Evening star., 1915-11-21

4
going out Of It's way to keep q lighted
lane through the dangerous sections OF
the great lakes shipping route to the
latest practicable date.
The depths Of the sea and the secrets
they hold have been explored by certain
Of the governments
Sounding the scientists for genera.
Atmosphere. ton tions. but .t, It is only in
years that other Of the governments
scientific workers have turned their at.
tention upward ana have begun ia
sound, with kites and balloons, instead
OF the lead. the almost limitless ocean
OF the atmosphere. In order systematic
ally to advance these explorations OF
the air, which is the great Pandora q
box of the weather. the weather bureau
| is Just now completing the Installation
OF elaborate kite and balloon handling
| equipment for upper air Investigations
at Its station near Omaha, Neb.
The governments upper air work was
begun at the old Mount Weather OBJ
servatory in Virginia nearly ten years
to secure data on the eastward -movins g
storms in their early stages, the vir-
ginia station has been abandoned and
the work has been transferred to the
vicinity OF Omaha. where the disturb
ances first become we'll developed after
the disrupting influences OF the Rockies
are left behind.
The balloon work in the west was got
ten under way much in advance of the
kite.hytng activities since the equip-
ment of the signal service at Fort Oma-
ha for producing hydrogen gas for in
| fiations has been placed by the War
Department at the service Of the wealth
er bureau. 1t has been necessary to in
stall complete kite-handling plant,
however, and this has been done on a
forty acre farm secured for the purpose
about twenty miles west of Omaha.
The tract Is high, level and free from
timber. In the very center OF II has
unlike the revolving room Of an astro-
nomical observatory. This structure can
be turned. therefore, with the wind,
and the reel SO placed in best position
ine piano wire which the government
kite filters substitute for the small boys
cord. Electricity has been called to the
assistance Of the weather bureau's ex-
perts. and will operate the reel. since.
by electrically driven mechanism. any
desired speed can easily and quickly
be attained To furnish the needed
power for this purpose and for the ma
chinery OF the we'll equipped carpenter
shop in which the scores of kites will
stalling an electric generating plant
driven by gasoline motor, and it is only
the setting up OF this machinery that is
lacking to bring the new plant to COM
pletion.
When kite-fyine operations are got
ten under way they will not be con-
fined, as is the small boys sport, to the
blustery months Of spring. but will
extend through the seasons year in
and year out. Box kites will be used
he al IN, "a ,oess
Of from six to nine. a new kite being
attached whenever the weight Of the
wire begins to drag.
In the first kite are placed the in
is the object of the whole elaborate
plan, and all Of the operations are car
ried on within 1t. These Instruments
weigh between two and three pounds
ing cylinder variations in air pressure,
temperature, humidity and wind We
locity. Such records, secured in the
past. have been invaluable to the
weather, bureau in various ways, and
with the improved facilities in a more
suits are looked for.
While kites furnish an easy and in
expensive means for the making of
observations in the first few miles
cannot reach the really high al
titudes. In exploring the great ex-
panse OF the atmosphere far above
the highest point to which man
has ever been on mountain peak or In
air craft, the scientists Of the weather
bureau have made use Of what has the
appearance Of an overgrown toy BAL
loon of the sort dear to the hearts of
children. The devices, called sounding
balloons, are made Of the purest thin
rubber obtainable and when inflated
with hydrogen gas are round and about
yard and a half in diameter. When
released with recording instruments
attached the balloons shoot rapidly up
ward and reach surprising attitudes.
The record, something over twenty
miles above sea leve1, was made in the
summer of 1913 in southern California.
The limit OF the upward journey is
practically set by the quality of the
rubber. for the balloon gradually ex-
pands as 1t rises. until at it's highest
point it Is several yards in diameter.
The upward drift and the expansion go
on until the elastic limit Of the rubber
is reached, when the balloon bursts.
Then small parachute unfolds and
lowers the instrument with its inter-
esting and valuable record gently to
the earth. A tag requests the finder
to send the instrument to the weather
bureau off1cials and in practically every
case the device promptly reaches the
men who sent 1t aloft.