The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-05-06

Y
NJ new type of multiple-charge,
| H n efficiency rocket Of an en-
NNySY tirely new design, for ex-
ploring the unknown regions
of the upper air, will recall the two
Adventures in Jules Verne's novel,
"De la Terre la Lune" (1S65). OF
course "a Trip From the Earth to the
Moon" was literary joke, so to
speak, but it was no more so than
Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues
Under the Sea"-all of which came
true a few years later with the sub
marine.
Then here is Maj. Il. w. Schroeder
of Chicago, chief test pilot at Nc
Cook field, who flew up 5000 feet the
other day, said to be 5000 feet higher
than man ever assembled before. He
says he's going higher next time.
Anyway, the claim is made for the
rocket that it will not only be pos
sible to send it to the layers Of air
beyond The earth's atmosphere, but
even to the moon itself.
Briefly, the principle involved In
this latest merchandising marvel is
that of multiple discharge. The rocket
leaves the earth under force of an
explosion in the lowest of q series of
chambers loaded with smokeless pow
der. After reaching a certain altitude
chamber No. is shot, giving impetus
for a few more thousand feet upward.
Then, at accurately timed and meas
ured intervals, there are further dis
charges. which spur the rocket on its
way. The atmosphere surrounding the
earth extends outward about two hun
dred miles, while thus far the highest
level reached by recording instru-
mentS is 10 miles.
Rockets such as are used as signals
of distress at sea have a range of only
a quarter of mile, with the highest
point of trajectory less than five hun
dred feet. Their initial speed is about
1000 feet per second, while that of
Prof. Goddard records 5000 feet per
second. This incidentally, is the most
rapid velocity in practical use, the
muzzle velocity of projectiles from
the greatest guns being only about
5000 feet per second.
The most important feature OF the
new device is that it includes nozzle,
constructed of the toughest steel,
through which the gas is elected. This
concentrates the force, instead of it's
being dissipated in the air, as in the
old types.
1t is argued that when the rocket
energies from the earth'S atmosphere
a vacuum will be encountered in the
upper regions, in which exploding
gases will lose their power of propul-
sion. Experiments by Prof. Goddard
have demonstrated this feature is no
drawback. He fired his rocket in a
tank from which the air was drawn
and found greater efficiency in the
matter of propulsion than in the air.
The quantity of powder required has
been calculated. The experimental
takes one pound as his unit mass, and
to send this up 1,22S,000 feet 9.S
pounds are needed, and to reach be-
yond the earth's influence of attraction
only 1,274 pounds initial mass.
When once the influence Of gravita-
ton, or The earth's attraction, has
been passed, the rocket theoretically
goes forward through space at uni
form speed-through infinite space
and eternity, unless it should bump it's
head against some distant star, or en-
counter flying meteor or body of at
mosphere out somewhere in ether.
Naturally the curious will ask: "HOw
are you going to know when you score
a hit on Lunar" Professor Goddard
has worked out this feature by eXper-