The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-11-03

UPON THE HUMAN SYSTEM

At Stassfurt, on the evening Of Dec 3,
there was a stormy east wind, which made
tho possibility of the journey doubtful, but
it fell during the night, and at O'Clock
next morning Lieutenants Gross and
Marker proceeded by the light of an Cleo
trio lamp to fill the Phoenix with 2, 900 Gu
bic meters Of hydrogen gas Dr. Berson
somewhat altered his preparation to suit
the special circumstances and aims Of his
aerial trip. At 1928 the command to "let
loose" was given. In quarter Of an hour
the balloon had already arrived at height
Of 9, 900 meters.
The air in general was foggy and thick
focks Of small clouds hid the earth now
and then. At first the temperature rose.
At a height Of 1000 meters 1t was more
than degrees centigrade above zero. DR..
Berson made double notes of the readings
of the instruments, cast glance at the
balloon and its ropes, looked down at the
earth, and threw out two sacks OF ballast.
An hour after the start he had risen higher
than 5000 meters and the temperature
sank to 10 degrees below zero and the air
became dry. The suns rays were weak
When 1900 meters height was reached,
the aeronaut felt the first slight increase of
MS Dcart uCtlpu ulttE AhtlnS tiic hcoNy
Standings AT 11:49 a. IN. he reached the
height Of 6, 900 meters, and the tempcra-
ture sank to 25 degrees below zero. He
felt slight palpitation of the heart and
slight general discomfort, but was other
wise we'll. At ~ o'clock, IA hours after
the start, he began, at u height Of 8, $50
meters and q temperature Of 30 degrees be-
low zero, to breathe artificial oxygen from
the bags he had with him, and with excel
lent effect At l2.25 the bold aeronaut
had outpassed 5000 meters, at tempera-
ture of 80 degrees below zero. He was now
hi gher than ne had been in the preceding
May, when his highest point had been
1880 meters, and this time no felt much
better than then.
He now never dared to cease breathing
the bags of oxygen except for few sec
onds at timo and during those brief
pauses he felt dizzy and dangerously weak.
But while continuing the artificial breath
ing he constantly and with relative ease
fulfilled all necessary work. Only once
did his eyes close in spite Of himself, but
the next moment he reused himself, scold-
ing at his own negligence; his voice In
the rarifed air sounded strangely muftied.
When at the height of 1900 meters, he
had already risen higher than Glaisher
when the latter aeronaut took his last note
Of the temperature At the height Of g. 300
meters DR. Berson thought of the two
French scientists who had died at that
height. At about $500 meters Berson
reached the greatest height arrived at by
Glasher on Sept. 8. 1862, when the latter
tainted away, only to awake after his
companions had stopped the balloon from
rising any higher. But DR.. Berson, after
momentary examination of his own
strength and his provision of ballast, ven
eured to rise higher. The temperature had
already sunk to AZ degrees below zero Z.
! At the height of 9, 600 meters his balloon
, passed through and above the thin stratum
of high cirrus clouds which he had noticed
high in the sky at his start. The veillike
stratum consisted not OF leo crystals, but
of well formed small snowf1akes. At 12:45
D. M, az hours after the start, the bar
ometer indicated only 231 millimeters,
which corresponds with sea height OF
5000 meters and true height of 9, 15O
meters. Tho thermometer stood at AIS
degrees below zero. Even the quicksilver
in the barometer had cooled to 29 degrees,
and the ray thermometer, in full sunshine,
indicated only 23.S degrees. The balloon
now stopped. There were only six large
and ono small sack of ballast lett, which
were necessary for descending and land
| ing. The balloon stood above the thir
snow clouds In clear sky which stretched
faintly blue above. DR.. Berson felt SO vel
that he could certainly have risen another
900 meters. But he could not have don't
so without risking the whole OF his sue
cessful tourney. At this immense hcigh
%, $50 mcters-he felt much better thai
a short time before. DR.. Berson opened
the GAS valvo now and then, and thu
Phoenix gradually descended till at TIT
height of Z, 500 meters 1t stopped and agall
began to rise. Another pull at the valv
caused it to redesccpd.
But now the terrible cold began to hay
effect. DR.. Berson, clothed as ne was II
thick furs, began to shake in every limb 81
violently that sometimes he was obliged t.
hold on to the rim of the basket. In slow
waving motion the balloon sank and sank
and during the whole descent only one sacl
of ballast was thrown out, at the height Q
500 meters, to moderate the rapid1ty
Meanwhile a close stratum of heavy cloud
had hidden tho earth and prevented an
ascertaining Of the balloon 8 position. IN
slow descent, however, allowed Of anothe
set of observations being taken, and nov
the highest temperature, about 9 degree
above zero, was found at the height G
1,4OO meters. Thence down to the earth
sank again degrees. A whole hour afte
Herr Berson had been ut tho creates
height Of his trip two Of his fingers wer
Frozen but he brought them to life agai
by energetic friction. In the enormou
cold the Paragraph had stopped for awhile
In the afternoon at 3 O'Clock the norther
skies showed unmistakable signs OF "wi
ter" and DIR. Berson decided that he mui
descend moro rapidly. After. few MOI
gentle ups and downs he could distinguis
the noise and steam whistles Of some lare
town. When $50 meters high, there a!
peared at last below him the gray eartl
covered by cloudy sky. Now, with IL
drag strap the balloon passed over LAX
and presently landed, with the help
some countrymen who came up at S:4o
M, on u stubblefeld at Schonwohld,
the west of Kiel-Journal Of Aeronauti
and Atmospheric Physics.