Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-10-02

cooler regions OF the suns atmos-
phere. near the boundaries of the
corona. vapors give place to solid par
fcles 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-
male ooronium, and such indeed has
been found to be the case About
10 years ago Professor Nasini OF the
University OF Padua. Italy. submitted
a 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 new impor-
tance 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 ulit
OF weight b. which the specific grav.
ity of other gases has been measured
hydrogen is about twelve times as
light as the air we breathe. Now
nTn Ill.
light as hydrogen. and therefore 1872
times as light as air. 1t is easy to
realize what this would mean to aero
nautics IL 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.
DR.. Rankine says:
Personally | cannot see that even
when found coronium will be OF much
use TO airships. One thing against II
viii be its elusiveness. Helium is
four times heavier than hydrogen. but
IL manages to creep out OF any recep-
tacle We can devise. II 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 IT,
Anyhow enthusiasts Of a so-called
scientific turn have already been Civ.
ing their imaginatlons full play and IL
coroniutn 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 Hight OF the sun grows dim
! and this globe Of ours becomes too
chilly for comfort When that time
arrives the frostbitten human denlzens
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 million years TO
! come. and by that time. he hopefully
, concludes. means will have been dis.
covered by which II 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.
teorological experts went up In a bal.
loon to a 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 n 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 900 cubic feet
OF coal gas is equal to about II
pounds. while a similar volume OF by.
drogen will raise 10 pounds Hydro.
gems lightness. despite its elusiveness.
therefore. has so far made II the best
obtainable buoyant agent for aircraft.
The latest Zeppelin airships have
gas bags which have capacity OF
nearly 100000 cubic feet. have
diameter of 40 odd feet and n ra NJ 5OO