The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-10-03

cooler regions Of the suns atmos-
phere, near the boundaries of the
corona, vapors give place to solid par
ticles and masses. The corona inter
cepts enormous quantities of heat
from the sun, and in this seething
zone coronium is born, at least, so
says the spectroscope.
The nearest approach we have in
nature and upon this globe to the in
tensely heated atmosphere of the
corona of the sun is in the molten
masses deep in the earth. The only
normal outward evidence of this com
bustion is that afforded by active vol
canoes. Accordingly, we might rea'
sonably expect some Of these to ex-
hale coronlum, and such indeed has
been found to be the case. About
10 years ago Professor Nasini. of the
University of Padua, Italy, submitted
note to the French academy In
which he declared that he had found
coronium In the gases taken from the
crater Of Vesuvius. In view of this
volcanoes may assume a new impor-
lance along practical lines, and even
dead craters may prove Of use, be-
cause within the lava may be found
the material from which coronium
may be manufactured.
Hitherto hydrogen has been the unit
OF weight by which the specific grav-
ity Of other gases has been measured.
Hydrogen is about twelve times as
light as the air we breathe. Now
comes coronium, which is 16 times as
light as hydrogen, and therefore 1872
times as light as air. 1t is easy to
realize what this would mean to aero
nautics If the new found gas could be
produced in large quantities. There
are some hardheaded scientists, how.
ever, who are not encouraging, and
among them is Dr. Rankine, who is
associated with Sir Willim Ramsay.
DIR. Rankine says:
Personally l cannot see that even
when found coronlum will be of much
use to airships. One thing against 1t
will be its elusiveness. Helium is
four times heavier than hydrogen, but
1t manages to creep out Of any recep-
tacle we can devise. 1t escapes from
us almost as rapidly as we collect It,"
But other men Of science reply that
this Is really a mechanical problem
and is quite apart from the production
OF coronium, Electricity is elusive
enough, they point out, and yet man
has found ways to control 1t.
Anyhow enthusiasts of so-called
scientific turn have already been Civ.
ing their imaginations full play, and II
coronium can be produced here they
predict a revolution in aerostatics.
One Of them has said that we need
not worry about the days to come
when the light of the sun grows dim
and this globe OF ours becomes too
chilly for comfort. When that time
arrives the frostbtten human denizens
of this sphere can take passage In air
ships, thanks to coronium, and sail
away to any distant planet that may
seem more habitable. He hedges,
however, by saying that this will not
be necessary for a million years to
come, and by that time, he hopefully
concludes, means will have been dis
covered by which 1t will be possible to
combat atmospheric conditions during
the trip from the earth to the other
world.
One of these conditions is a lack OF
oxygen. A short while ago three me-
neurological experts went up in a bal
loon to height of $4,000 feet, and at
that altitude life was sustained only
by breathing through a special respi-
rator that supplied them with fresh
oxygen. The Germans have actually
prepared breathing apparatus which
will sustain aeronauts up to a height
Of $4,000 feet-at least this has been
established by laboratory experiments
The lifting power of 1000 cubic feet
of coal gas is equal to about IA
pounds, while a similar volume OF n.y.
drogen will raise 70 pounds. Hydro
gems lightness, despite its elusiveness
therefore. has so far made 1t the best
obtainable buoyant agent for aircraft.
The latest Zeppelin airships have
gas bags which have a capacity Of
nearly 100000 cubic feet, have a
diameter of 40 odd feet and are OF 500