Evening star. [volume], March 10, 1935, Page F-4, Image 54

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
HOW HIGH CAN A MAN SOAR ABOVE?—AND WHY?
By Thomas R. Henry.
NOTHER stratosphere expedi
Man's most ambitious ef
fort to date to penetrate the
mysterious region where the
•tars shine at noonday will be made
In a few months under the joint
auspices of the National Geographic
Society and the United States Army
Air Corps.
In a sense it will be a second voyage
ef the sort. Tne flight made from
the Black Hills last July ended nearly
12 miles above the earth's surface
when the bag of the balloon Explorer
started to rip and forced a descent
which ended in a smash. But a great
deal has been learned about strato
sphere exploring since then. Some of
the country's foremost physicists have
been at work on the problem and have
determined Just where the mistakes
were made last year.
This year Capt. Albert W. Stevens
end Capt. Orvil A. Anderson will start
out for the stratosphere with a bigger
balloon, more substantially construct
ed and with the defects which caused
the crash of the Explorer eliminated.
The ascent will again be made from
the vicinity of Rapid City, S. Dak.
Capt. Stevens will be in command of
the largest balloon ever constructed—
a bag which exceeds by 23 per cent the
capacity of the 3.000,000-cubic-foot
Explorer. This, in turn, was more
than three times the size of any bal
loon previously built. The new bag
will have a diameter, when filled, of
192 feet and a gas capacity of 3,700,000
cubic fee».
■pOR the first time, helium gas will
be used for a stratosphere flight.
This will make it possible to eliminate
all danger of torn fabric and explo
sion. such as was suffered by the
hydrogen-filled Explorer. Helium is
non-explosive, either alone or when
mixed with air. It will not be neces
sary. therefore, that the fabric of the
bag be folded to exclude air when the
balloon leaves the ground. The bag
will have helium at its top and air in
Its lower portion, and will be loosely
extended. When it reaches high alti
tudes the expansion of the helium in
the top will force out the air through
an opening in the bottom and the
bag then will be completely filled with
helium. This procedure has been fol
lowed successfully even with hydro
gen in the three flights made by the
Piccards, but there is always danger
of an explosion from a mixture of
hydrogen and air. With helium an
explosion is impossible.
The new bag will have a top of 33
per cent stronger fabric and a bot
tom of 50 per cent stronger fabric
than that used in last year's balloon.
It is because of the increased weight
of the stronger fabrics, and the fact
that helium has only about nine
tenths of the lifting power of hydro
gen. that the new balloon is being
made larger. The increase of about
23 per cent in gas capacity will give
the helium-fllled bag about the same
theoretical ceiling as that of the
hydrogen bag last July. This is about
"75,000 feet above sea level, or between
14 and 15 miles.
The ascent should reach the greatest
altitude yet attained by man. Since
the Belgian physicist, August Piccard,
made his first stratosphere trip in
May, 1931, the record has been as
follows:
Piccard and Cosyns, Belgium, Au
gust 18, 1932; volume of balloon,
500.000 cubic feet; altitude attained,
£3,153 feet.
Prokovieff and GodounofT. Russia,
September 30, 1933; volume of balloon,
tion this Summer.
860,000 cubic feet; altitude, 62,300
feet.
Settle and Fordney, United States,
November 20, 1933: volume, 600,000
cubic feet: altitude. 61,237 feet.
Fedossenko, Vasenko and Usiskin,
Russia. January 30. 1934: volume, 882,
250 cubic feet; altitude, 72,178 feet.
r^APTS. STEVENS AND ANDER
SON do not expect to go much
above 75,000 feet. That is about the
limit of any balloon which it is practi
cal to build at present.' It by no
means represents the extreme distance
away from the earth man may hope
to attain with future mechanical de
velopments. The bigger the balloon
the greater the height possible, but
there is a definite limit, according to
calculations of Bureau of Standards
scientists, who have been engaged as
scientific advisors for the stratosphere
flight, beyond which it will be im
possible to go except with some
altogether new type of transportation.
We are still a long way from flights
i to the moon, which would be possible
theoretically only with the perfection
of some form of rocket motor.
