South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-03-31
Various Layers" of Atmos-
phere Must be Studied
Before Ships Can
Travel in Safety.

WASHINGTON. D. c.. March 80.
In his spectacular flight establish
ing a new aviation altitude record
Mai Rudolph W. Schroeder found
trade winds OF 200 miles IN hour We
iocity Tar above the clouds, press
dispatches state. The DAYTON. Ohio
test pilot merely reported one OF tho
new phenomena resulting from the
study Of the geography Of the air.
stimulated BY aerial travel. accord
ing 90 a bulletin OF the National
GeOgrs phic society.
While the chemistry and physics
o. the atmosphere are understood
fhe geography OF the air IS still
|. practically unknown" SAYS Alexand-
or Meade ia a commun- cation to
the society.
We are aware that thege are well
marked areas, zones. and levels I'm
this Inverted bowl; and, though we
may not see them. there are mighty
rivers. far surpassing any of the
rivers OF earth in volume and speed.
rushing on for miles and miles, flow
ing vertically as well as horizontally
There are vast calm areas and stag
nant pools; also choppy seas and re-
giOns OF great turbulence.
Various Layers of Air.
we are learning today that there
are various layers in the air, which
must be explored and studied before
airships can travel in safety. In fly
ing. man will use only the lower
strata, the cloud levels. Above all
clouds are far-stretching heights.
which. too, must be explored, not
by plane and dirigible, but by the
sounding ball0n Of the aerOgrapher.
fcrT.H
could be no geography Of the air:
Tor there are no continents, oceans.
or visible geographical features in
this inverted bowl which we call
the sky. Do we not look clear
through the atmosphere up into the
heavens and, except the passing
clouds. do we not know that there
IS nothing 70 be seen?
Job spoke Of the bottles OF heav-
en-, and st. Augustine and others
thought there were windows in
heaven, and as these were opened
or closed. so the rain began and
ended. But that was long ago.
Even as late as the middle OF the
eighteenth century the chemical ma
ture OF air was not known.
Density Not Constant.
IL the density Of the atmosphere
. remained constant, IL could all be
compressed into a layer about five
miles thick In that case the high
est mountain peaks would stand out
in space piercing the sO-called ho-
mogeneous atmosphere. But the
density decreases with elevation,
and when the aviator reaches an
elevation Of 10000 meters ne IS in
a medium which is only about one
third as dense as at the ground.
There are no clouds above this level.
The greatest discovery yet made
en- exploring the air is that the at
mosphere consists Of two great lay
ers. the lower extending from sea
level up 10 -. 600 meters, in which
there is a steady fall OF temperature
with elevation. This is called the
troposphere. Above this there is no
fall. and up TO 10000 meters
slight rise. The upper layer is
known as the shakespeare.
cit is actually possible today for
an airplane to rise from the ground
10 the bottom OF the stratOsphere,
say six miles I'm one hour IF we
want 20 explore somewhat higher,
saw 20 miles. we install light instru-
Leuts on a sounding balloon.
Vaulting The Clouds.
THE intrepid aviator who tries
10 force his way at high speed
against an adverse wind meets only
with increasing resistance But when
the wind favors, then the winged
airman scourns the slow fellow
creeping on wheels below. With ac-
celebrated speed he passes over moor.