The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-06-12


James Coxweil, both Britons. who in September.
1852, rose to an altitude calculated by them as
about seven miles, which was higher than that
attained by Major Schroeder, the American flyer.
in his recent sensational Jump at Dayton o.
Glaisher's experience was especially valuable
from the standpoint of the person who wants to
know what it is like up there" because the aspi-
ratOr quit working at an altitude Of five miles
Writing for the British Association for Balloon
Experiments as to what happened after reaching
the five-mile level he said:
'Up to this time had taken observations with
comfort. and experienced difficulty whatever
In breathing.
"Then having discharged sand, we, rose still
higher. The aspirator became troublesome to work
and l began to find difficulty in seeing.
could not see the column of mercury in the wet
bulb thermometer, nor the hands of the watch.
nor the fine division of any instrument
shortly after laid my arm on the table pos
sessed of its full vgor. but on being DESTROYS of
using it little later found it powerless tried
tc move the other arm; found it powerless also.
tried to shake myself and succeeded, but seemed
to have limbs
81 dinly saw Mr.. Coxwell and endeavored to
speak to him but could not. Then, in an instant,
intense darkness overcame me, so that the optic
nerve lost power suddenly, but l was still con-
scious with as active brain at the present
moment while writing this. thought had been
seized with asphyxia and believed / should ex-
perience nothing more, as death would come I'M
less we speedily descended; other thoughts were
entering my mind when suddenly became uncon-
sciOus.
II cannot tell anything of the sense of hearing.
rs no sound reaches the air to break the perfect
silence of the regions between six and seven miles
! above the earth"
The balloon finally began to descend after Cox
we'll who retained consciousness even longer than
his chief had managed to pull the valve rope with
his teeth
Both men regained consciousness after the bal
loon had descended several thousand feet, and
they managed to make safe landing.
Two facts having direct bearing the ques
ton as to atmospheric conditions above the earth
were established BY them. One is that sounds
like that made by passing railroad trains can still
be heard at height of about four miles. but that
at six miles there is perfect silence.
The other is that up to certain point, scientif
cally referred the level where Inversion of
atmosphere occurs, the fall of the mercury av-
erages about one degree Fahrenheit to every 500
feet.
h April, 1875 NJ. Castor Tssandier and two
companions confirmed these findings when they
rose frep Paris in balloon TO height of nearly
six miles, but In this case the expedition was
married by the fact that both companions of NJ lis
sander having less stamina than he or the Brit
sh aarCnaats. died before the gas bag returned
TO the ground
If further ccrroboration is desired as to con-
ditons they exist on the first lap of the aerial
journey into the void they can be had from the
experiences of the aviators who, since the advent
OF airplanes. have tried to reach the "d of the
worlds atmosphere"
Two of the most prominent of these, at least
samon: the American aviators. have been Major
Schroeder and Roland Rohlfs, who have engaged
in unique contest for highest records above the
clouds
Major Schroeder In his fl ght few weeks ago at
tanned an attitude of 5000 feet. at which height
his thermometer registered So degrees below zero
centgrade or 81 degrees ''eow zero Fahrenheit.
So in his case rs well that of Rohfs when
he reached 30,3O0 feet H. July last and that Of
Atiutan, casaic. df the Fl ,..ch army. who 49,