, 1915-07-10
MOVING PICTURES AND SUBM IRINE
PHOTOGRAPHY.
By ARTHUR J. LANG.

time the most marked perhaps is that of
appealing to the sense of sight of those whom
we want to instruct, entertain or interest to
some degree in our aims and purposes. In
dubitable proofs of this are the illustrated
book, mural pictures III schools, the faithful
scenic reproductions which theatre audiences
demand, the growing use of moving pictures
in halls, churches and recreation centres and
even the increasing abuse of engravings by
the Press.
There scarcely remain any aspects Of life,
fields of imagination, or realms of science
and industry that have not been graphically
presented in sculptured groups, printed illus
tration or moving picture film. Thanks to
this the labourer who hns never heard OF
Dante, the stay al home and the city dweller
in whose experience the earth fauna is limit
ed to the dog, the cat and the horse, have
become intimately familiar with the episodes
OF the Divine Comedy, the appearance OF the
classic cities and the habits of the proud
beasts of the African jungles and deserts.
Who does not recall having seen wonderful
life-like reproductions of famous novels,
d'Annunzian tragedies, regal coronatious aud
imperial journeysf Without leaving his
home ten whole mornings and at an expense
entirely within his means, the most humble
day labourer of our time can acquire close
intimacy WITH Gu0 lHHN6Chp0 VI bnS dJp6I-
borean regious, study the architecture of an
cient ruins and Of the great buildings of our
day, be present at the most wonderful hap
penings of the day, trace the course of the
most complicated industrial processes, be-
come acquainted with eminent statesmen
and celebrated actors and in a word, place
before his very eyes all the fascinating de-
tails of the life of our day.
After having witnessed the progress of re-
cent polar expedition and the hair raising in
cidents of famous big game hunts in Africa,
after having contemplated His Holiness Pope
Plus X in his pontiical habitation, after hav-
ing gazed at Internal pictures of recent wars,
burning cities, the sinking of invincible
cruisers and encounters between military
neroplanes, il seemed impossible, at least for
n long time, that new films of such marked
interest, could be made for our entertain
ment and instruction. But it remained for a
veteran sea captain, a grizzled sea dog whose
calling had taken him to the most remote
corners OF the earth. 10 copceive the idea of
lowering himself into the depths of the sea-.
aided by means quite different from those
employed by deep-ses divers and from this
idea resulted a most original apparatus which
photographers have not been slow to utilize
in making moving-picture films of the under
sea world. Captain Charles Williamson. a
Scotchman by birth but who has lived long
in the United States, has succeeded in max
ing a flexible tube which, suspended beneath
q ship. permits a man to descend far into the
watery depths without any of the old diff
cultles and limitations which hamper deep
sea divers. The frame of the tube, three
feet in diameter, is nude of bands of steel,
superimposed like fishes scales or like shin
giles, and united by a series Of malleable iron
rings placed a foot apart. Over this frame
is stretched a covering of waterproof canvas,
thus forming a cylinder flexible to overcome
the opposition of water to it's passage. suff-
ciently strong to withstand the pressure of
the sea at considerable depths and sufficient
ly roomy to permit free ascent and descent TO
operators, TO keep them in constant commu-
~nication with the ship and assure them of an
abundance of air. Through this species Of
submarine chimney, which undulates grace
fully to adapt itself to the ships movements
or variations in ocean currents, one may de-
sceud as by a staircase to under-sea regions
hundreds of feet deep. When there one does
not face difficulty of breathing compressed