The higher one proposes to go the
larger the balloon required. To get
down from greater and greater heights
safely more and more ballast is re
! quired. The amounts go up slowly at
first. They are computed as follows
by Dr. L. B. Tuckerman of the Bu
reau of Standards for distances which
! actually have been reached.
1 Fifty-four thousand feet. 2,100
; pounds for balloon and equipment and
J 1,040 pounds for ballast.
Sixty-six thousand feet, 2,800
pounds for balloon and 1,200 lor
ballast.
Seventy thousand feet, 4,300 pounds
for balloon and 1,500 for ballast.
Seventy-three thousand feet, 4,900
pounds for balloon and 1,900 for
ballast.
Beyond this. Dr. Tuckerman points
out, everything is theoretical, but the
increase of necessary balloon weight
and ballast goes up very rapidly. Thus
at 90,000 feet a balloon weighing a
minimum of 11.900 pounds and carry
ing 4,200 pounds of ballast would be
required. For 100,000 feet the re
quirement would be a balloon weigh
ing 22,300 pounds and carrying 7,600
pounds of ballast. It requires a stretch
of imagination to conceive of going
through the clouds with an apparatus
w eighing close to 15 tons.
Beyond this, the figures as calcu
lated by Dr. Tuckerman are: One
hundred and ten thousand feet, 39,200
pounds and 13.100 pounds: 120.000
feet, 69,400 and 22,900 pounds; 130,000
feet, 123.900 and 40,600 pounds;
140,000 feet, 220,220 and 71,900
pounds; 150.000 feet, 393,700 and
128,200 pounds.
'T'HUS for an ascent of approximately
30 miles, about twice the distance
contemplated at present, the combined
weights would be close to 2,500 tons, a
veritable aerial Leviathan. Without !
the balloon size, ascent to the higher
levels would be impossible. Without,
the ballast it would be impossible to)
get down alive. The unfortunate Rus
sian balloonists. Vasenko and Usiskin,
.
Dr. Tuckerman points out, made the
mistake of throwing away ballast to
add a few thousand feet to their alti
tude. They reached the greatest
heights yet attained by human beings,
but when they came down they had
no "brakes" to soften their impact
with the earth. Both were killed.
The computations are based on pres
ent materials used in balloon making
and present knowledge of conditions
within the stratosphere. But any de
velopments which can be foreseen
Many Local Art Exhibitions
(Continued From Third Page.) |
arranged In honor of Washington's
203d birthday anniversary and has
been hung in the ball room taken1
from Gadsby's Tavern, in Alexandria,
in which were held, it will be remem
bered, Washington's birthday balls.
The duplicates of these prints now
on view were either hanging on the
walls of Mount Vernon or contained
in a portfolio there at the time of
Washington's death. Included in the
collection are an engraving of the
painting by West ol "The Death of
Wolfe," and other military subjects
■uch as Trumbull's "Death of Mont
gomery" and "Battle of Bunker Hill."
There were also engraved portraits of
Lafayette, Franklin, Gens. Greene
and Wayne and of David Rittenhouse,
director of the mint. There is the
familiar iamily group comprising
Washington and Mrs. Washington, the
Custis children and "Billy Lee," his
black boy. Nor was this all. Tnere
are classical landscapes by Claude
Lorrain, allegorical subjects and my
thological ones—"Diana Deceived by
Venus," "Adonis Carried Off by
Venus," fox hunting and sporting sub
jects more in the French than Eng
lish manner and lar from fact, but
perhaps for this reason no less dear
to the lover of horses and dogs and
the hunt. What pleasure Washing-1
ton must have found in assembling
these prints, purchased no doubt from j
print sellers in Annapolis, Williams-!
burg and Charleston, who probably
sent out agents to solicit trade. The
prints were identified through the in
ventory taken of Mount Vernon at the
time of Washington's death. How in
teresting this is. and that the dupli
cate collection is now shown in the
old, transplanted ball room so closely
associated with Washington's life!
JOHN KANE, an exhibition of whose
** work marked the recent opening j
of the new Department of Labor j
Building, was a working man. a labor
er. and he painted his first picture {
when he was 50 years of age. Born in ;
Scotland of Irish parents, he was
brought to this country as a boy of 9
and went right to work in the Penn
sylvania coal fields. He was at various
times employed in mines in West Vir
gainia and Alabama, and also at times
worked in the steel mills. He began his
artistic career by coloring photographs
for his fellow mine workers, thereby
adding to his revenues, and not until
1910 did he paint his first picture.
