The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-05-18
HOW The SKY
IS EXPLORED.
Investigations Being Conducted
by Six Nations.
WEATHER BALLOONS" USED.

Mass Of Information Concerning A.
mospheric Conditions as High as
Eighteen Miles Observation-Disclosures
Arranged to Explode Above the Ten
Mile Level.
Six nations are interested in a series
OF investigations now being carried on
in Omaha by the United States govern
ment and collaborated in by the gov
ernments Of England, Germany,
France, Italy and Belgium. These in
vestigations have for their object the
thorough exploration of the atmos-
phere at height Of more than ten
miles above the earth's surface, and
so successfully are they being carried
out that a mass of information con-
corning conditions existing as high as
eighteen miles up in the air has been
secured. Similar explorations are be-
Ing conducted in the countries named
above, and when these are completed
all information gathered by each coun-
try is to be exchanged with all other
countries engaged in the investiga-
tons.
The research is being prosecuted
with the assistance Of weather bal
looms" which are sent aIoft bearing in
attached baskets number Of delicate
contrivances for measuring whatever
conditions are met on the trip from
earth through the clouds and back
again to earth. The experiments con-
tnue for two weeks, a weather balloon
being sent up each afternoon during
that period by each Of the six govern
ments. When the information thus
gained is properly arranged the mete-
geological bureaus in each of the coun-
tries taking part will receive tabulated
copies.
The Balloons Described.
The little balloons, which are six feet
In diameter, are so arranged that they
will explode somewhere far above the
ten mile level, the explosive force be-
Ing the hydrogen with which the bag
is filled. AS the balloon rises the n.y.
drogen expands, and at an elevation
when the outside pressure is INSULT
Gent to counteract the outward pres
sure Of the hydrogen the rubber bag
explodes. Thereupon a parachute
comes into play, and the scientific in
struments, which have thus far been
busy recording conditions, drift slowly
to earth. The instruments are con-
tanned in Il stout box already address,
ed to the government bureau. A note
addressed to the finder Of the box in
structs him to take the whole thing to
the nearest telegraph Office, collect So
for his trouble and ship the records
to the originating point
One Of these balloons recently reach
ed height of eighteen miles before
bursting, and at that altitude the tenn
perature was only 35 degrees below
zero, although at point between nine
and ten miles high the records showed
that temperature of "a degrees below
zero had been gone through On this
particular date the temperature at
Omaha, the starting point of the bal
loon, was Al degrees above zero.
Another balloon registered an air cur
rent travelling at rate of more than
100 miles an hour.
The instruments used are so delicate
that one Of them-that for measuring
the acknowledgements for it's record
upon the distance that human hair
will lengthen on passing through a
stratum of air which contains slightly
more moisture than did the stratum
Immediately below it.
How Records Are Made.
The records are made upon a SCOT
covered cylinder by a stylus point op.
Grated by a level, which in turn is con-
trolled by the instruments. This CYL
Under is slowly turned by clockwork
arrangement, and when the box is re-
turned to the weather station a glance
at the sooty covering will give the at
mospheric pressure, the humidity and
the wind velocity at any height tray
ersed by the balloon
The strand of hair used in the in
strument for determining the humidity
is chemically dried before it is placed
In position. Thereafter, upon passing
through moist stratum, the hair alb
serbs a portion of the moisture, the
hair lengthens, and the stylus point
records the change on the cylinder. If
the next stratum is dry some of the
moisture in the hair is evaporated, the
hair becomes shorter, and the cylinder
makes the record accordingly.
The air pressure is determined or re-
corded by the aid Of a small cylinder
from which most of the air has been
drawn. A small plunger to which is
attached stylus point makes the nee
essary scratches on the SCOT covered
cylinder.