Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, July 26, 1914, PART TWO EDITORIAL, SOCIETY, Image 17

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Tho Oamera
Oporator
in the
Great Horn
That Is
Lowered
Into tho
Ocean Dopths.
UNDER THE
Tli Most "knmnrkarjln Photocrranh
Takon A Man Fighting a Shark
Under tho ocean uu nassau.
The Most Baffling Mysteries
or the Oceans Now to Be
Laid Bare by a New Aston
ishing Advance of Science
THE recent announcement
that submarine ore fields
may perhaps be. located
by tho uso of wireless appa
ratus assumes additional Inter
est -because of tho fact that eub
marine moving pictures have now
been made possible.
The dangers , 'which , beset sub
marine woykera will be, greatljr
lessened when" they are better uhder
stood, and the submarine moving
picture will doubtlessly reveal many
of the mysteries which "the dark,
unfatliomed caves of ocean bear."
Except from the lips .of dlvors who
have descended on the edges of tho
coasts to a puny depth of a hundred
fjet we are In ignorance of what Ilea
beneath the waves. Divers, with tho
limited field of observation accorded
them by the crudo appliances of
their trade, liave been able to tell us
but little of the nature of things In
that vast area beneath the waters,
which embraces three-fourths of tho
earth's surface. By tho weight of a
lump of lead on tho end of an Inani
mate wlro wo have sounded the
depths and learned that there aro
places where tho ocean's bottom
spreads full five miles beneath tho
surface. From samples of soil
hauled up by mechanical moans, wo
know, In a small way, tho character
of this bottom.
But experiments just concluded on
the oceans' bottom in the Bahama
Islands have given us far more in
structive data than that.
For hours at a time men have sat
In comfort within six inches of tho
bottom and fifty or sixty feet bo
aeath the surface. There they have
Bmoked and talked and breathed as
naturally as though they were upon
tho shore. And they looked with
ever-widening eyes at the wonders
and beauties of subaqueous forests,
the countless thousands of brightly
colored tropical fish, the panorama
afforded by tho lace-llko length of a
coral reef, -with hosts of brilliantly
hued fish swimming in and out of its
pearl caverns, and tho skeletons of
once proud ships, with backbones and
ribs oxposcd, as they rested where
they struck and disappeared from
human ken generations ago.
What those men saw beneath the
sea they photographed, and some of
the wonderful pictures they secured
are reproduced on this pago.
While it is true that the greatest
depth achieved in these experiments
la not greater than that frequently
An Under-Water Moying Picture, Showing a Horse Being Lowered
- Through the Depths to Attract Sharks, While the Shark-
j;jyuMji;, mub in mourn, wims Beside It.
reached by divers, it was clearly
demonstrated that tho means for
deeper trips Into the unknown waters
has been found, and that tho tlmo
is not far distant when It will bo
easy to go down several hundred
feet. The apparatus used In the ex
periments was subjected to a thor
ough submarine test and structural
analysis at the Norfolk navy yard
by officers of tho navy, who reported
that It would be perfectly safo, In its
present form of construction, at a
depth of 800 feet. To make It strong
enough to go oven deeper is simply
a mechanical detail.
Several years ago Captain C. Will
iamson, of Norfolk, began working
to perfect an Invention that would
take the place of the ordinary diving
suit. It was his Idea that some means
should be developed by which a man
could go down Into the water unham
pered by weights and ropes and com
pressed air and water pressure. His
experiments extended over a long
time, but finally he was successful
and tho Government granted him a
basis patent.
Broadly considered, his apparatus
Is in three parts; (lj, floating vessel
of any suitable design; (2), sub
mersible terminal operating chamber,
In which work or observations can
be carried on at the bottom of tho
water, and (3), a collapsible, flexible
tubo of metal, connecting the floating
vessel and the submersible chamber.
The main featuro of the Invention
is the tubo. It Is made of steel in
soctlons of varying lengths. Each
soctlon Is composed of an upper and
lower flange, and these aro con
nected by a set of steel hinges, so
arranged as to open and shut along
radial lines to the axis of the tube,
but at all times to fit against each
other so closely as to be water-tight.
Some of the sections have only one
sot of hinges, and when collapsed
the flanges rest upon each other. In
the longer sections there are several
sets of hinges Joined to each other
between the upper and lower flanges.
When collapsed they stand about
three feot high; they aro eight feet
long when extended. Tho sections
can be fitted to each other readily,
and by this means tho length of tho
tube is regulated. Because of the
collapsible nature of the sections It
Is possible to submergo the tube.