The loss of a leg In an effort to save
a friend from being run over by a
railroad train brought about change
of occupation, and he became, first,
sign painter and then a painter of
box cars. All the while he continued
to paint pictures of what he saw
around him, and great must have
been his surprise when, in 1926, one
of his paintings was accepted by the
Carnegie International Exhibition
Jury and given special distinction.
Pierre Bonnard. so well represented
in the Phillips Memorial Gallery, was
a member of the jury that year and
he thought so highly of Kane's work
that he bought one of his pictures.
Since Kane's death several have been
purchased by art museums and a
memorial exhibition of his work has
lately been held in New York.
Kane was entirely self-taught. It
Is said that he always wanted to go
to an art school but was unable to
tor lack of money. Also that he was
frequently heard to say that a man
must look for beauty around him.
Kane's paintings are not beautiful,
but they are extremely slmpl· and
t
sincere, and it is these qualities that j
give them worth. For the most part '
they are scenes in or about Pittsburgh,
views of the river valleys crossed by
bridges, with green hillsides dotted
by little dwelling houses. Such scenes
must have seemed beautiful to Kane
and he tried to paint them just as
he saw them.
Bonnard is quoted as having said
that Kane was an American prim
itive, and there is a certain analogy
between the paintings by Kane and
those of the primitives in other coun
tries. But behind Kane was a great
tradition which the primitives of
Europe, before the days of the Re
naissance, helped to make. Unavoid
ably there is an element of sophis
tication in Kane's paintings which
does not completely accord with their
childish simplicity. However, he did
the best he could and with great con
scientiousness of effort. His pictures
of Pittsburgh now on exhibition in
the Labor Department have a little
the appearance of topographical stud
ies or of models set up for display.
They have no atmosphere, no painter
quality. He did not know how to
handle his medium. His ambition was
to accurately record what he saw, and
this he did with amazing fidelity.
In one instance, when he painted
a full-length portrait of his brother
Patrick playing on bagpipes and wear
ing the uniform of the Black Watch,
a famous Scotch regiment, he seems
to have laid aside his meticulous
method and employed a broader style.
Not very good in color or completely
harmonious in tone, this portrait is
really a very remarkable achievement
for one self-taught and so little ex
perienced.
Whether or not Kane's paintings
are of a standard worthy of preser
vation in art museums is a matter for
the museums to decide. Seen with
a knowledge of his story, they are
certainly full of interest and inspira
tion. That artistic talent outcrops in j
this extraordinary way in the most I
barren soil and, despite adverse con
ditions, persists, thrives, produces, is
one of the miracles of life, evidencing
its divine origin. Augustus Salnt-Gau
dens was, it will be remembered, the
son of a poor shoemaker; Rembrandt
the son of a miller. Between these
men's achievements and Kane's there
is a wide difference, but the spirit,
the urge, was the same.
TWO very Interesting portrait busts
have been lent to the Department
of Labor for the opening of its new
building. One is of "Mother Jones,"
who played so dramatic a part in the
fight of the United Mine Workers
some years ago. and the other is of
Andrew Fureseth, the 80-year-old
president of *he International Sea
men's Union of America. Both are
the work of Jo Davidson of New York,
who has probably modeled more por
trait busts of celebrities than any
other living American sculptor, and
has done them well. Davidson studied
under George de Forest Brush, painter,
and Herman MacNeil, sculptor, which
perhaps explains the colorful quality
of his work. His bust of Marshal Foch
has been given permanent placement
on the Palace of Versailles. His half
length portrait in stone of Gertrude
Stein is an amazingly clever achieve
ment. He is tremendously interested
in people and In his work, which, with
talent taken for granted, explains his
success.
The portrait of "Mother Jones" was
lent by the Governor of Oklahoma,
E. W. Marland, who once waa a gen·
b
erous patron of art. It was he who
instituted some years ago a competi
tion for a statue of "The Pioneer
Woman" and had the winning design
executed and erected in Ponca City
entirely at his own expense. The
sculptor of this group (the woman is
seen leading a little girl by the hand)
was Bryant Baker, who at one time
had a studio in this city and whose
statues of Rodne and Clayton of Dela
ware were placed in the Capitol here
last Summer.
