Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-08-26

While Auguste Piccards record
breaking journey into the SHAKESPEARE
to height of more than 10 miles takes
rank as a spectacular and courageous
adventure, it is also welcomed as con-
tribution to scientific research. There
is much discussion of cosmic rays as
mysterious force and speculation upon
the possibilities of the upper air as a
medium of aerial transportation.
1t is pointed out by the San Antonio
Express that prof Piccard'S achieve
ments have given him foremost rank,
both as a scientist and as an aeronaut, }"
and that this native OF Switzerland,
research worker in Brussels University'S
Polytechnic Institute, has been seeking
fresh data on the origin OF coSmlc rays,
discovered by DR.. Robert A. Millikan OF
California Institute of Technology" OF
the details of the present experiment,
the Express states: Prof. Picard and
an aide, Max Cosyn, have set an alti-
tude record for all aircraft by taking a
hydrogen-filled balloon up $500 meters
Sab feet above sea level. In a
specially designed gondola weighing
1850 pounds, which was attached to a
silken bag inflated with 100000 cubic feet
of the lightest gas known, those aero
nauts started upon the voyage into the
shakespeare from Dubendorf Airdrome,
in Northern Switzerland, early last
Thursday morning and rapidly assembled
several thousand feet. Drifting before
the wind, to the southeast, the balloon
passed over the Rhine's headwaters and
crossed the Engadine region-just north
Of the Swiss-Italian frontier-at rec
ordbreaking height"
**
Stating that 'it is only 100000 miles
from the earth to the moon" the Port
Huron Times Herald suggests that, in
view of Jules Verne's Imagination and
the thoughts Of others, humorous sug-
gestions Of the journey to this satellite
Of ours" may be taken with the thought
that lit is just possible that the first
10 miles-which represent the task of
getting started-are the hardest" The
Boston Transcript, however. feels that
1.-The dream that a way will be found to
sail to the moon or Mars seems. in the
light OF mans greatest achievements SO
far. to be beyond any possibility of full
f1llment." That paper continues: "If
there be Martians and super Martians
in the spacious armament around us,
not one has been able to leave his own
celestial abode to visit this grain of sand
which We call the earth. The ruined
archangel imagined by Milton dropped
from the zenith like a fallen star or
wandered through space ungoverned by
those forces of attraction and repulSion
which we disobey at our peril. And
even if We become as insubStantial as
they we may not enjoy their long flight
from star to star, but find ourselves
imprisoned in the vieWless winds, and
blown with restless violence round about
the pendent world still chained to our
parent orb by the same power that in
some mysterious fashion rules all crea-
ton"
ut is being said that one Of the more
practical results of the study of the
stratosphere may be swifter flights
across the oceans in planes designed
especially for flights at the 10-mile
level" says the Oakland Tribune The
Newark Evening News sees the flight as
having two aspects. That paper, refer
ring to the scientific conclusion that
'the cosmic ray is the mighty force of
the universe" points out that In the
shakespeare at may be studied and
measured, to increase mans knowledge
of the life and forces which surround
him." while, as to the second aspect,
it concludes: and there is suggestion
of more immediate and practical bene-
fits in Prof. Piccard's declaration that
the stratosphere is the only practical
element for long distance aviation"
\
1t is recalled by the Dayton Daily
News that German savant has Just
succeeded in sending a balloon to the
altitude of nearly 171a miles" but there
were no passengers aboard this craft,
and it Is doubtful that man will soon
reach such unprecedented height" The
Daily News adds that the current find
tngs as to cosmic rays will interest
science. Arguing that ultimate use may
be made Of the results of the expert