The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-01-30


" air of great interest for the physi-
clan. Man in such cases passes under
conditions which nowhere else be olyserv-
ed. Ais impossible to reproduce artifcially
just the conditions that exist at great aerial
heights.
The physiological and chronological effects
of the rarefication of air, of sunshine and
cold the most important elements in a
high aerial voyage, and they were the princi-
pal objects of the investigation which Profess
Steyrer and myself undertook in the as
cension made in the very large balloon
Berlin.
Special weather conditions are necessary for
a successful scientific ascension. "A strong
ground makes it impossible, as it will
cause injury to the easily broken and very ex-
pensve instruments. When the filling of the
balloon began at the Bitterfeld balloon station
on the evening preceding our ascent the
weather absolutely clear. Unfortunately,
it did not remain so long At 6 o'clock the
next morning the invisible ana at
o'clock light rainfall began.
In spite of these conditions, we began the
ascension at S:32 in a light rainfall, with 80
sacks of ballast. In a wind blowing at the
rate of 35 feet IA second, we reached at $40,
a height of 1900 feet the northern limits
of Bitterfeld. At S55 had reached a
height of 5000 feet in the upper side of
layer of cumulus clouds when we saw the
eastcrly to easterly direction, and entered
a new layer of clouds At $40 the upper
edge of this layer was reached at height of
1880 feet, the upper edge of third layer
passed. At 1925, at Il height of 1925 feet,
or nearly three miles, we passed through a
snow storm which never reached the earth,
but changed into clouds lower down. 1t was
mid summer. The upper border of fourth
layer of clouds was reached, and dazzling
sunshine surrounded The temperature,
which. at 1890 feet altitude, was 43 degrees
Fahrenheit, had now fallen to 90 by the wet
thermometer. At 1870 at an altitude of
16,630 feet, we heard the noise of artillery
firing; at 1:15, at 90, 500 feet, we saw rail-
way tracks and heard the noise of great
city This was either Broesa or Berlin
AT 2:30 the mercural thermometer indicated
II degrees. and the sun thermometer 140. Tn
fortunately the spring of the aspirator had
broken. The balloon began to fall. Two
sacks of ballast were rapidly thrown out, and
only ten remained. At 2:5o reached the
enormous height of 200 feet, nearly five
miles. Then we checked the ascent of the
balloon, because we We're alarmed by threat
ened change of direction to the north and the
advance period of the afternoon. At 500.
however, were still at height of 1920
feet; at 3:45 at 1890 feet. At 4:10 we saw
through openings in the clouds Il large river;
at AIS the guide rope of the balloon caught,
and at 4:25 we landed on haysack at An
germunde.
Next to the study of the rarefication of the
air, were interested in the effects of
light. For the purpose of our experiment
carried in the balloon two rabbits, two rats,
seven mice and large colonies of malignant
and anna ignant bacteria
At about a mile the surging at the ears be-
came very uncomfortable and our animals APP
peared greatly frightened.
The first alarming result of the rarefcaton
,,,
10:45, when had been up two hours nearly
three miles. began mis- experiments with nitro
gen, With the nasal passages closed, he in
hailed nitrogen through apparatus with
triple faucets, and then, with faucets revers-
ed, cXhalcd. When the experiment tried
earth no inconvenience was felt but when
Professor Steyrer tried 1t at tnis height. after
the very first inhalation has face became blue
and he tainted against the edge of the car |
gave him two inhalations from oxygen tank
which were sufficient to revive him. We car
red 1850 quarts of oxygen. From this time
each one of put ON the oxygen mask
every one or two minutes.
Artificial Oxygen Required.
Above three miles of altitude We felt very
much oppressed if went for any length of
time without oxygen, This Inconvenience
manifested itself by general discomfort in
myself, while Professor Steyrer suffered from
headache, palpitation of the heart and gasping
Tor breath, These pains became more intense
and more frequent the higher went and
the more eXertion we made.
BY an accident, when l at height Of
25.600 feet, | dropped the oxygen mask for a
moment to pack the electroscope The action
of the sun and cold and lack of oxygen pro-
duced such lirid coloring of my face that
my companion was frightened, while l felt
merely apathetic and disinclned to exertion
The most peculiar thing was the feeling of
cramped muscles which occurred to us at the
height of 10000 feet just as soon as the in
haling of oxygen was discontinued The ad-