The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1912-05-11
DISCOVERY OF AMERICA
Wonderful Moving Pictures,
Depicting the Discovery OF
America 10y Columbus with
Dramatic Vividness on
Most Elaborate Films Ever
Made.

The making of these wonderful pic.
lures occupied three years The great.
er part OF this time was taken up in
gathering data concerning the life OF
Columbus to insure historical accura-
cy in every detail. William N. Selig,
president Of the Selig Potyscope com
pany. spared no expense in working
out this masterpiece. He sent com
mittec Of scholars to Spain. These
men spent months digging among the
musty archives Of Madrid, Salamanca,
Cordova and Seville. They brought
to light many new facts about Colum
bus. They secured Columbus own
log ofthe voyage which resulted in the
discovery Of the new world written in
Spanish IN Columbus own hand By
depos!ting $4,000 bond with. the
Spanish government. the committee
was permitted to bring this priccle, S
book to America, where it was trans
lated and used to give color and vivid
ness to the pictures illustrating the
voyage Of the great discovcrer.
The ships Of Columbus depicted in
| the pictures are the three caravels
sent by the Spanish government across
the ocean TO the Chicago worlds fair.
ana which have been moldering IN
jackson park lagOOns ever since,
| these three vessels are exact replicas
OF the ships Of Columbus little fleet.
Crossing the Atlantic under their own
sails and following AS nearly as rossi-
bic the course of the original voyage
OF Columbus, the Santa Maria, the
Nina and the Pinta arrived in Lake
Michigan by way Of the St. Lawrence
river, the Welland canal, Lake Erie
and Lake Huron. They sailed into
Chicago harbor July 4, 1893, Since
the worlds fair the caravels have been
in the charge of the South Park com
mission.
When Mr. Selig took possession of
the caraves they were fast going to
pieces. Their bottoms were embed.
ded in mud and when dragged into
open water they were as leaky AS
sleeves. Mr.. Sel,g apent several thou
sand dollars IN calking them. repaint-
ing them. bending new sails and 9th
erwise overhauIing them and making
them sea- worthy.
In the pictures one sees the caravels
standing bravely across the sea, rock
ing on ocean swells. lifting and pitch
ing over emerald hills OF water. One
sees the eager faces of the sailors
crowding their rails and the lookonts
at the mastheads, peering forward to-
ward an unknown world beyond the
horizon. AS a matter of fact, the
painless ocean" is Lake Michigan.
Just eft Jackson park, and the sailors
are Sc'1g company actors In the pic
lures you see COluM bus land on San
Salvador and. framed among palms
and terms and tropical foliage, kiss the
earth and claim it in the name of
Spain. In reality "San Salvador is
the sandy Indiana shores Of the lake
near the steel city Of Gary, and the "a,
coanut palms. the date trees and inn
giles OF the tropics are property plants
secured in Chicago lighthouses and
stuck IN the sand Of the lake MARGIN
Tho cost of the pictures was ouo,
$4,000. Never before have anv of,h
great picture industries expended CO.,,
a sum IN single picture.to be placed
IN the balance. to be weighed and
Judged by critical spectators as to ito
worth. historical valna
charm and spectacular
"'"'
In the preparation of this stunen.
lous undertaking the co-operation 81
ne knights OF Columbus was secured
md through the support and WORKING
opartnership of this great orpaniza.
ION the caravals were secured and
1uch historical information obtained ]
lore than $50 specially engaged nc
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