The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-17
SCIENTIFIC BALLOoNING.
Magnetism. MeteoroIogy, and AcOus-
tics at Greatest known Heights.
r.. -. L -. 4 - Co.. anrla


From the London STANDARD.
A paper was read at the Society of Arts
last evening by the Rev. John M. Bacon on
The Balloon as an Instrument of Scien-
tific Research" to fairly large audience.
presided over by Capt Baden-Powell.
The lecturer at the outset dealt with the
earliest balloon ascents for scientific pur-
poses, organized by the Russian Academy
10 ascertain the power OF the soar rays,
the existence of electric ma tier in the at
mosphere, and the intensity of the colors
of the prism, which investig cations, he said,
had come to nothing. Ascents with scien-
tific objects had been made in this country
in 1852 by Mr.. ]. Welsh, and subsequently
by Mr.. Glaisher. Basing his deductions on
twenty-eight ascents, Mr.. Glasher had
clearly proved that the decrease of tenn
perature with elevation was far from con-
slant, as former theorists had asserted,
and, moreover, that during midnight
hours there was generally an increase Of
several degrees. On clear days the change
from the ground to Loo feet was So de-
grees, at 10000 feet it was 20 degrees, at
1000 feet the decline OF temperature was
II degrees, and at 10000 feet the whole de
cline of temperature was found 20 be 81
degrees. The lecturer exhibited dia grams
of the combined results of the researches
of Messrs. Welsh and GlaisheT, from which
1t appeared that in ascending a halt in the
decline of temperature took place al vary
ing elevations, some times as low down as
$500 feet. In clear day in August the
halt had occurred at 1900 feet and nine
days previously, when the sun was con-
stantly obscured. the bend in the curve
had commenced at 400 feet.
In October on cloudy showery day,
the same bend had occurred al $3.50 feet.
Similar results had been obtained by high
flying kites. Clearly IL had not been es-
ia Dlished that visible cloud and that alone,
affected temperature IN upper regions ac-
cording to any fixed law. Humidity, more
over had proved a very variable quantity,
the most obvious faw involved, perhaps,
being that so commonly made patent to
the eye, by familiar cumulus clouds form
ing in day time at a hight, say of from
5000 to 5000 feet. and disappearing again
at night An all-important matetr, how
ever which had been generally agreed
upon by aerial observers, was that various
currents were very commonly found flow
ing within definite but shifting beds, at
all and varying nights until the dominant
drift was reached The prevalent trend
of these greater streams was indeed Sc
riously considered as long ago as the days
of Green in England and Wise In America
both of these experienced aeronauts hav-
ing been prepared to essay voyage across
the Atlantic by a main upper current
thought to prevail in the direction of the
earth's rotation. BY experiments in Ber-
lin made with balloons without aeronauts)
possessing a net lifting force Of nearly 3O
pounds, an altitude of nearly $1,000 feet
had been reached, as Indicated by barom-
etric pressure of two inches of mercury
while temperature Of -SS degrees Fab
renheit had been recorded.
Dealing with the travel of sound, the
lecturer. speaking from his own balloon
ing experiences, said there had been days
during the past summer, equally clear and
brilliant so far as one could Judge, when
sounds travelling upward had differed vast
ly in penetration. This had been tested In
various ways. The nights had been care
fully recorded when certain sounds had
ceased to be audible, and these had very
generally expired IN their own due order
They found NJ. Flsmmarion had stated
that the whistle of a locomotive rose tc
near 10000 feet, the noise of railway
train to $500 feet, the bark OF a dog 300
the crow of cock and the sotnd OF a
bell TO 5000 feet, and so on; but these rec.
ords must be taken as mere averages
| Turning to another point, he had made, he
said, a great number of experiments 10 de.
termine the presence OF dust in the all
during his balloon ascents by the use oil
an Athens dustcounter, and also by pas.
sing known volume of air into sample.
of liquid, which had been Subsequent,
compared. He had been driven to tn,
conclusion that dust existed at different
nights, and. as it would SEEM not only lr
mere strata. but in discrete masses posi-
| bly, comparable with visible clouds II,
should have a similar remark to max,
with regard to the presence Of carbonic
| acid tf f...a.'
There appeared to be more traces IN GER
| tam tracts, and as tending 10 bear out
| this view he had made several series nj
| uniform exposures with sensitive films
with the object Of testing the actinie oual
| lies of light from the sky at different
| nights, and, so far as his experiments had
| gone, 1t would appear as ~ altitude wer,
not the only factor in the case. In th,
clearest sky aud In the same quarter Of
| il. II would seem as If clouds Of some ma.
ture INTERVIEWED perfectly Transparent Il
the observer below, but offering iresistanc,
20 certain waves of light and sound
| Tracts of air relatively warmer were very
commonly present above. Il was eonceiv
l able that something akin to an aerial gull