El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-03-22

"The light struck slantingly, and, as
the camera was shaded, should have
brought the hills and hOllOws below
US into splendid relief This is the
first extended trip I have made with a
moving picture machine on an alrshlp
If the pictures I took prove to be a
success undoubtedly the scheme viii be
followed up and come into general use
in obtaining typographical maps for
government purposes"
Some PeriIOus Instances.
Frank T. COFFIN just year ago
went under and over Brooklyn bridge
with a moving picture operator from
the Nitagraph company Coffyn
snapped New York's skyscrapers and
made photographs of the statute OF
Liberty while flying over the harbor
on two succeeding occasions, when, by
means of a special device, he was en-
abled to manipulate the camera with
out the assistance Of a licensed NOV
ing operator.
Coffyn too two one-twelfth horse
power six volt electric motors, con-
nected them up with a chain drive, and
operated the shutter and Keeling mech
anism Of the camera by means of worm
gear. The uneXpOsed film was rolled
off before the Tense from one OF the
boxes. The film was then wound up
in the other box. COFFIN operated the
camera. by means of a switch, which
he opened and closed The storage bat
teries were fastened 10 the passenger
sat next the engine
On this last flight COffyn attempted
to descend at too steep an angle IN
the yolplane the camera broke loose
from its base, because of its weight,
and slipped off into the East river, a
thousand feet below. When II landed
in the river ii cast up a miniature gey-
ser. Mathematicians may figure out
what IL would have done to a ferry boat
had il struck one while falling at the
frightful velocity il attained in the last
half hundred feet Of its downward
drop.
Phillips Ward Page, of Brookline,
Mass, early last summer made a flight
over the North Atlantic squadron an
chOred off Beverly. Mass. with NOV
ing picture machine aboard. and took
Sans men-O'-war- Mr. Page was ac-
companied by Edward Shaw, who ham
died the crank OF the camera
Shaw at first operated his camera by
hand, but during subsequent flights the
camera was geared 20 and run by a
motor. Mr.. Page started the film re-
vOlvinE and stopped II at the running
off Of the reel by means Of switch at
tached to one OF the upriShts. On one
OF his flights Mr. Page took up Mr.
Hemment who then had recently re-
turned with Paul Rainey from hunt
ing trip in Africa Mr.. Hemment took
some fine pictures Of a flock of ducks
which raced Mr. PAGES plane for sew
ment was congratulated by Paul Raj
ney. who has since exhibited the pic
lures
Steadiness Of the Picture.
Moving pictures taken from an aero
plane unlike those taken from a train
or automobile. are remarkable for their
steadiness. Mr.. shaw, while flying
with aviator Robert G. Fowler on the
latter's coast to coast trip, took some
pictures Of Louisiana in which there IS
a total absence of "swaying-" Hun
dreds Of feet Of film were run off in
which the views taken did not shift
q quarter inch in the perspective. The
picture machine was equipped with
device which completely did away
with the vibration Of the aerOplane en-
gines and TO a great extent the steadi-
ness of the views when projected vas
due 10 the stabilizing mechanism
The Aviation Film company put Nj
Fowler under contract to carry
camera on his aerOplane from Texas to
New York. Israel Ludlow and Robert
I. Baird invented the apparatus by
means OF which Mr.. Fowler was later
enabled to operate the camera alone.
The device turned the crank OF the
camera with power transmitted direct
~ from the aeroplane motor.
BY means Of this appliance aTiators
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