The bust of Andrew Furuseth was
lent by Fremont Older of the San
Francisco Call Bulletin. All this gives
indication of a growing interest of art
throughout the country.
A COLLECTION of 16 oil paintings
^ by Rowland Lyon has been
placed on view for the month of March
by the Public Library in its North
eastern Branch. These paintings hang
in the large reading room above the
mantel, and cases are high-keyed,
simple and in these surroundings very
effective. Quite a number were done
in Provincetown and of these one of
a street typical of New England and
one of "Summer Rain" are especially
notable. There are two railroad sub
jects, not beautiful by any means but
interesting as indicative of a reaching
out for reality and a desire to contact
elements in contemporary life. There
is a portrait study of a well-known
model, a bearded man, and, of very
different character, of a boy, steeped
in sunlight in the midst of common
place surroundings. There is also a
painting of zinnias, but not the paint
ings of pots and jars which won a
prize in the Society of Washington
Artists exhibition. It is truly said that
Mr. Lyon has a flare for clear color,
and he certainly has an appreciation
of the potentialities of his medium.
He has in the last year or two seemed
to make long strides forward. He may
still go far.
TN THE Public Library's main build
ing the exhibition space is given
this month to Robert Franklin Gates
of Studio House, who exhibits 14 of
his water colors of Charleston, S. C.,
and other subjects, rendered in his
individualistic and engaging style.
Some of these paintings have been
previously shown in other exhibitions,
but they stand seeing more than once.
AT THE Mount Pleasant bganch, by
request, the Public Library has
placed on view a group of Ave color
reproductions of masterpieces in the
Mellon collection. In this connection
note may be made of the excellent
service the art department of the
Public Library rendered recently in
supplying the press with reproduc
tions of these famous paintings when
announcement was made of the pro
posed gift of the collection to the Na
tion and the call for illustrations
came.
pRINTS from the noted Rosenwald
collection, circulated under the
auspices of the College Art Associa
tion, are now on view in the art gal
lery at Howard University, together
with a considerable group of paint
ings by Emll Jacques, the Flemish
painter, an exhibition of whose work
was recently held in the National
Museum. The Rosenwald collection
comprises etchings by the great mas
ters of all time—Rembrandt, Whistler,
Haden, Meryon and others. Print
lover· should tak· notice.
h
National Geographic Society Already Plan
Stratosphere Flight This Summer—fVhat
Expect to Discover—IVh y Balloon Trips
Lessons of Other Sky Expeditions
Workmen completing the gondola which will hang from the balloon to be used this Summer in the strato
sphere flight. The air-tight ball is nine ieet in diameter.
All photographs copyright by National Geographic Society.
The take-off of the Explorer last
Summer in the Black Hills of
South Dakota. Photograph snap
ped from an airplane.
Wise-Cracking in the Nineties
By George Ade
ONE of the common delusions
nowadays is that the world j
was just one big yap settle- \
ment during "the gay nine
ties." The word "gay" Is re- !
yarded as a flip sarcasm. In books j
and on the screen our relatives of 40
years ago have been depicted as
primitive boobs. Men favored whiskers, j
tight trousers and pancake derbies.
Women made themselves hideous with j
great gobs of hair, puff sleeves and j
cartwheel hats. Their long, trailing .
j skirts were dust-catchers. The fa- j
vorite song was "She May Have Seen
Better Days."
[ It Is taken for granted that the
1 poor simps of that distant period were ,
I not acquainted with our fly and up-to- i
date vernacular. All of our picturesque
slang words and phrases are supposed
to be recent inventions. Oh. fiddle!
j Would it surprise you to learn that
just 100 years ago Pierce Egan wrote
a book of enormous popularity called
"Life in London, or the Adventures of
Tom, Dick and Harry and the Cor
inthian," and that the volume was
packed with the same kind of frivolous
and sporty talk that is used by the
juvenile high-rollers of today? Would
it surprise you further to know that
not much slang of the kind used by
sophisticated smarties has been in
vented since the nineties?
I am going to set down an imaginary,
! impossible and idiotic conversation be
tween two versatile slickers of about
the year 1896. Every word or phrase
found in the wise-cracking not only
had been used, but had found its way
into print back yonder in the nineties.
