, 1915-07-10

air, as is the case with the diver, for the air
is not compressed. The mouth of the tube
opens at the ships deck Ike that Of q we'll
al the enrth's surface md its lower end forms
q kind of spherical room five feet in diameter,
which, provided with q large funnel shaped
window, constitutes q veritabls submarine
observatory. This window Inade witi4 a cast
iron frame weighs four tons aud is provided
with sufficiently thick panes to protect the
operators who, generally two in number, busy
themselves, one, in taking pictures, and the
other s watchmnu and to send Instructions
to the ship above. The movements of the
observation chamber are controlled by menus
of chains leading to the windiass from which
it is raised or lowered in accordance with the
needs of the operators. As the tube is low
cred, the rings, yielding to the increased
pressure, are forced closer together aud fold
over each other, decreasing considerably in
SIZE. A section which when stretched meA-
sures eleven feet and weighs a ton, at a GER
tain depth is reduced to three feet and
weighs the same, SO that the more it is let
down the more compact the cylinder becomes
which permits it to adapt itself automatically
to variations of pressure.
1t is unnecessary to say that the originator
of this apparatus, q hardened voyager OF the
seven seas, did not invent it to take photo
graphs but to make it possible to 60 d1wn in
search of lost treasure, to fish for pearls and
sponges and to repair with ease the hulls Of
ships at sea, for every purpose, in fact, ex-
cept the taking of pictures. But Ernest
Williamson, his eldest son,is q cartoonist and
the photographer given these two ele-
ments-the submarine tube Of the father aud
the gift of photography of the son-it was
not long before the possibilities of their COM
bination were apparent.
One afternoon buck in the summer of 1912
Ernest Williamson was walking through the
streets of Norfolk, turning over in his mind
something he hud hoard about the cities sub.
merged in the sea in the vicinity Of Yucatan
and, while passing q tall building enveloped
in the golden hnze of the twilight, experi-
euced the feeling of contemplating a submN-
rine fortress. Then he remembered having
seen moving-piclure views of fishes swim
ming in the water of q glass tank. The rest
OF his mental process is readily imagined.
His fathers apparatus WAS the ideal means
for obtain submarine pictures And though
the old sailor showed no great interest in the
project, be agreed that the thing might be
feasible. Accompanied by his brother George
Ernest Williamson at once decided to try out
his idea. A special ship was built, his faith
er's apparatus installed in il aud o descent
Of thirty feet WAS made in Norfolk Bay. The
water was 80 DARK CnaC AT mlh0ay O~hlectS
could not be distinguished for more than q
few feet 30 it was decided to use artificial
light and after overcoming soma di .fficulties
they succeeded in arranging q battery of
powerful tungsten electric lamps 80 that
they would work under water. Ernest went
down the tube TO the observatory" aud
placed himself. camera in hand, behind the
thick glass window and, by means of the
powerful lamps, obtained snapshots Of The
Thousands of fishes which, attracted by bait,
came close to the apparatus. With an ex-
posure of only one-tiflieth of a second, he
secured very clear photographs of small fish
es. Then George dived down thirty feet
to get in front of the observation chamber
where his brother took an underwater pic
ture OF him comparable to those taken in the
air.
The following autumn these views caused
a sensation in the first International Cine
matograph Exposition and~immediately af-
terward a group Of promoters organized o
company to exploit this new industry and
planned an expedition to the Bahamas where
the luminous conditions of the water would
allow the apparatus full sway in working it's
wonders.
In spite of the. skeptical reception which
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