New Britain herald., 1928-02-23

COlumDuS, o-, rep So.-(C1)- Good wishes mingled with serious doubt and a share of utter cynicism if the whole project, expressed by two leadpg Ohio astronomers. will accompany Robert Condit, of Con dit, O., when he starts from Miami Beach, Fla. on his rocket journey to the planet Venus late this month.
 Dr. Jermain G. Porter. director of the observatory at the University of Cincinnati, who is a mild little man and hates to discourage any project in the interests of science. doesn't exactly condemn the pro- posed flight, hop. voyage or what ever sort of trip people, make Tn rockets, but he is rather doubtful on several points.
 2S Million Miles
 To begin with. says Dr. Porter, the distance from Miami Beach, to the closest part of Venus is about cS,oo0,ooo miles, Dr. Porter lays no claim to comprehensive know ledge of ryro-technics. but he did advance the, belief that it would be a signal engineering achievement to construct a rocket with power to carry it that far.
 Of course. he pointed out, after travelling 15,oO0,oOo miles of the dis tance, more or less. the gravity of Venus would do the rest. However, hor hcf fo ~1n vii ch horo as obstacles will Should Condit's conveyance deviate an inch from its selected course. his chances of reaching the much sought planet would be rather null not to say void. In such event, Dr. Porter says. the
 rocket would shoot past Venus and
 meander about the universe for sev- erai million years. That is. if it didn't collide with some other heavenly body such as the sun or one
 of the stars,
 And another thing: it seems that
 Condit has not arranged for fire | man 10 maintain fire beneath his
 rocket after it passes beyond the range of the esrths atmosphere. It 1 has been proved that the ether 1 throughout the universe will not 1 support flame any more than it will 1 life.
 ] Which leads 10 the question, i what will the prospective trans
 universal aviator use for air?" The i problem of food is comparatively 1 simple. inasmuch as he might be 1 able to pack enough condensed milk, I sardines. and things into a rocket 1 to last Is years-if the rocket is
 large enough. But air "-Dr. Porter shook his head gravely. saying
 nothing.
 Might he Dc-Atomized There is also the possibility that if i Condit should complete his journey. | both his machine and the planet
 would de-atomize; or be entirely dis
 integrated, as it were.
 | However, that is only the scien- | tific side of the matter. To the lay
 man. many other horrible difficult ties suggest themselves. Granted that 1 Condit arrives at Venus. how will i IiN bC llSdlNu pt llC II
 any?
 Unless he slaves before he makes l his appearance at the Venusian air. port-or rocketdrome-his visage will be so obscured by earthly
 whiskers that no one will recognize him. And maybe the people there
 don't have the same kind of whis- kcrs.
 Then, there Is the matter Of styles. something of importance 10 every American man. He may be dressed in the latest earthly attire and find the Nenusites still wearing fig leaves--or some other kind. Condit has refused to take any body along on his perilous voyage. and it appears he will have a lone some time for more than a decade. if not forever. as the planet may be uninha bitated.
 Prof. Edmund s. Manson, of the astronomy department Of Ohio State University. wasn't the least bit op- tomistic about the project and seem- ed to have no scruples about dis couraging ambitious rocket -hoppers. Why. the man is absurd" said Manson. His rocket is absurd. The whole plan is absurd. He has about 2S.00o,0o0 miles to travel where. he will have no oxygen to breathe, and if he takes enough along 10 survive the trip. he won't have any when he gets there. And if there is no oxygen, there are no inhabitants" the pro- lessor pojntpd ort