Any one who has tried to push a
largo bucket bottom downward Into
tho water will realize what a diffi
cult thing it Is to do. With tho col
lapsiblo tubo each section Just a lit-
Tho Idea of taking submarine
motion pictures camo to tho sons of
tho Inventor whllo watching tho pro
jection of a scientific film bIiowIhr
fish swimming in a Bmall glass
aquarium tank. Theso two boys, .1.
Ernest Williamson, and his brothor,
Georgo M. Williamson, had worked
with their father In tho development
of tho tubo ever slnco they could re
momber, and whllo watching this film
they got into a discussion over tho
feasibility of placing a camera In tho
apparatus and photographing subma
rine llfo In its natural haunts and
surroundings. Thoy had both ofton
been down In tho tubo in the waters
of Norfolk harbor and seen fish
swimming about as thoy looked
through tho glass ports. Thoy did
not let tho idea rest. Tho very next
day they set about arranging experi
ments, and in a few weeks had se
cured excellent snapshots with an
ordinary camora of fish swimming
along tho bottom of Hampton
Roads.
Tho Williamson boys designed a
special chambor for tho photo
graphic work, and also drow the plans
for a vcbhoI from which to lower tho
tubo and chambor. This chambor
is a hollow sphoro of stcol, with an
insldo dlamotor of flvo feot. From
Its centro a cono of stcol five feot
long and flvo feot In diameter at tho
largo end projects horizontally. This
cono ponotratos tho sphere, and at Its
gauge showed tho water pressuro
against tho outsldo of tho glass. Tho
other showod tho air pressure within,
tho cono. Tho pump was usod to
koop theso two pressures equal. Tho
steel bulkhead at tho Bmall end of
tho cone prevented tho compressed
air from escaping from tho cono Into
tho sphoro. In tho sphere tho air
was tho same as that abovo tho
wator. It camo down tho tubo Just
as air comes down Into tho hold of a
ship, and tho photographer worked
under tho samo conditions ho would
havo experienced woro he photo
graphing tho Insldo of a building.
It was the original Intention that
tlin first pictures bo takon on tho
Pacific CoaBt near Southern Callfor
n'a, but upon tho advice of Dr. Town
send, curator of tho Now York
Aquarium, who has spent tho best
part of his llfo In oceangraphlo study
all over tho world, tho Bahama
Islands woro solected as bolng richest
In varied forms of marine life and
variegated coral, and tho water of
unexcolled clearness at Nassau, N.P.,
was solected as tho. central point
about which tho expedition was to
work.
For tho first tlmo in tho world
photographs woro taken of deep sea
divers working on a wreck. Noar
Nassau thoro Is tho bulk of an old
blockade runner that camo to grief
while seeking safoty In that harbor
during tho Civil War. Sho lies at a
The Bait Rising with Sharks Attacking It An Under-Water Photograph.
tie moro than displaces its own placement. Then tho tubo automatl-
weight In water at tho surface when cally collapses, section by section,
extended. Therefore, it will sink, from tho bottom upward, and as each
But deeper down the pressuro of tho section closes Its weight remains tho
water overcomes this greater dls- samo, but Us volume of dlsDlace.
ment grows less. By this means the
continual adding on of sections at
the surface forces down the sections
below. To the bottom section is fitted
the operating chamber.
A UGUST Is dominated by two
- lunations, tho Full Moon on
the Bth and the New Moon
on the 21st The latter is a reversal
of testimonies contained in tho first,
denoting some sudden mutations in
both governmental and economic
policies toward the close of ,the
month. The midsummer Is replete
with significant happenings, and
press and public will not lack for
thrills.
Saturn In the fourth angle be
tokens earth disturbances, fall of
buildings, mining disasters in tho
Pennsylvania and Southern regions,
and some mishap to the Panama
Canal, else earthquake shocks in
that zone.
In many respects tho lunar period
does not promise favorably for the
country, and to the disinterested on
looker, if any such there be, it will
present some puzzling perspectives
'n the panorama of human ethics.
There Is some suspicion of trouble
from abroad, and tho Secretary of
What the Stars Predict for Audust
State in come official capacity will
evoke censure. As this midsummer
aproachos there are not a few no
tabilities struggling under a Saturn
regime, of whom may bo mentioned
Bryan, tho Tammany Hall chief, Mr.
Murphy and Colonel Goethals, each
with Saturn crossing the natal Sun;
ill health and other difficulties to bo
feared, and considerable worry for
President Wilson after the 21st.
