowledge OF
color photography speaks with a good deal OF
experience. This friend has made experiments
on landscapes while enveloped In fogs that
make a building 100 feet away invisible. Under
such conditions Mr.. Harding's friend has taken
q sharp. clear photograph of a mountain one
mile away. with every detail OF the landscape
showing on It, This. too. with an exposure OF
only two seconds.
The camera used In the experiments by the
German Government has a central. non-acnro-
matte lens, and around this 10 a circle are set
six other lenses OF the same size and descrip-
ton. The central lens throws its objects d.
rectly upon the plate at the back. Behind each
Of the auxiliary lenses isa prism which catches
the lights and shadows that come through It's
individual lens and defects them so accurately
that the image from the auxiliary lens falls di-
reCtly over The mage from the principal. EAch
Of these : X auxtiaries aids It's image 10 that Of
the principal. so Increasing the light upon the
plate as TO make a unshelded exposure in
ordinary light an impos'iblity.
In setting his camera Cor az exposure AGAINST
fog a color screen Is used. This Is necessary
because OF the fact that the ordinary fog radi-
ates an eycess OF blue actinic rays that fog a
Plate easily. With the seven lenses and the
screen, however, tho colors of the spectroscope
are 40 blended. neutrGliZed and centred as to
make an impression through dense fog that Is
more c%lear-cut than n sunlight exposure made
through mn achroIratc lens.
"My friend says that from the bow OF an ordi-
nary Atlantic liner. moving at half speed
through fog, his own apparatus will show every
out! . Of a vessel steaming half a mile way
sad Mr.. Harding He insists that It II only a
matter Of time nntil a moving picture through
"Already 1t is discovered that thi. apparatus
has n most remarkable Influence on non-actinic
ligLts and colors. For instance. tNking, up red
light from n Photographic dark room and throw
ing them on a plate through these lenses and
screens. the apparatus % acts upon II as TO set
a picture OF tho objects in the Ozark room. Yet
TIE plate 80 acted upon could be left in the
dark room Indefinitely without being logged;
As n discovery OF practical value this pho
Biography through fog will appeal most strongly
TO the navies OF the world. As a comnlnment
J TO the camera Is a developing attachment by
which in a few seconds the = icture may he de-
vsloped and the object thrown on a screen
From. this, the range-hnders on a bstueship
might send a broadside into an enemy other
wise invisible.
1T may be said, OF ooGf>e. that such
a scheme available 10 one navy would be
available To- all. But this was true Of armor
plate ami Of armor-picrcing shells, ard yet
no nation has failed TO adopt both innova-
tons. II the G,rman Government goes on
10 perfect this scheme, and can keep that
perfection secret, IL will have the advantage
Of every other nation in case OF war. u 1t
cannot keep the process secret, every other
nation will be compelled 70 make photog-
rsphy a part OF a ship's equipment for war.
In any case such n discovery must have a
| marked stimulating effect upon the navies OF
the world.
Tn other ways OF peace and the
discovery should he a good thing. In case Of
wrecks In a { Z the work Of rescue could be
greatly aided by such an apparatus In MD
ocean, when vessels OF are feeling
their way at half speed and a. great addit onal
expense, this camera. operating Of the bow
and bridge. might be found Of great practical
and economic value. In any case the discovery
10 Of marked value 10 soenes."' -