. If necessary I can name the publica
tion and give the exact page to prove
that each gem is a genuine antique.
Here is the enlightening talk:
"Ah, greetings to my old college j
chum! You look like the breakin' up j
ι of a bad Winter. Been out among !
•em?"
"I've got bats in my belfry an' bees |
in my bonnet. My coppers are hot. ί
I have to reach way out to scratch
my head. My mouth tastes like a '■
Chinese family had just moved out.
This guy following me is old R. E.
Morse. I started on hop juice. After
a few scuttles o' suds I shifted to the
hard stuff, got a half-Nelson on a
brannigan an' finished in the discard." j
j "VyELL. I don't want to kid or jolly 1
a boob that can't cany his '
cargo, but you sure look like 30 cents, i
You'd better smoke up or you'll burn j
low and go out."
"I got in with a sporty push an'
when I frisked myself this G. M. I
didn't have a sou ir.arkee. I went1
out to roll the bones. I thought I was
Johnny-on-the-spot an' Willie-at-the
rat-hole. I was IT, the whole thing,
a four-time winner, a hot number, a
pace-maker, a Stayer from Stayers
ville. As a sport. I am very much to
the sandpaper. On the q.t., I'm a big
stiff, a slob, a punk, a ham, an easy
mark, a bloke, a gillie, a rummy, a i
skate, a mug, a chump, a dirty deuce,
a pin-head. Them gazaboes took all
my dough to the last buck. They
separated me from all my kopecks,
louies an' samoleons. They threw the
boots into me. They took all the coin
I'd put In the sock to buy myself a
new benny, a swell lid, a keester an'
a swell lay-out o' dizzy togs."
"Why didn't you string along with
me? I was hittin' the high spots. Have
you sized up my new strip o' calico?
Little bright-eyes is a peach, a cute
rag, a lallypaloozer, a honey-cooler, a
jim-dandy, a scorchalorum. I hot
footed up to her hangout, got the glad
hand. With her I'm the main squeeze,
aces and eights, the stroke oar. With
out tossin' any bouquets at myself, I'll
put you hep to the fact that all the
yaps, jays, greenies, rubes an' yokels
are also-rans. She's nuts about me.
When I wrap my Un around her an'
take the old lunch-hook in mine, she
can't see nobody else with a tele
scope. Ye*, sir. I've copped out a
queen an' she's for me from eody to
hock, from soup to nuts."
"Did you do the heavy?"
"We put od plenty of eld·. We went
to a hop an' made the hit o' the show.
\ gink that used to be her steady was
there, rubber-neckin' around an' tryin'
jo keep cases on her. He thought he
«as so tough you couldn't dent him
with an ax. That pelter's got a hor
rible rind—flgurin' he can double
cross me. He tried to ring in. but I
told him people would be walkin' slow
behind him. He got cold feet. I wish
you could 'a' piped the pelican he had
with him. She was a battle-ax. She
was bee fin' becuz he walked out on
her an' tried to work my side o" the
street. She put up a holler. My
gal slipped him the marble heart an' I
handed him the ha-ha! He got the
gaff plenty. I ought to took a crack
at him—just a wallop for good luck.
That false alarm wouldn't dare to
put up his mitts against me. He'd be
a cinch. He's a nice little fellow—I
don't think!"'
"VI7ELL, ι guess I'll tuck a couple
' under my belt an' if I can get
my lamps open I'll try to get a side
hold on a couple o' sinkers an' draw
one. Will I ever dally with the old
Demon Rum again? Not on your tin
type! Not on your golden wedding!
I make no bones of the fact that I'm
on the wagon. Prom now on, me for
the stuff they put under bridges. I'll
fly to the pad in the shank of the eve
ning. The Moody and Sankey stuff
for me!"
We will now go back to the English
language. Is the American speech of
the 90s, as quoted above, too new
and enigmatic for you? Then it is
possible, dear reader, that you still be
long in the sedate 80s. Many of us
continue to be Victorian without sus
pecting the fact. Or. possibly, you
are one of the lucky ones who never
had their vocabularies corrupted.
(Copyright. 1935.)
