The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-01
TRICKS FOOL THE EYE
B1oGRAPH PICTURES .NoT AL
 WAYS TRUE TO LIFE.
Schemes That are Used in Taking Thsm-About the Quick Bloom ing Flower-Depends on
 the Speed Used.
New York Journal:

New York Journal:
 Prof. Raymond Dodge of Wesleyan University. Middletown. Ct., recently discovered that the human eye sees nothing while it (the eye) is in motion, that sight is conveyed to the eye in seen.
 To the general public these facts were neve rsuspected until Prof. Dodge made them known. But the men who haev experimented with moving photo graphy have also discovered it. In fact. these oputic phenomena are the secret of the life-like motion obtained in these photographs.
 Further than this. the moving pie ture people have ascertained at what rate the eye conveys it's sight flashes to the brain. That rate IS thirty im- pressions second.
 When thirty distinct photographs second are taken with the biograph camera and then shown to the eye at the same rate of speed, the same ini- precision is produced as If one saw the actual moving scene and not its rho- tographic reproduction.
 In other words, the biograph feecs the eye with pictures as quickly as the eye can perceive motion. Biograph pictures taken and shown at thirty per second are perfect. Taken at less speed than this, say ten per second, the picture Is confused.
 We see a locomotive coming toward us at full speed. man saving wood, or a passing parade. We see the same things shown in the mutosco2e or bio gra3h Snd if the pictures were taken | and are shown at the same rate or speed the eyes takes pictures-for the eye is d canera-we say "how natur- all"
 The biograph people are now taking | advantage of the known and specific variations of the eye. as set forth by Prof. Dodge. and by Juggling me tlme | of taking and the time of showing life motion photographs, some curious re- l suits have been obtained.
 Film is Castly.
 Biograph film i scostly. Long pie lures are tiresome. A moving picture of the tearing down of a house. or, say | the building of locomotive, would be | interesting but who would have the patience to sit out such a scene? | Ingenious men. therefore, set about | to rig up a camera that would take pictures of a slow-moving scene, scene covering arranged. It was plac- ed in a window over-hours. days or weeks, and then reproduced it in one | minute, as IT II tOoh piaCc HI th0e sihie' at the exact rate the eye sees move ment normally.
 It was decided that the first experi- mental picture of this kind should be taken of the destruction of the Star l theater at Thirteenth street and Broad way, New York. The contractors who undertook the demolition of the build l ing stated that it would take just four | teen days of ten working hours each to tear down the old Star.
 As has been said. the ordinary bio graph picture shows scene by means of 800 separate and distinct photo graphs a minute. taken on a continu- ous film in that period of time.
 4 machine was rigged that would take pictures on a biograph film at the rate of twenty pictures per second, in stead of thirty per second. and the camera was so looking at the Star theater and connected with an electric wire the current from which operated the mechanism of the machine.
 Beginning with the first brick loos- ened from the top of the old theater. in the process of it's destruction. the camera shutters opened and a picture was taken. From that moment until the space the ugly old brick edifice for merly occupied was level patch Of unincumbered ground the camera work ed ten hours every day.
 Every three minutes a picture was snapped of the state of the building in the course of its destruction. Twenty pictures an hour. 200 pictures day. l,40O pictures a week. 2,S00 pictures in two weeks. all on one continuous band of film.
 The film was 4S0 feet long. and 1t took a little over a minute and a half To | run thrOuQh the biOHrADh,
 It took two weeks to take this pie ture, but it was shown to the eye as the eye sees the occurrences Of a min ute and a half. And behold! Beginning from the top the great brick building melte das a house of snow. Figures in the shape of men toiled with lightning like rapidity.
 The workme nseemed to be tearing like demons at the walls of brlck ana timber Showers of rubbish rattled down, wagons dashed away at express train speed bearing the shattered ma terial. Faster and faster melted the walls, Signs. windows, beams, chlm- neys sank down. down.
 | Another moment and the last wagon was gone wit hthe last scraps of brick wood and iron; there was barren spot of ground in the city's heart-and then the picture ended.
 But the miracle NOrkeT Ol lHe plo- graph was not through with his jug glery. "I have torn the building down, ;, said the magician, "and removed the last vestige of 1t from the eye In the time a man could pause in Is breath ing, The earth has drunk up this great edifice before your eyes as thirsty child might drink cup of water. Lo. I will build 1t back before your eyes as I tore it down and carried 1t away
 'I will show this picture to you again. running 1t backward" !"
 Going Backwards.
 Then the light flashed on the screen once more. There was bare. barren spot of ground. To this wagons rushed backward at incredible speed. Witf them they dragged the backward run ming horses. Timbers and bricks sprane out of the wagons into the hands oi the men. who with swiftness placed them back into the now rapidly ris' ing walls. Higher and higher rose the edifice. windows jumped into place signs came hurting through the air fragments resolved themselves into wholes--a minute and a half and the Star theater stood as before the de stroying hand of the house wreckel was laid upon it.
 The towering of the night blooming cereus 1 sa process of three hours du' ration With this time biogranh cam era a picture will be taken by flashligh at the rate of five pictures per minute or 800 ner hour: 300 in three hours These 900 pictures would be shown or | HaVf x1afa Tr