Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1911)

798 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD I mean. Apparently the one this way is just a single stereo. me I would raise up the one lamphouse, arrange for the other side to slide under it, rig up a dissolving shutter and have a dissolver. It wouldn't be much trouble to do it, unless you prefer the present arrangement. From Arizona. — Arizona, name of town suppressed, writes: "Enclosed find $1.50 for handbook. Is it permissible to place a fan in vent leading out of operating room? In this case vent leads to open air. What is used in film cases to keep the film moist? I am using a Motiograph and project a 12-foot picture 93 feet. Use two 8-inch condensers. My trouble is that when I set the lamp to get rid of brown corners I get a blue spot in center of picture. By changing position of lamp in relation to condensers (moving it ahead or back) I can get rid of spot or brown corners, but one or the other remains. In closing will say that I have enjoyed the World and the Projection Department." I have visited your little city and regard it as the best place in all the desert. You can probably get rid of your trouble by moving the entire lamphouse further back. There is no possible objection to placing a fan in vent-flue, provided it blows outward and is not of a type which can be reversed. I prefer a vent large enough that a fan is not required, however. Water is used — just plain water. If you happen to run across a post card picture of the Castle Grande, send me one, please. Mystery Solved. — At last the deep, dark, dreadful mystery of the umbrella has been solved. Washington, D. C, sends another sketch and says, "Sorry the tent came in for so much T ^ \^ ^ "^ Cm F?«ST>frNi notoriety. Explanation lies in accompanying sketch. Might add that amount of salary does not necessarily account for possession of a rain deflector. It is merely a matter of dexterity, restaurants, etc., affording ample opportunity for acquisition. No, 1 don't use it in operating except to obstruct view from door when my fair companion is grinding them out while I am getting the latest dope on the baseball situation for the day. The young lady at my left is the onlygirl in the Capital City who can operate and is able to assemble an Edison machine. You have shown a charming outline of the young lady and put your shoulder square in the way, thus hiding the lady's blushes, stingy! Send us the young lady operator's photo, please; you have aroused our curiosity. "Explosion?" — Southampton, L. I., writes: "Kindly advise a- to what part of M. P. machine exploded (see clipping enclosed) and why it blew up. If gas was used, do the editors, ■ tliers connected with the paper from which clipping is taken, mean the snapping out of the gas in the burner, due to poor mixture, was the 'explosion' which alarmed the audience? I was on the road in the old days with a Lubin machine having a hard rubber spool which jerked the film down into position, performing the duty of the present-day star and cam. There were no exchanges then and we had to buy films outright. One hundred to two hundred feet was a long subject. We used gas tanks in those days. We sprung an arc lamp on a local light plant in a little town on the north side of Long Island one night,' I remember, and the plant shut down to see what was wrong with its machines. I guess, Brother Richardson, you remember some of those things yourself. I like The World very much, especially its Projection Department." There was no explosion. The editors and those connected with the New York World, from which clipping was taken, neither know, or seem to in the least care, whether or not the old, shopworn, mouldy chestnut about films "exploding" has any foundation in truth or not. Sensation is what they want. Truth is entirely a secondary consideration. Gas was not being used. Yes, experiences of the early days of the business are interesting — as memories. They were the subject of prayerful interest then also, and some of the "prayers" contained words not found in printed books. Shutter Trouble. — North Yakima, Wash., writes: "Have no very serious trouble" this time, but can find no remedy for what I have. TIave no travel ghost, but cannot get all the flicker out. Powers No. 6 machine. Have tried setting the shutter clear out on shaft, but it does no good. Flicker is worse on light films. Am using a Ft. Wayne compensarc, 60 cycle current. Am going to send for the handbook. Long life to The World." If you have a three-wing shutter there should be no flicker at all at normal speed. If you have the two-wing shutter you will have some flicker except at high speed. All two-wing shutters produce some flicker. They only cut the light at the rate of 32 times per second at normal speed and this is not sufficient to deceive the eye into "seeing" continuous light, particularly when illumination of screen is quite bright. If you have a three-winger probably you are troubled with the shutter getting into synchronism with one side of the alternations. The remedy is a two-wing shutter, which I believe the Powers Company will supply on application. With 60 cycle current there are 120 alternations per second. The shutter makes sixteen revolutions per second at normal speed. This means that it cuts the light 48 times per second. Now if you increase speed until it' cuts the light 60 times per second you will see that it is cutting at equal speed with one "side" (I use the term "side"" from want of a better) of the alternations. At the instant of reversal of direction (alternation) the current is at zero voltage and the light is greatly diminished. If the shutter blade cuts the light so as to leave the lens open at the exact time of reversal' the light will be dimmed. But it is not possible that the shutter will remain for any length of time in exact synchronism with the alternations so that the practical effect is a waving or flashing of the illumination on the screen. I have explained all this before, but perhaps not so fully. If I have still not made the matter clear will try again. I would advise you by all means to get the Handbook. Not because I am its author, but for the reason that it is a thing every operator and manager ought to have. We have hundreds of enthusiastic letters of recommendation from purchasers. We do not have any exaggerated idea of, its value, but we do honestly believe it to be worth much more than its price to any operator or manager from the fact that it contains a mass of condensed, thoroughly practical information on projection, and all that pertains thereto, not to be had elsewhere. Out of almost 5,000 copies sold not one single purchaser has expressed dissatisfaction or voiced anything but kind words for the book, and that is a record that I, as it~ author, and the Moving Picture World as its sponsor, are both proud of. Shadows. — Kalamazoo, Mich., writes: "We are having lots of trouble with films coming to us covered with oil. This is attributed by some to a certain make of machine, which they claim spatters oil on the film when run at a trifle more than moderate speed. Do you know whether or not this is true? I have a problem to place before the Projection Department, as follows: I have a new Standard No. 4 machine, three-wing, outside shutter. When the machine is in operation should not the square of light on the shutter be clear-cut, without shadows? Mine is not and we have set the carbons in every conceivable position, but still the center of that square of light is bright, then comes a shadow and