Tips on Lily Pools
Λ PROPERLY constructed lily pool
takes into account the points ol
the compass. The deep end—for one
end should be deeper than the other
is always to the south, in order that
the rays of light may travel from the
depths to the shallow end as the day
progresses.
The bed of the pool should always
carry a coating of gravel over the soil
to prevent the water becoming cloudy
from dirt when the fish placed in the
pool root around on the bottom.
The lilies to be planted must be se
lected with attention paid to their
normal length of stalk. Some lilies
grow at much greater depths than
others and these naturally are placed
in the deep end of the pool, and as
the water becomes more shallow
shorter-stemmed types are used.
If care is taken in the selection of
the plants and they are properly
tended, a fairly long blooming season
will make the pool one of the attrac
tive features of a garden.
May Regain Markets
'T'HE fear that American crop cur
tailment programs and general
lack of interest on the part of foreign
buyers of American agricultural prod
ucts might Indicate the eventual loss
of foreign markets for all times is not
justified, according to Nils A. Olsen
chief of the Bureau of Agricultural
Economics.
The European nations have not
been able to make themselves self
sufficient, Mr. Olsen believes, after a
survey of the situation.
There is a decided shortage of fats
which means that the American hog
raiser can look forward to a return
of the European demand, particularlj
in German and British market*.
With world wheat prices tending
higher the demand for hard Wintei
wheat of the type grown in thii
country Is expected to return.
Cotton also is expected to be ic
better demand, as efforts to product
supplies in Egypt and Brazil have
not been sufficiently successful te
offer very much competition to the
American grower.
ning. Another
the Scientists
Are Limited.
hardly would add more than a mile
or two, at the most, to the possibilities.
One proposal Is that the ballast be
carried In the form of liquid hydrogen,
and if this should prove feasible some
further progress might be expected.
It might be possible some day to
reach the ultimate height of 30 miles
in a balloon, but for the present, 15
miles is all that can conservatively
be planned for. All sorts of fanciful
"space flights" have been portrayed
in fiction, but they all are based upon
the future development of "rocket"
motors, for which the decreasing
density of the atmosphere would be
Immaterial since they would be sus
tained by the kick-backs of their own
explosions, in much the same fashion
that a gun kicks back against the
shoulder of the hunter.
Some pioneer work has been done
with rocket motors, but the efforts
have been confined to the surface of
the earth. Theoretically it is not im
possible to conceive of a rocket ship
which might get out of the range of
the earth's gravity altogether, after
which it would tend to proceed in a
straight line in whatever direction it
was going without any expenditure
of energy until it came within the
gravitational pull of some other
planetary body.
But rocket transportation, even to
the stratosphere, is a matter of the
distant future. At present man's
limit away from the earth depends
upon the properties of gas-filled bal
loons.
JUST what is the stratosphere?
** It is that strata of the at
mosphere wherein temperature nc
This photograph shows the torn [
fabric of the Explorer, last year's j
j stratosphere balloon, as it de- ;
scended near Holdredge, Nebr.
measurements of radiation are among
the primary objectives.
A strange and somewhat paradoxical
region is this stratosphere. In the ;
first place, one weighs less than at
the surface. The weight of a man.
or any other object, depends upon the
pull of gravity and the further it is
from the center of the earth the less
it weighs. A 160-pound man would
erature equilibrium may be a great
lighway for warm and cold front*.
Then again comes radiation—per
laps the most fundamental of all
ihenomena, upon which depends the
ery existence of life on earth. In the
tratoephere direct observations can be
nade on the incoming radiation of the
un. Exterpolations man be made in
ibservationi made on the earth's sur
ace to allow for the effect of the at
nospheric blanket.
Among the specific projects to be
:arried out are:
Temperature and barometric meas
lrements from the earth to the "ceil
ng" of the flight. Only one eet of
luch measurements from the surface
jo the stratosphere ever has been made
in America.
A check on barometer measure
ments of altitude, by optical methods.
Κ camera of accurately determined
focal length, mounted in the bottom
of the gondola, will photograph the
earth. By subsequent map studies and
comparisons with barometer and ther
mometer readings at the times the
photographs were made, much more
accurate altitude tables can be com
piled than those now in use.
Bottling of air samples at several
high altitudes. The samples will be
brought to earth and analyzed for gas
composition and relative humidity.
