Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-09
SOUCEK AWAITING
BAROGRAPH CHECK
Flyer to Try Again if Reading
Falls Short of Record
Held by Champion.

Should elaboration by the Bureau of
Standards Of the paragraphs which he
carried to an indicated height of 49,
600 feet yesterday prove that he has
failed to break the world altitude record
of 38,418 feet, Lieut.. Apollo Soucek Of
the engine section, Navy Bureau Of
Aeronautics, will repeat his attempt on
the first clear day, he announced this
morning.
Lieut.. Soucek, who risked his eyes to
reach a reading of 10000 feet on his al
pointment in the final checking of the
paragraphs. There is an element of
error which has been found to run as
high as 4 per cent either way in ordi-
nary altimeter readings at great heights,
Bureau Of Standards tests show, and IL
Lieut.. Soucek's altimeter should prove
to be this far in error above the true
altitude, the present record, held by
Lieut.. C. c. Champion, U. S. N, will re-
main as the official record
If the Paragraph reading shows that
have failed to break the record"
Lieut.. Soucek said, IT will try again.
perhaps before the end of this week,
and keep on trying until I succeed or
know that it is impossible for the plane
to go any higher"
Two Paragraphs in Plane.
Two paragraphs, placed in the plane
by the Bureau Of Standards and the
National Aerohautical Association in
accordance with rules of the Federation
Aeronautique Internationale governing
world record flights, are being calibrat1
ed today at the Bureau of Standards
by H. r. Henricksen. Mr.. Henricksen
said the mechanical work probably
would be completed today, but that,
owing to the formalities which must be
observed II the record is to become off,
cial. no official announcement can be
made before tomorrow and it may be
Saturday before 1t can be said positively
whether Lieut.. Soucek has passed Lieut.
Champions record.
While Lieut.. Soucek's greatest DIM
Guilty during the flight was formation
of ice on his goggles, which blinded
him and forced him to bare his eyes
to temperature of IS degrees below
zero, the goggles he used were found
to be a great improvement over those
he used on his first attempt last month.
The goggles, prepared under direction
of Comdr. Frederick Ceres, Navy Medi-
cal Corps. flight surgeon at the Ana
costa station. were provided with six
"breather" holes in each lens to permit
the escape of moisture which might
frost the glass and at the same time
afford the maximum protection to the
eye. The goggles then were coated with
a MISUNDERSTANDING solution obtained
by Aviation Chief Machinist's Mate
w. H. Scott.
Goggles Frozen Near Top.
These goggles caused no trouble until
within 1000 feet of the top of his
climb, when they began to mist over
and coating Of ice formed, Lieut..
Soucek said. He finally was forced to
raise them in order to see. On his
previous attempt he was forced down
by ice on his goggles after reaching
height of approximately $4,000 feet.
While Lieut.. Soucek was in the air
yesterday his brother, Lieut.. Zeus Soucek,
on duty at the Philadelphia naval air
craft factory, few in from Philadelphia
with pair of electrically heated goggles
which he had designed and made the
day before. From his rough model
pair will be made under the direction
of Comdr. Ceres for Official tests. A
small battery is used to heat coil Of