The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

10 THE PHONOSCOPE April, 1897 " {picture Iprojectfng " Devices It is interesting to notice what pictures are the popular favorites iu the exhibitions of the biograph, vitascope, cinematograph, ar.d similar instruments. The serpentine dances and high kicking get a moderate amount of applause ; the military scenes get a good deal more; the march of a procession down, apparently, into the very teeth of the audience, is almost startling; but these are not the things which receive an encore. At two recent exhibitions of this sort there were only two encores. One of these was a burst of enthusiasm over a view of the surf breaking on one of the piers at Manhattan Beach. The other was from an audience that wanted to see again the onward rush of the Empire Slate Express. The surf picture seemed fairly to bring the smell of the sea into the smoke-clouded theatre. As the wave began to gather, form, and get an edge, the audience drew in an expectant breath. And as the water hurried on and on, until it finally broke at the crest, and flung itself forward with a force that sent up a cloud of spray, the spectators gave a great "Ah-h-h!" The view of the Empire State Express was even more thrilling. At first there was only the long line of the railroad coming straight down the picture, and curving off to one side at the front. Some section hands were at work on the track. There was a spot in the distance wiih a fine line of smoke streaming away from it. It grew with every second until it was a throbbing engine pouuding its way right toward the audience. People held their breath as the train swept toward them, and it seemed an actual escape when it swung off on the curve and out of sight. Next to these scenes, which portray the working of some tremendous natural force, the most popular ones are the homely, everyday ones. One of the most delightful of these is a pillow fight among four little girls. They are in two cribs with railiugs around them. One of the children lifts herself up and, taking her pillow, mischievously bangs it down on the head of her bedfellow. At this, the two in the other crib are highly delighted and promptly sit up in bed, holding on to the railing at the side. The unfortunate one, who has just been whacked , emerges from under the pillow and is so angry when she sees the other two laughing at her that she snatches up a pillow and knocks them both out of sight with one fell swoop. Then she turns her attention to the original offender and hostilities are general until one of the pillows bursts, and the whole picture is full of feathers. In this age of marvelous scientific achievements, and the general distribution of scientific knowledge the public mind rapidly accustoms itself to wonderful inventions, and generally loses the sense of wonder that they first inspire. This has been demonstrated in the case of the telephone, phonograph, etc., which now enter into every-day use without exciting any sensation of the marvelous. But the vitascope, the most recent of those scientific marvels, promises to hold the public mind in wonder and amazement longer than any invention of the century, combining as it does entertaining and instructive powers of the highest order, with all that is fascinating in the mysterious and inexplicable. Ever}' one should see the exhibitions of the vitascope. The biograph seems to have some trouble in getting out of Washington. In the case of some companies in the show business this is caused by the holding of baggage for board bills and the like, When it is usually kept as quiet as possible and not exploited in the next season's advance notices. But the biograph people don't care particularly who knows about this, Their reasons are different. There are so man}' people in Washington who want to see this remarkable combination of electric and photographic skill that it has been too profitable a field to leave alone. It was decided this week that the engagement would really have to terminate, but the churches put in petitions to have it stay for one week longer, and they will fill up a large part of this last week with benefits. There will be some new views on exhibition Sunday night. £>eep Sea talking A Telephone Devised for the Use of Divers on the Ocean's Bottom Since the invention of the present system of submarine diving by means of the armor and helmet, into which air is pumped from above, the diver has labored under the disadvantage of being unable to communicate with those on the surface, save by a few simple signals, such as could be communicated by means of tugs or jerks on the life line. For instance, one jerk might mean "send me a line," or it might mean "haul me up at once." Two jerks might mean "I want more air; pump faster," etc. The life line is a half inch manilla rope of the finest quality, which is noosed around the diver's body, under the arms, and is the means by which he is lowered down to or hauled up from the bottom of the ocean. The surface end of it is held by the diver's tender, in order that he may instantly receive and reply to all signals. The most laborious part of the diver's business, and possibly the most dangerous part of the hazards he is compelled to take, is in ascending and descending, as the sudden relieving or increasing of the pressure of the air