The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1909-06-04
TODD TO TRAIN ON AIR
Aeronaut to Prepare Astronomer
For Trip Toward Mars.
WILL HAVE TO BE SKY BROKEN

| Both Must Learn to Breathe Tank
Oxygen Before They Make Balloon
Journey to Signal the PIanet--WiiI
Use Water Ballast and Carry Ter
Miles Of Wire.
Leo Stevens, the aeronaut, got back
| to New York from Amherst college the
other day, having spent several days
with Professor David r. Todd, the as.
| tronomer, planning the details of the
balloon trip that he and the professor
have promised themselves to take on
the 18th of next September. Mars
will be nearest the earth then, and the
professor is going to try to intercept
some of the electric messages he be-
lieves the wise old Martians have been
patiently firing at us for decades.
II don't know about getting in touch
with Mars-that's the professors bust.
ness-but have contracted to take
him up ten miles, and I'm going to do
It," said the aeronaut
Stevens added that the professor was
engrossed by the prospect Of the trip
and was ready to begin training right
away.
OF course first of all the professor
will have to be sky broken. He Is GO
ing to begin on that in a few days,
when Stevens will take him and few
Of his Amherst boys on little ascen-
sion at Springfield, Mass. After that,
if the professor follows the aeronaut's
directions, he will go up every week
or so and learn to like it.
For the month of August the pro-
fessor has laid out course of train
ing for himself and Stevens. 1t will
consist of regular exercises at breath
ing tank oxygen in an air tight com
partment Stevens will probably take
this course at Amherst. Its purpose
will be to acclimate them to life in the
air tight aluminium compartments in
which they will be penned for great
er part of their flight
zone of the things that we settled
at Amherst" said Stevens, twas the
question of ballast. That has been
us, penned up in our aluminium cases,
to handle sand or anything of that
sort We have concluded. however, to
carry water as ballast, which will be
released by stopcocks In the aluminium
boxes"
The balloon which Stevens will use
has lifting power of two and half
hut hA h. xxvil1
make ample provisions for expansion
In the rarefied regions, starting out
probably with the balloon not more
than one-third inflated; also he is GO
Ing up mighty sight faster than he
would ordinarily, so as to keep from
freezing when the balloon touches the
high points.
"The throwing over of a quarter Of
a pound of ballast will send my bal
loon up thousand feet" said he, "but
when we start on the great ascension
we will drop probably fifty pounds Of
water at a time"
OF course, being cooped up in the
aluminium pens and fed on oxygen,
speed won't interfere with their
breathing
Stevens declared that he and the
professor are dreadfully In earnest
with this project; that they have al
ready placed orders in France for a
special barograph and other instru-
ments that will guide them in their
flight; also they have begun to make
arrangements for the manufacture Of
the aluminium cases and for about ten
miles of special wire that the pro-
fessor wants to pay out SO as to keep
in touch with the earth. Stevens esti-
mates that the ten miles of special
wire will weigh only about 200 pounds
1T seems to be indispensable" said
the aeronaut, ito the professors
scheme for getting into wireless COM
munication with Mars. He has got to
be grounded or something"
The aluminium tanks will close air
tight like refrigerator; but. according
to the present day plans. they will be
furnished with heavy glass floor and
windows. Mr.. Stevens didn't expect,
however, that they would have to re-
sort to their tanks until they attain a
height Of five miles or more They
Will have a little chair In each alu-
minium box and good supply of
"heat producing" food.
Stevens has never been higher than
four and three-quarter miles. He said
recently:
"Three Frenchmen went up eight
and quarter miles about year ago,
but one of them was frozen to death
and another paralyxed. They weren't
prepared for such height. however,
and we Will be. We intend to go up at
least until 1t Is impossible to draw
oxygen from our tanks, and then, OF
! course, we win take the warning and
drop. for a balloon. my boy, always