Evening star., 1934-01-31

zero Fahrenheit outside and 80 degrees
above inside the gondola
1T is impossible to determine our
direction" said the balloonists. because
there is nothing but clouds below The
messages from the earth are inaudible.' y
Contact was again established at
10:14 a. m. when the balloon reported
an altitude Of 62.700 feet. and a tenn
perature of A degrees below zero
Fahrenheit
At that time the balloonsts sent the
following message:
From 10000 meters We send our
greetings to the Central Committee of
the Communist party, headed by Com
rade Stain. and to the Central Coun-
Gil of the Oso Aviakhim Cthe Civil Avia-
tion Society,""
We have not dropped single kilo
gram of ballast.
The wireless station on the ground
replied at 1919 am
Warm greetings to the heroic crew
Of the Stratostat Best wishes to the
shock brigaderS of the StrathoSphere
At 1898 am. the ground station
again asked the balloon to broadcast
more slowly and suggested that the
crew insert its anode battery. Greetings
were transmitted from the soldiers and
ehlefs of the Red army.
At 1l:16 m. the balloon reported:
Our height is 2O50O meters '67 ,257
feet. The temperature outside is 38
below t37 degrees below zero Fahren-
heitD.
At 1872 am. the balloon reported:
Height 2O6OO meters o67.5S5 feet.
Listen. Listen"
The ground station replied:
Congratulations on your brilliant
success. We expect you to supply us
with new data concerning the content
Of the atmosphere and the cosmic rays
from a height never reached before
Soviet science will be enriched by
your achievements.
At 1l59 am the balloon reported:
Our last observation Barometer As
We begin the descent.
Temperature inside plus 20 C84
above zero FahrenheiU. We have
studied the cosmic rays
At 4 pm. the ground station heard
signals from the balloon, but they we're
too weak to read. This was the last
word received from the balloon al
though it was officially announced yes
terday that it had sent a radio mes
sage at $40 pm that it was seeking
q landing place near Colomna.
1t now appears that this announce
Ment originated from an opinion of an
official at the military airport and did
not emanate from the balloon itself
From the time Of the take-off. the
balloon was never seen again until the
tragedy was discovered
Official confirmation of the catastro-
phe came In an announcement to the
seventeenth all-union congress Eye
witeSses reported hearing two explosions
when the gondola hit the ground. in
dicating the balloon must have landed
with terrific force One of the bodies
was described in the official announce
ment as mutilated beyond recognition
A special commission was dispatched
from the capital to investigate the
disaster.
Immediately upon receiving the an
nouncement. the Communist Congress
rose in a silent tribute to the flight
victims and passed resolution that
they be buried in Red Square the burial
place OF the nations heroes
Reports that a sudden wind squall
had dismembered the balloon filtered
into Moscow before the discovery was
told
The balloonists apparently were at
tempting to land at the time of the
reported disaster after having reached
what they claimed to be an altitude of
81 7585 feet. That height. if the claim
was correct. was the highest ever
reached by man
The crew comprised Pavil Fedoseinko,
Audrey Vasenko and Ilya Usyskin.
Lieut.. Settles Record.
Lieut.. Comdr. T G. W. Settle of
the United States holds the worlds
recognized altitude record of 6l.237
feet The Soviet Union is not repre-
sented in the International Federation
Aarona1ltinlle uhich annrnued the Settle