The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-10-11

the engineer and firemen at their posts,
and of the excited passengers with
heads protruding from the windows and
yelling like sin, was accurately record
ed on the sensitized film within the
camera. The rounding of a curve gave
an especially fine opportunity for
view of the train as it swept graceful
ly onward. Soon Grand Island, the
houses looking like miniature creations
in the far distance, doomed into view.
The pace Of the Limited did not falter,
but having secured moving picture of
the Overland in motion, the object OF
the race was achieved. The engineer
of the special gradually slackened
speed. Instantly the engine was re-
leased from the strain of rushing
steam the Limited drew up rapidly,
and mile west of the station it swept
past like great wind and was gone.
To record the race, $500 distinct expos
ures were made requiring GAO feet of
film, for which special focus lenses were
used to show the engine full size as it
appears on the screens, and give the
coaches the proper perspective.
ne SlOIy VI llOW lut ID vi Illl6 lOll
cured an instantaneous and continuous
photograph of the famous train known
as 1.-THE Denver Limited and carded
No is equally as interesting, though
not quite so dramatic. For nearly
year the company made repeated but
abortive attempts to get really good
photograph of the Limited in motion.
From Chicago to the Mississippi the
pace is strenuous to q tense degree, be-
ing tri1e over seventy miles an hour
on certain stretches. After many fu-
tile efforts to secure the required pic
ture the task was delegated to young
photographer named Allen Ayrault
Green of the University of Chicago.
Mr.. Green is an enthusiast in the line
of his art He made frequent trips out
on the line to acquaint himself with
the motion and swing of the Limited
while running at high speed. Thinking
1t was a simple task he began work
with his camera, but the first pictures
taken were failures. Then he began
studying out the details Of the speed
of the train and the motion of the cam
era shutters. Assuming the speed was
sixty miles an hour at the point where
the picture was to be taken, it was
plain that $3.50 feet would be the speed
per minute, or lightweight feet sec
ond
Hence, with shutter working at one
hundredth part of a second, that being
the rapidity Of the best cameras the
train would move about ten and six
tenths inches during the interval Of ex
posture, and unavoidably give blur to
the picture. He applied himself to the
work, and finally succeeded in devising
shutter which would work at speed
of one thousandth part of second.
This was ten times as rapid as the pre-
vious movement and allowed the train
to move only fraction over one inch.
This would operate, he assumed, to give
a picture with sharp and well defined
outlines and overcome the obstacles en-
countered with a slow moving shutter,
and on decreasing the angle at which
the camera was set the movement on
the plate was constantly reduced.
But his troubles had not ceased How
could the thought Of pressing the bulb
of the camera at the proper time pro-
coed from the brain and be transform
ed into voluntary action in time to
catch the train on the center of the
plate while the speed was eighty eight
feet per second? He trusted to luck
several times but meeting with poor
success, he decided to apply electricity
as an agent to give simultaneous action
to the shutter, and finally he completed
a machine or apparatus which, while
simple, overcame the difficulty.
The device comprised an electric
switch which, when connected to the
rail- closed the circuit on being struck
by the forward trucks of the flying en-
CINE. This switch communicated with
q metallic circuit to set of dry cells
and thence to shutter release. This
was enclosed in complete machine,
consisting of pair of low resistance
coils acting as electro magnets on clos
ing the circuit and attracting the arm
ature. The latter communicated with
series of levers so constructed az to
minimize the resistance of the stout
spring 1t was to release.
Then, in working out the problem,
Mr.. Green assumed that the camera
was set up and focused on the track,
good Judgment being used as to the
length of the train, and the switch put
in place about six feet behind the spot
where he desired the front of the en-
CINE to appear on the plate. A slight
knowledge of electricity will readily
show that when the engine struck the
switch it closed the circuit, and instant
ly the electricity communicated with
the high-speed shutter, and the picture
was accurately regist cred on the center
of the plate.-From the Des Moines
Leader.