The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1920-08-26
SCIENTIFIC INVENTION
IS TO Be TESTED
APPARATUS HIGH EFFICIENCY
ROCKET OF NEW DESIGN
Higher Layers of Air Than Regions
of the Atmosphere of Earth and
Moor May Be Reached-Highest
Point Yet Reached is Nineteen
Miles-The Apparatus is Fully
Explained.


A method of sending apparatus to
the hitherto unreached higher layers
of the air, to the regions beyond the
earth's atmosphere, and even as far |
las the moon itself, is described by
Prof. Robert H. Goddard, of Clark
College, in a recent publication for
the Smithsonian Institute. The new
apparatus is a multiple charge high |
efficiency rocket of an entirelc new
design. The great scientific value of
Prof. Goddard's experiments" says
the announcement, 'lies in the possi-
bility of sending recording apparatus
to moderate and extreme attitudes
within the earth's atmosphere, The
highest level that has ever been
reached up to the present time with
recording instruments is about nine
teen miles, accomplished with free
balloon.
Successful tests of motor fuel
declared to be not only more eco
nomic than gasoline. but also easier
on motors, were announced recently
by Otto Praeger. second assistant
postmaster general, in charge Of the
air mail service. The fuel includes
38 parts alcohol, 80 gasoline, 10 ben
zol, 3.5 ether and 4 tolnol Ingredi-
ents making up the remainder were
not given. Mail plane No. 95 was
used in the tests between New York
and Washington. Another plane
using high test aviation gasoline was
used as a check. A saving of 3.9 gal
ions an hour in favor of the syn
thetic fuel was indicated. Economy
Of lubricating oil was also shown by
the tests. After 125 hours in the air,
the two motors were torn down, and
that in which the new fuel had been
used was found in the better con-
dition, with smaller deposit Of car
bon.
Wireless is now rapidly encroach-
ing on the field of the submarine
telegraph cables. which for a long
time held the palm for speed, accu-
racy and dependability of commune
cation between continents. The So
called Estate" interference has now
been practically eliminated as a
cause Of trouble, and one of the re-
naming problems-that of high
speed transmission has just been
solved. Anybody who can peck at a
typewriter can keep two or three
sending stations working. The mes
sages to be senta are punched into a
tape exactly as one manipulates a
typewriter, executing of course that
the letters appear on the tape as a
series of holes. The sending ma
chine is so arranged, that as the tape
unwinds, it sends out dots and dashes
over the radio in conformity with the
perforations This is accomplished
by passing the tane between upper
and lower contact points, which,
when coming together, cause an
action analogous to the closing Of an
ordinary telegraph key. the upper
perforations starting the signal and
the lower ending it. Thus. in the let
ter a." which is composed Of a dot
and a dash, the first lower hole is
almost directly below the first upper
hole, SO that, as the tapes move
along, the. upper contact will no
sooner "close" the radio circuit than
the lower comes along and stops it,
and the almost instantaneous flash
that has been allowed to escape is
called a IDIOT" The upper contacts
then come fo~atEer thronoh the next
hole, and as there is quite distance
Travelled by the tape before the nexr
lower hole comes along. the flash
sent out in the meantime has been Of
an appreciate duration and is called
dash Literary Digest