The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-16
THEY DARE DEATH
Movie Operators Take as Many
Chances as Actors.
Threatened With Attack of Gas
Three Times a Day.
DEADLY CARBON M0NOxIDE
Given OF by Big Arc Lights in
Machines.
All Inventions Have Been for
Better Pictures.
DEADLY CARBON MONOYlDE

Movie actors dare death time after
time to make thrills for the screen
| fans, but those Vans do not realize that
while they breathlessly watch their
hero in hairbreadth escapes, there Is
one man under the same roof with
them, who. while making their enter
tainment possible. is daring death just
as much as are their favorite William
| s, Douglas or any others of the
cinema world. This man, three times
two hours constantly threatened by
the deadly attack of carbon n1onoxide
gas. He is the projection machine OPP
orator.
Gas Given Off From Lights.
Tho gas is given off by the big arc
lights in the machines which cast the
picture on the screen. When new
carbons are inserted in the machine
and the current sent thru them for
the first time, clouds of the gas can be
seen by the naked eye. At other times
| 1t is there. but invisible, constantly
settling to the bottom Of the tank-like
booth in which the operator works. 1t
is this fact that the carbon monoxide
is heavier than air and settles, that
prevents many an operator from meet
| ing as horrible a death as any OF the
boys in France who were caught in
a German cloud or~shell attack.
Because of the necessity of guarding
against possible fires, the booths pro-
vided for the machines of a motion
picture theater are constructed of air
tight metal and there are as few OPEN
ings for ventilation as possible. Be-
cause of the fact that the high priced
lens viii crack II such a means of get
ting rid of the fumes is used, flue to
draw off the noxious vapors is irnpos-
sible. Electric fans and frequent
clearing of the air during intermis-
sions is the only way that the opera
tor can protect himself.
In well cared for houses, this gas
never gets into the main auditorium,
but there are times when it reaches
level of several inches on the floor of
easily tell the theater where care is
not taken in this respect by the stuff
ness of the atmosphere.
Cannot Protect Himself.
But there is one by-product OF the
carbon monoxide against which the
operator cannot protect himself. 1t is
the particles of water glass" which
points of the light in the machine.
These minute particles float in the air
land invade the lungs of the operator.
Any booth which has been in use for
a short time IS crusted with the white
layers of this water glass substance.
IAN the inventions in motion picture
photography have been along the line
Of making better pictures on the
Screen" declares Harry Smith, To-
beka's veteran operator, who is now
Ii charge OF the protection raom at the
6rpheunn theater. I'VE operators are
in hopes that 1t will not be long now
until the inventors and makers of new
types of machines will pay some at
tention to making the machines safe
Tor the men who have to work them.
1.-The improvements made on mo-
lion picture projection machines in the
last ten years have been simply Won
&erfuI started in the business in
1895 and should know"
Must Have Two Machines
No first-class motion picture theater
today is complete without two pro-
1ectirlg machines. This is not so that
one machine can take the place of the
other in case of a break down, both
are in almost constant use. Two reels
df film are Inserted in each machine.
BY watching carefully the projecuon-
list is able to switch off one machine
and start the other In perfect focus
and eliminate all delay. The ma
dimes are run today BY electric power
d vast Improvement over the old days
when the operator had to crank the
films thru. In those days, according
to Smith. projectionist at the Orpheum
theater one reel of film meant 1900
revolutions of the crank. While one
ARM was thus being kept busy, the
other was preparing the next reel to
he inserted in the machine and making
the necessary adjustments to keep the
picture on the screen clear.
| The evolution of the motorized pro-
lection machine has not made the
projeetionist's Job a sinechre, Tho he
Has both arms now for his other work,
mution pictures have developed to the
Ipoint where he must keep constantly
Pt1tthe alert in order that there be no
Interruption of the smooth progress
OF the film. In addition he must by
means of a bazzer system warn the
orchestra sufficiently in advance so
that the music will be on time for
different parts of the program. He
must also signal the stage hands
for the curtains and inspect each inch
La LIT