Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-09-22
WEATHER IN SKY
DIRECTOR GLENN AND CORPS
GET WEATHER DATA FROM
THE REGIONS ABOVE
BALLOONS DO SOUNDING
Equipped with Delicate, Self-Record-
ing instruments They Tell all
the Weather Story of
CIoud-Land

Huron-During the month of Az
gust representatives of the United
States weather bureau sent I'D about
Twenty-Five sounding hallons from
| this city. The work Is In charge
OF TWO experts, B. ]. Sherry man
aser, and L. G. Ross, assistant. These
Two work in perfect harmony with
5. W. Glenn, dirtcor of the Unit
ed States weather bureau at HUI
ron. VINO with MS assistants give val
liable aid to the experts. The pur-
pose OF these ascensions is to obtain
records of temperature, humidity,
wind direction and wind velocity at
given attitudes. These ascensions con-
sist of two series The first series was
begun August 8 and continued until
August IA. The second series contin-
ued daily until about twenty more
balloons were sent up
Huron was selected for this balloon
campaign, because of its favorable To-
cation; its situation near the path Of
the summer storms and the country
east and south is level, we'll settled
and free from large tracts of timber
and rough land. AS the balloons fol-
low east or southeast of the starting
point, they can be more readily traced
In a clear level country than other
wise.
While the United States weather bu-
reau was doing this work at Huron
the governments of the principal for
elgn countries were each sending up
similar balloons, from one or more
stations in their respective territory
Upper air observations are thus sim
ultaneolsly obtained from various
parts Of che world. The results of
these ascensions are published and
thus become available for comparison
and study by scientists throughout
the world
A knowledge Of the coming weather
is of such vital Importance to human
tty, that the question is often asked,
What are the prospects for further
improving the daily forecasts" The
answer is, that while the government
has corps of forecasters who are
now applying all of the knoledge that
has been acquired, little hope for
marked improvement can be held out
until substantial addition is made
to the pure science of the problem.
This can only be done by experiment,
study and research
The balloons are made in Germany
and France, of pure rubber, they
weight about five pounds each, and
have lifting capacity of from eight
to ten pounds. They are about eight
feet in diameter and capable of eX-
panding to twenty feet or more. To
each balloon is attached a wicker bas-
ket, which contains very delicately
constructed instrument; this little ma
chine accurately records the temper
AZURE, pressure and humidity of the
atmosphere, through which it jour-
neys, and brings back to earth an in
teresting story, written in cipher
upon SCOT covered cylinder, by
sharp stylus points at the end of arms
that readily respond to the slightest
movement of the particular instru-
ment with with it is connected. The
cylinder revolves very slowly by a
clockwork device, for period of from
two to three hours. The record thus
written is translated by experts after
the balloon descends and is returned.
A thermometer carried by each bal
loon consists Of two strips of metal,
each sensitive to the changes in tenn
perature by contraction and expan-
sion, the strip being connected with
the arm of the recording device.
All these intricate machines, to-
gether with a basket containing them,
Is a trifle over two pounds. Securely
attached to the basket is a heavy lin
en- fiber envelope, 81 by 81 inches, in
which is a tag to be attached to the
balloon by the finder, directing It's re-
turn, and alss card addressed to the
Mount Weather observatory, Blue
mont, Va, upon which is given the
date of ascension, number in instru-
ments, also date and place where
found and address of finder.
The gas bag holds from 100 to 12g
cubic feet of gas, and at starting Is
about six feet in diameter, but as it
ascends, the atmospherical pressure is
reduced and the balloon expands to
twenty times its volume at starting,
and finally it explodes and starts on
the downward trip, arriving safely by
the aid OF parachute. in almost ey-
cry instance the delicately construct
ed instruments find their way to the
earth unframed. The balloon or rub
Der bag has now performed its mis-
sion, but not SOW It'll the delicate in
struments. They must journey to
Mount Weather where the traced rec
ord on the sooted cylinder is subject
ed to coating of shellac converting
it into charcoal sketch: then the
aluminium roll is removed from the
cylinder and made fiat and more read
lily handled by the weather expert.
His duty is to write out in detail the
story Of each balloon and prepare the
record for permanent use in the
weather bureau.
From twenty-five points on the
globe there are being sent UP these
series Of specially prepared balloons
for the purpose Of discovering the ex-