Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-10-28
TEN MILES ABOVE eAHTH.
Interesting Experiments at the Hieh'
Point o. Balloon Ever Neanhea.

Interesting Experiments o. The Highest
Point o. Balloon Ever neauhea.
Ono Of tho most interesting expert
meats with balloons that Hes ever boon
undertaken wes thct of Messrs. Hermite
end Besancon OF paris-Vapgirard. They
succeeded in sending o balloon to The
unprecedented elevation Of 10000 meters,
or about 10 rlilesl There were nd peo-
pls In the balloon, but 1t carried va
risty of self registering instruments de-
signed to record the temperature, the
atmospheric pressure. eto. The little
balloon was started on its lofty trip
sbout noon, when the air was remark
ably still and clear. 1t ross rapidly and
10 three-quarters of an hour had attained
On elevation Of 10 miles, at which height
it remained for several hours.
It was there subjected to on atmos-
pheric pressure only about one eighth as
great as that at the surface Of the earth,
end NJ. Eermite explains its floating fot
so long time at constant height by
supposing that the temperature does not
vary sensibly with the elevation of the
aonting body after tho latter has ct
tained Cd altitude where seven-eighths
q tho atmospheric pressure Is lacking
end whore there rena3ns no trace CT wae
ter vapoG.
But toward 6 o'clock, when with the
Decline Of day the temperature bagap
rapidly to fall, the balloon started buck
toward tho earth, arriving with gentle
motion, which did not disturb the instSu-
,nents it carried, at IL! as Chanvres,
near paris-Vaugitard. from which IL had
started.
The balloon Yves visible with tele-
scope dur;pg tao cntiro time 1t shone
Ike tho planet Venus, seen by day. By
means OF II Eicroneter attached to ap
estrcaomica, telescope. the apparent d.
amoter OF the balloon could easily have
boon measured, and this would have fut-
n!shcd means of calculating its att
tu6o independent Of tho record of the
barometer which It carried.
The barometer end thermometer were
furnished with automatic pens driven by
clcckwcrls, by means of which diagrams
o. the changes Of pressure ard tempera-
turo thlt tho balloon experienced were
obtained. At the height CT about T9
roiles tho thermometer marked tenn
peraturo OF 60 degrees 5. below zero
Then the Ink IN the registering peas of
both tho thermometer and the baron
eter became frozen and the records were
interrupted.
But as the balloon continued to rise
the ink was thawed again, and at the 10
mile level the automatic records were re-
moved. Tho temperature registered there
was only about 9 degrees below zero.
The increase Of temperature Is ascribed
TO the effect Of the unclouded sun heat
Ing the air In the basket that contained
the Instruments The lowest record OF
the barometer was loS millimeters. or
tyihe more than four inches
n. Hes7ntre calls attention to the fact
that the density Of the ah at the height
Of 10 miles, where the balloon remained
during most OF the afternoon. Is less
than that existing upon the plains of the
moon, on the assumption that the at
mospherio density % the moon Is pro
porEonal to the force Of gravity ss the
surface OF that orb.
II this is correct, then the instruments
would have behaved about the same Il
II. Eeymite had been able to place them
ca the moon. els they did when he sent
them ouly 10 miles above the earth
Youths Companion.