inside the armor is likely to drive the blood to the head, causing the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain, apoplexy and instant death. He must take care in descending, and more time in coming up, according to the increase in depth. In ascending from very deep water, the diver, having been in a condensed atmosphere, time should be given for the muscles and tissues of the body to be relieved of the pressure by very slowly ascending, or frequently stopping for a time at certain stages, to allow the body to be relieved of the greater pressure acquired while working in the denser atmosphere, or to establish, as nearly as possible, an equilibrium between the pressure of the water he may be resting in. All this shows that the diver's risk is reduced by his remaining down until his work is finished. Heretofore, he has been unable to do this, owing to the fact that he was compelled to make frequent descents and ascents, in order to receive and transmit instructions and to get tools, materials, etc., which he might require from time to time. To obviate all this a submarine telephone was invented some years ago, but it was not a success. It consisted of an ear piece, or transmitter, and mouth piece, or receiver, inside the helmet. Recently Captain Lewis Sorcho, a submarine diver of long experience, began a series of experiments with submarine telephones in a huge tank, which he erected in Baltimore. This tank was an immense glass front affair, containing eighty thousand gallons of water, and gave ample opportunity for the testing of the 'phone. He had two assistants, one of whom was his wife. One or the other of these would spend hours under water, while the Captain remained on the surface, making alterations and improvements in the telephone. Occasionally, the Captain would make a descent, in order to test the diver's end of it, and after months of tireless exertion he had perfected a deep sea telephone which was practical, strong and highly effective. The new submarine telephone is simple, but wonderfully effective. The tender or attend-.nt can hear almost a whisper from the diver, and vice versa. The latest improved 'phone consists of a headgear for both diver and tender made of elastic rubber. This fits over the top of the head and under the chin. Over the left ear is the transmitter, and over the right a wooden pad, which shuts all sounds out of the ear and prevents pain in the ear from the air pressure. The submarine waterproof cable passes through the front of the helmet by means of a stuffing box. The arrangement is such that the tender has the free use of his hands, which is very important in the handling of the lines connected with the diver. The cable, which is waterproof, runs from the lower end of the brass strip, where there are also connections for the wires that lead to the batteries. Of these there are from eight to twenty-four used, according toHhe depth at which the diver is working. They are dry batteries, encased in a neat wooden chest, handy for carrying in a boat or moving about wherever needed. The receivers and transmitters look about like those of the ordinary long distance telephone, save that the latter are flat and about the circumference of the little wooden boxes the druggists put salve in. To be able to talk to a man away down in the ocean's depths is truly novel, and to hear him talking and telling of the strange sensations he is enduring, the wondrous sights he is seeing, and to be able to get an accurate account of just what he is doing are still more interesting. The dangers which beset the diver will be greatly reduced, for the reason that if anything happens to him, such as a beam or other heavy object in a wreck falling on him or his lines, thus making him a prisoner at the bottom of the sea, he can give an accurate account over the telephone of just what has occurred, and another diver can easily'go down and release him. He can also order anything he may need sent down to him, and can, by a simple wire connection made on the surface by two tenders, even talk to another diver who ma} be working some distance away from him. A case is on record where a diver became entangled while working on a wreck and could not release ^himself. Another diver was sent for, but five hours elapsed before he arrived. It was then too late. Fright had killed him, Had he been equipped with a telephone he could have talked with his tender, who could have assured him that assistance was near at hand, by which means his courage would have been kept up until he was released. Another advantage of the telephone is that it is always ready for instant use. There is no calling up to be done, and in case of an accident the diver can instantly call on his tender to haul him up. In the Xew York papers a few weeks ago there appeared an account of a diver whose armor commenced to leak badly. He signalled by the old system of tugs at the life line to be hauled up, but different divers have different signals, and a new tender thought he wanted to be let out further, so slacked away on the air hose and life line. Every frantic signal resulted in a further slacking instead of tightening of the lines, and when the diver finally reached the surface he was nearly dead. Such a state of affairs could not have existed had the diver been equipped with a telephone.