Recording cosmic ray frequency,
penetration and direction of move
ment at various levels. The rays are
more numerous and more powerful
high above the earth.
Wind direction and velocity studies.
Measurement of solar radiation. A
much truer picture of the heat sent
out by the sun can be obtained above
the lower atmosphere.
Photography of the solar spectrum.
Prom such photographs still higher
atmospheric conditions can be in
ferred.
Record of sky brightness and sun
brightness. The sky is less bright the
higher one rises from the earth.
Thirty or forty miles up it would be
almost black. The sun becomes
brighter as the altitude increases.
Oblique photography for distance,
and test of the actinic value of light,
and secondary absorption by the at
mosphere.
Effects of altitude on radio trans
mission.
Balloon navigation problems, par
I y THE EXPLORER \
HjoNAl GEOGRAPHIC SOCIET
Capt. Orvil A Anderson. Maj. William Ε. Kepner and Capt. Albert W. Stevens standing before the gondola
of last year's balloon, the Explorer.
longer decreases with increasing dis
tance irom the earth. There may
even be a slight increase. The level
at which the thermometer stops fall
ing is the beginning of the strato
sphere. It also marks the point above |
which no clouds can form, for there j
is practically no water vapor.
The altitude at which the strato
sphere begins is about 7 miles above
sea level in the latitude of the
United States and Europe, about 10'i \
miles in the tropics, and probably
about 6 miles at the poles. The zone
is believed to extend to an altitude |
of about 30 miles above see. level.
Although the stratospheie has ap
proximately an even temperature, it
is very cold—somewhere between 58
and 76 below zero in the Summer.
The temperature differs at different
seasons and at different times of the
day. Curiously enough, it attains its
lowest temperature directly above the
equator. It is considerably warmer
at the poles.
To human eyes this stratosphere
is bright and seemingly serene. But
in it tremendous invisible forces play.
Into it pour the whole family of the
sun's rays, many of which never reach
the earth's surface, for they are cut i
off by the screen of clouds and water
vapor. In this region also the mys- j
terious coemic rays are much more
numerous than at the surface. This
terrific barrage of rays collides with
the atoms of the thin stratosphere
air. plows through them, and tears
' many of them to pieces.
The various rays that stream in ;
from the sun and from outer space
are most powerful where the air is
j thinnest. It is for this reason that
, the forthcoming flight seeks to rise !
I to the highest possible level, for
only weigh about 159 pounds if he
stepped on the scales in the strato
sphere.
Above one the sun shines far more
brilliantly than any man ever saw
it shine on earth before. It is a
great flaming disk set in a sky of
dark purple. There would be 4 only
the faintest tinge of blue to soften
the darkness above, for one would
be above the light-scattering blanket
of gas responsible for the familiar
blue heavens. A short distance away
from the glare of the sun the planets
and brightest stars would shine at
noonday as brightly as at dusk on
earth.
Τ OOKING downward, one could sur
vey an area of approximately
125,000 square miles. Rivers like the
Mississippi would appear like small
rills. The Great Lakes would look
like fairly large ponds. The horizon
would drop away to the right and
left in a definite curve. That is. the
stratosphere observer would actually
see the curvature of the earth.
What is the practical purpose of
such as ascent? many a$k.
First, it makes possible scientific
observations which cannot be made
at the earth's surface. Some of
these, it might seem, are only of
theoretical Interest at present, but it
has become an accepted doctrine that
no extension of human knowledge is
without value. And some of these
observations deal with the funda
mentals. new information concerning
which can be applied in many fields.
Take, for example, the matter of
weather forecasting. It is becoming
increasingly recognized that what
happens in the stratosphere is one
of the most important factors in
weather changes. This region of tem
ticularly the effects of "«uperheat" ac
quired by the balloon.
In addition, a number of scientific
observations are planned which the
National Geographic Society will an
nounce as the instruments can be as
sembled.
Chinese Air Corps Grous
Λ τ HANGCHOW, China, located in
cne of the real beauty spots of the
ancient country, China is developing
an air corps—a youthful air corps—
but one, nevertheless, which numbers
in its ranks some of the real cream of
the nation.
Several hundred planes have been
purchased for the use of the students
who are being trained in all the rudi
ments not only of flying but of plane
construction.
