Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24

making all three instruments record IN
q horizontal direction. A temperature
indicator, which carries a small mirror,
produces another trace on the record
and finally an electric lamp lights up
for one minute every hour and thus
marks the time on the record. The
lamps-flashlight bulbs-are lighted Dy
means of a storage battery, which is
kept Is yards away in the tunnel. This
has to be changed twice week and,
owing to the constancy Of the tempera-
ture in the snow FIVE feet from the sur
face, there has been no trouble with the
batteries.
Mckinley develops all the records,
each Of which gives the magnetic ele-
mentS and also the time and tempera-
ture during the day. He calls them
"wiggles," and that pretty well describes
the curves that have been obtained. The
changes are much more violent and fire.
quent than is the case in lower ATTITUDES.
Most Disturbances at Night.
It is too early as yet to generalize the
results obtained. Storm periods are not
confined to any one part Of the day.
The greatest consistent disturbances oc-
cur in the night. while the late after
noon is generally the quietest time.
The lowest temperature recorded IN
the hut during the Winter is 35 degrees
below zero Fahrenheit, while outside tho
temperature has fallen below minus 70.
The inside temperature has never been
as high as zero Fahrenheit. The total
range of temperature has been Just over
80 degrees Fahrenheit, compared with
range of 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
Continual care has been necessary to
keep the clcckwork running and instru-
ments from frosting UP, and that this
has been successful is due largely TO
Arnold Clark, who. in this as in other
parts of the work, has been OF great as
sistance.
The Absolute Hut.
A second magnetic observatory Is used
for making measurements of the abso-
lutte values of the magnetic elements &C
regular intervals. This work Is supple
mentary to the Photographic record, as
it enables absolute values OF declination
of the needle and intensity OF magnetic
force at certain times and provides
control by which the Photographic rec
ord NAV be checked 1t has been car
ried on through the Winter, thanks to
Larry Gould'S assistance.
1t is a snow house with canvas roof,
and as astronomic measurements form
part of the work, the hut has 70 De
above ground. A series Of observations
takes four to five hours. Heating
brought the same dificulties as in the
variometer house. and 1t was not con-
tinued.
quite a history. The rnagnetometer was
used nv Amundsen and Sverdrup on
the Maud expedition. It had been car
ried on the reindeer sledges of North
siberian tribes Here in Little America
| it meets an old friend in Martin Rome,
who was a member of the Maud eXpeol-
ton. The theodolite also has seen Arc
tic service. 1t belongs to w. J. Peters
scientific leader of the ziegler Polar ex-
petition and was used by him In Franz
Josef Land.
The work with Larry Gould has been
great fun. we take turns about as OBJ
| server; while one observes the otner
records and keeps the puppies from IN
yading us. The roof Is fortunately
strong enough to support number OF
| the young rascals. The last time Comdr:
Byrd paid us a visit ne almost received
! a whack on the nose before we dlScoV-
| cred that he was not another of Joseph
| ines numerous progeny. We had to shoe
! him away, however, for fear he had
| some iron on him that would AFFECT the
instruments. Comdr. Byrd is keenly in
| terested in the magnetic observations,
! as in every other phase OF the scientiflc
work. He has given away large part
| of his own stock of warm clothing to
| those who have to work outside. The
| hands and feet suffer most in absolute
| work, so the gifts Of gloves and foot
gear Is a form of practical encourage
| ment which contributes great deal TO
the success of the work.
Electrical Experiments.
This describes briefly the magnetic
work of the expedition The program
J OF research includes electrical expert
ments, continuous observations of the
|. temperature at different levels in the
Ross Barrier and finding the conductiv-
! ity of the snow. Part Of the apparatus
for this work was lent by McGNl Uni
versity, Montreal. In conjunction with
DR.. F. D. Conan, determinations have
been made of the loss of heat from the
skin under blizzard conditions and In
calm, cold weather.
A very important feature Of Winter
has been the aurora auStrallS. Thls
deserves a separate chapter in any ac-
count of the Winter activities.
The most beautiful phenomenon OF
, the skies, the aurora has intrigued the
IMAGINATION of mankind throughout his
tory. It has featured much In the
myths and legends Of the peoples OF the
North since the days of the vikings,
and Norwegian scientists, more tnan
any others, have observed the play OF
the northern lights and studied their
origin.
When people ceased to believe that
the waving curtains and darting stream
ers were but reflections of the huniors
of the gods, they saif that the sun was
responsible.
, So many beautiful features Of the
atmosphere, the rainbow. sunrise and
sunset, were undoubtedly due to the
sunbeams. When they came from the
setting sun they made the horizon
orange red and the higher skies blue
and gray The sunbeams, when they
shone through rain, played another
game and painted rainbows. So IL was
Thought that when the sun set. It's rays,
striking the snow fields of the Arctic,
were reflected to the clouds and so
! formed the aurora horealiS.
We do not believe this now. Science
| explains the aurora in terms of elec-
| irons. magnetic fields and sun spots,
! but still the sun plays q most decisive
part. Besides its rays Of light the sun
| throws out streams Of small electrical
] charges called electrons. The storm