The angular position of Mars and
Venus square Saturn shows great
humidity and increase of tempera
turewith the Moon on tho equator
at the full between the 6th and
12th, similarly between the 21st and
24th. There will be violent electric
storms on the 2d.
The stock markets are much de
pressed in the first half of the
month, with more stability and some
definite recoveries Jn the latter half;
the money interests are correspond
ingly conditioned.
The criminal fraternity reaps a re
grettable harvest, and with the Moon
in conjunction with Uranus so near
Jupiter on the 12th, many criminals
will use automobiles to carry out
their plots, and there will be few, if
any, apprehensions; this especially
near the 17-18th and tho close of
month.
The telegraph, postal, railroads,
and all carrying companies are bone
fitted through Venus up to tho 21st,
with the literary, scientific and re
ligious worlds not so happily circum
stanced. This order is reversed af
ter Now Moon on the 21st
Specific incidents on or near tho
following dates:
August 2. Destructive storms in
middle and Southern section of the
country, crops endangered; a casual
ty on an electric railway.
August 6. Somo Interesting social
function, an engagement in naval or
military circles announced, with
Venus conjunction Mars.
August 10. A prominent business
failure In trade or banking circles.
Stocks erratic, reaching lower points
on tho 12th, with recoveries around
the 17-18th.
August 21. Tidal waveB and seis
mic disturbances reported; this date
marks a solar eclipso node, coinci
dent with other planetary disturb
ances. According to Justlnlus, this
occurring in Loo denotes martial ac
tivity, movement of troops soon to
follow, war dangers and deaths
among tho ruling class. The effect
obscuration. Philadelphia will feel
tlis unpleasantly boforo tho next
Now Moon, a lunation that will bring
troublous times to govornlng fac
tions. August 24. An advancing market,
money conditions moro equable, and
the social world very active. Gen
eral conditions much hotter to close
of month. High winds on 30-31st,
which will clarify the atmosphero
and lessen tho labor of tho medico.
August promises good fortune for
those born between the Bth and 10th
of February, April or June, or tho
9th to 13th of October or December
of any year; with an accentuation
of the same If in the Summers of
1851 or 1853, tho first quarter of
1855, Fall of 1858 and Winter of
1859, close of 1802, early Summer of
1863, In 1864, Winter of 1867, in I860,
Summer of 1870 and Winter of 1871,
Fall of 1874, Winter of 1879-80. Sum
mers of 1882 and 1884, Fall of 1886,
in 1888. Fall of 1890, Summer of
1894, or Fall of 1898. Jupiter sits
bonlgnly over their destinies, and
of a solar eclipse Is prolonged to
somo months, according to tlmo of
young ladles will have matrimonial
opportunities.
A depressed, obstructive condi
tion obtains for those born between
the 17th and 22d of March or June,
or the 21st to 24th of September or
December of any year; or in the
Summer of 1855 and through the
Winter of 1856, early Fall of 1862,
last half of 1864, Spring of 1865, in
1870, Spring and Fall of 1878, Spring
of 1880, Fall of 1884 and first half
of 1885, in 1892 or Summer of 1907.
Guard health, business interests, and
cultivate a patient and moro opti
mistic spirit A bereavement likely
to coma their way, as well as thoso
whose anniversaries fall between
the 5th and 12th of the current August
An Under-Sea Moving Picture of Boys Diving for Coins.
CooyriKht. 1914. by tho Star Company. Great Britain niithtB Reserved
small end, where It Is eighteen Inches
in diameter, a steel bulkhead Is fitted.
In this bulkhead there are two glass
ports, three inches in diameter, and
placed one above the other with
about five tnchos between them. They
aro the eyes for tho photographer
and tho camora. The large end of
the cone is closed by a piece of plate
glass an inch and one-half thick and
five feet In diameter. It was manu
factured in Germany especially for
the purpose, and Is optically flawless.
To protect this glass from tho pres
sure of the water gauges and pumps
were installed in tho sphere. Ono
depth of fifty feet, and scattered on
the bottom noar her are some rust
encrusted cannon and many cannon
balls. George Williamson volun
teered to bo a diver, and a suit was
borrowed from the Colonial Govern
ment. Although he had never been
beneath tho surface in this sort of
garb before, Mr. Williamson gamely
went down and strolled about the
wreck, picking up cannon balls and
sending them aloft in a wire basket
attached to a line. While he waB so
engaged Mr. Gregory, safe and dry,
In the chamber, was photographing