A West Pointer, former commander
of Langley and Brooks Fields, la in
charge of the work. He is Col. John
H. Jouett and assisting him is a staff
of West Point and other college gradu
ates from this country.
Already an efficient group of flyers
has been developed. By the time the
contract of the American instructors
runs out it is possible that the Chinese
will have developed sufficient instruc
tors to carry on by themselves. Should
this not be the case, undoubtedly
American instructors will be retained,
although Italian interests have shown
a desire to aid not only through a sup
ply of instructors but also through the
sale of aircraft to the Chinese.
Springs and Pumps Furnished IVater
(Continued From Second Page )
familiarizes himself with the early
conditions existing here he wonders
how anybody ever managed to survive
for any considerable time.
Up to the beginning of the Civil
War. and in some sections even later,
every stream was lined with slaughter
houses, and frequently horse stables
and cow sheds were maintained but
a few feet from the family water sup
ply. Indeed, we may be getting "no
better fast" morally, but no one can
deny that our sanitary conditions have
improved wonderfully.
"54 South Street.
"Concord, Ν. H.,
"February 19, 1935.
"Mr. John Clagett Proctor,
"Washington. D. C.
"Dear sir—For many years I have
been reading your interesting articles
about old times in Washington, D. C.,
and for several years before that I
read articles of the same kind by your
predecessor, all in The Star, and be
fore his time I read articles by his
predecessor. So you see that I am
not young. I lived, as man and boy,
In Washington 42 years, and am 75
years old, born In Vermont. I re
tired from the Government service
four and one-half years ago, but go
to Washington every Winter.
"With this long preamble I will
; explain the cause of this Interruption
I to your busy life, for you must be busy
to get out an interesting article for
publication every Sunday. I have often
thought I would call on you, and
should have done so, but for the rea
son in the last sentence.
"In reading your last article (Wash
ington Monument) I was surprised to
note that Daniel Webster did not de
liver the oration on that date, July
4. 1848. I have heard that many
times and have always thought he
had that honor. Can you tell me how
this error originated? Don't put your
self to any trouble to find out, but if
you have it in the back of your head
I should like to know.
"I know or knew many, many boys
whom you have mentioned in your
articles—Bob Barr, 'Dutch' McKee,
'Butch' Miller, Johnny Viehmyer, Will
B. Robison (a schoolmate), Sam and
Will Wise, all fellow ball players on
the old circus grounds. Ninth and R
and S streets. We lived all over
Washington (15 houses) and so I had
opportunity to become acquainted with
the youpg people. At the Franklin
School I went the only year I ever
went to public school. At that school
were George Judd, Washington Top
ham, Dick Topham. George Rawlings
(my chum), Fred Benjamin, Charles
or Will Butler, Clay Barclay, etc. I
often thought I would hunt up Wash
ington Topham, but never did.
"On Capitol Hill, where the Con
gressional Library is, I went to school
with Ed. Hillyer, Henry Olds (he
f
changed the spelling to Oldys). his
brother, Edson B.. recently dead;
Frank Stailey, George Lukens, Percy
(Cat) Clark, etc., and there were some
girls there, too.
"At the Spencerian Business Col
lege, Seventh and L streets. I went to
school with Ed. Pettengill, Rudolph
Giesler, Sam Rosenbaum, Orlando A.
Jones and Gus Eberly and brother.
"There are other parts of Washing
ton where I knew some young people,
such as Sixth street southeast, where
I knew the Re petti boys. Wilson
McKee (not related to Dutch,' who
was the son of Ridick R.. superin
tendent of schools). 'Haj' Peake. John
Ingram. Briggs, whose mother
was a writer, etc. You must be tired
by this time, so I will desist.
"Duhamel is another who comes to
mind, and Will Garner. Arthur Tou
lon, William Haines, Jessie Gaddis,
George Wood, etc. I suppose I could
write several hundred more, but I
guess I have imposed on you enough,
especially for the first time.
"Myron Parker, who officiated m
grand master when the Monument
was finished, was a very intimate
friend of my father, the late Dr. W. P.
Corey, who practiced medicine many
years on R street between Thirteenth
and Fourteenth. They were old sol
diers together from Vermont, etc.
"Hoping to hear from you when eve
it is convenient for you to write, I am,
"Very truly. C. R. COREY."
*