Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
POLAR FLIGHT TOLD
|. BY METEOROGRAPH
instrument in Plane Traces
Temperature Record From
27 Above to Is Below.
BY RUSSELL OWEN.

BY Radio to The Star and New York Times.
LITTLE AMERICA, Antarctica, De-
cember 1I.-An interesting feature Of
the South Polar fight was the record
obtained by means of a meteorograph
which was installed in the rear of the
fuselage of the Floyd Bennett plane. A
constant trace OF temperature, pres
sure and humidity was recorded in in
delible ink from the start of the flight
until the landing was made back at
Little America.
The instrument used was one of a
type devised by DR.. Charles F. Marvin,
chief of the United States Weather Blu
reau, a type which has been used Cx-
tensively throughout the United States
in research of the upper air with kites.
1t was one of two such instruments
which have seen service here at the
camp both with kites and with air.
planes.
The meteorograph was installed by
William c. Haines and Henry Har-
rison, the meteorologists of the expedi-
ton, in the rear of the fuSelage of the
plane, behind the chart table, and was
connected to the outside by short pipe
and a neck of heavy windproof mate
rial so that strong forced stream of
air passed through the screening tube
whenever the plane was in motion.
Sufficient circulation and exposure
was thus insured for the marking Gle
ments. The temperature, pressure and
humidity pens traced independently on
the same record sheet, which winds
about a slowly revolving drum contain
ing clockwork.
Time Recorded With Altitude.
Aside from the meteorological data
obtained, the beauty of the record lies
in that it gives a graphic picture Of
the fight at glance. Exact figures
must await the careful computation of
the celebration tests which were made
on each element prior to the flight.
However, there are several features
which stand out prominently and may
be described roughly.
The pressure trace shows the exact
time of the take-of at 1929 pm. Q0:29
New York time), the steady passage
southwark over the barrier at an alti-
tude of about 1000 feet, and at 8:l8
pm. the dive to within few hundred
feet of the surface, which was made
in order to drop mail and important
pictures to the geological party.
From this point the climb was sharp
and steady, the elevation becoming
more than 10000 feet by 9:15 pm. dur
ing the turbulent passage through the
mountain peaks.
Rise, Then Drop, in Temperature.
The temperature, which had risen
steadily from IA degrees above zero,
Fahrenheit. at Little America, to 26
degrees as the dog teams were reached,
had now fallen below the zero mark.
The last boost of about 500 feet is
shown as the plane was eaSed over the
hump of the mountains to strike out
over the level polar plateau to the
south. The temperature continued to
fall slowly until the lowest point
reached on the flight, Is degrees below
zero, was recorded in the neighborhood
Of the Pole itself.
With the decreasing load in the
plane, the return over the plateau was
made at a slightly higher altitude and
an additional rise of 500 feet was shown
at 3:l2 am, about 40 minutes out from
the mountains.
Relative Humidity Stayed Low.
From the mountains a slow, steady
descent was made until the big ship
came to rest at the mountain base on
the Barrier at 4:45 am. Here again
the temperature was high, % degrees
above zero on the surface and 81 few
hundred feet aloft.
The relative humidity had remained
low, but with frequent fluctuations dur
ing the course of the fight.
At 5:57 am. the plane again took to
the air, pulling up to 1000 feet, and
few between this altitude and $500 feet
the balance of the way into Little
America, where the final landing was
made at 1000 am.
In addition to the recorded data Sc
cured, Harold June made observations
OF sky and weather, and Comdr. Byrd
determined the wind direction and We
locity by means of a drift indicator at
frequent intervals during the flight. The
accuracy of this complete drift was def
initely proved by the perfect landfall-
which was made upon the return from
the Pole.
Copyright, 1927
BY the New York Times Company and The
st. Louis Post-Dispatch All rights for
publication reserved through
out the world.
England has an average of 1000 d.