The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-07-24

eff by doing so / could get the
American. people back of military av-
iation I'd even hop to Mars in a
rocket
When Claude r. Collins, president of
the Aviators club of Pennsylvania and
captain of the New York city air po-
lice, made this. statement he had no
idea that his remark would be taken
so seriously. Itwas, however, and now
that he has let himself in for it Capt.
Collins declares he is willing to go
through with the plan. Moreover, kin
bred spirits, among them Miss Ruth
Phillips, of Kansas City, Mo-, have
expressed Willingness to join him in
his aerial jaunt.
81 made that statement to a news
paper man a few days before | saw it
In print Capt. Collins said. "It was
made on the spur of the moment to EN-
phasize the earnestness of my desire
to arouse an interest in the dire con-
dition of aeronautics in America. No
one was more astounded than myself
to discover the statement that l was
ready to leap to Mars played up so
wildly in the newspapers.
low unlimited Gliding and even we'll
meant insults need not be said, but as
made the statement, it is one of the
golden rules of life to keep one s word
If it can be done.
ssTherefore, in answer to the sew
eral scientists who have questioned me
can only say that l am, prepared
to carry out my part of the agreement
should the stipulations be fulfilled and
should scientists summon me.
- Many persons have desired to know
whether or not L have corresponded
with Prof Robert III. Goddard, the
Clark college scientist, who has inven-
ted the superrocket, which the Smith
sonian Institution declares can be shot
to the moon and which others believe
may be able TO reach Mars, carrying
within it human being. / have not.
eff, when this rocket is tested, it
lands on the moon or on Mars and
communication is established with the
planet, it will be up to me to live up
| to my word
1.-THE rocket which Prof. Goddard
has perfected, / understand, is con-
structed on the theory of the toy
| rockets with which every boy is ae-
quainted However, it is so arranged
| that the gases caused by the explosive
| mixture within would escape through
| a nozzle at the bottom, at the rate of
| 5000 feet per second. The rocket
| would contain a series of explosive
| charges.
Ito carry the rocket to the moon at
least 1874 pounds of explosives are
needed The Smithsonian Institution :
F! Bulletin points to the possibility of fill
| ing the nose of one of these rockets
with charge of brilliant flash powder
and percussion cap so that when II
struck we should be able to see the
| flash.
ITO my mind nothing is impossible
By this / do not mean that l believe
a rocket can be shot TO Mars, but
l-eaaaot say it simpossible. a-. il.
| 81 have been forced TO consider what
4 might prove the outstanding features
lIof such leap. Speeding at 5,40O miles
an hour through space could hardly
be comfortable As it would take
some days to make the trip to Mars
it would be necessary to eat and sleep
One must also have oxygen to breathe
as it seems assured that a complete
vacuum exists beyond the limits %
the earth 3 atmosphere.
- What sort of material could Dt
used to stand such terrific speed with
out burning up or flying to bits2 An
o,her thing is the possibility OF the
bump upon landing on Mars.
"This is something to think about
! But scientists assure me arrangements
would be made to stop the flight of the
rocket by control levers.
11In actual tests Prof. Goddard de
] clares the rocket he is making has
made a maximum speed of one and one
half miles per second.
He has discovered through ex
perimentation, that, contrary to the
general opinion, the action of escaping
gases would prove more effective IL
the vacuum existing beyond the limit:
of the gocoronium of the earth thar
within the air composing that atmos
pheric blanket This, he says, would
mean even a greater speed, and will
no air to cause friction the possibility
of the metal being melted away woulC
no doubt be eliminated.
sit has been suggested that fins be-
placed at the forward end, or nose, OF
such a projectile and valve arranged
to cut off the passage of the escaping
gases, so that the speed of the rocket
might be decreased and a possibly
safe landing made, with parachutes oil
other means. ''-Ex.