Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1920-04-17
HEIGHT GOVERNS
SPEED IN AIR
Geography of the Atmosphere
Outlined by a Practical
Aer0naut.
CONSISTS OF TWO LAYERS
Greatest Discovery Vet Made In Ex-
ploring the Air-Attain Speed OF
200 Miles an Hour at Higher
Levels.

Washington.-In his spectacular
flight establishing new aviation alti-
tude record Maj. Rudolph W. Schroe-
der found trade winds Of 200 miles
an hour velocity far above the clouds,
press dispatches state. The Dayton
(O.) test pilot merely reported one OF
the new phenomena resulting from
study Of the geography of the air,
stimulated by aerial travel, according
to bulletin of the National Geo.
graphic society.
"While the chemistry and physics
Of the atmosphere are understood, the
geography Of the air is still practical
ly unknown" says Alexander McAdie
In communication to the society.
Great Rivers Of Air.
eve are aware that there ara well
marked areas, zones and levels in
this inverted bowl; and, though we
may not see them. there are mighty
rivers, far exceeding 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
regions of great turbulence.
1--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, men 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 balloon Of the
aerographer.
Zone might say offhand that there
could be no geography Of the air; for
there are no continents, oceans OF
visible geographical features in this
inverted bowl which we will call the
sky. Do we not look clean through
the atmosphere up into the heavens
and, except for passing clouds, do we
not know that there is nothing to be
seen?
IF the density Of the atmosphere
remained constant it could all be com.
pressed into q layer about five miles
thick. In that case the highest noun.
tain peaks would stand in space,
piercing the SO called homogeneous
atmosphere. But the density decreases
with elevation, and when the aviator
reaches an elevation of 10000 meters
he is in 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
in exploring the air is that the at
mosphere consists of two great layers
the lower extending from sea level
up to 10000 meters. in which there
Is a steady fall Of temperature with
elevation. This Is called the tropo.
sphere. Above this there is no fall
and up to 10000 meters slight rise
The upper layer Is known as the
shakespeare.
Matter OF Height and Speed.
ut is actually possible today for an
airplane to rise from the ground to
the bottom Of the shakespeare, say
about six miles, In one hour. If we
want to explore somewhat higher, say
twenty miles, we install light instru.
ments on sounding balloon.
"The intrepid aviator who tries to
force his way at high speed against
an adverse wind meets only with in.
creasing resistance. But when the
wind favors, then the winged airmar
spurns the slow fellow creeping on
wheels below. With accelerated speed
he passes over moor, mountain or sea
and, if need be, vaults over the clouds.
IF the captain Of the winged ship
is not content with his speed he has
only to climb to upper levels, where
the flow of the air increases to thirty
and even forty meters per second, and
in this stream he would move along
with speed relative to the earth of
200 miles an hour.
"These are not extreme values. In
a stiff Northwestern which the writer
experienced some years back the wind
blew Seventy-twO consecutive hours
$4,000 meters, which is nearly thirty
meters per second. This is equivalent
to going 400 miles in three days, or
twice the distance from Labrador to
Ireland. The highest speed Of the wind
for any single hour was $4,000
meters, 102 miles. For period of
about fifteen minutes the rate was
120 miles an hour"