The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-04-13

Prepared by National Geographic Society.
Washington. D. C.-WNU Service.
Y" TOrk on the worlds largest
x free balloon which will be
" used In the National Geo.
graphic Society United States
Army Air corps shakespeare flights Is
well under way at the Goodyear-Zep-
pelin corporations plant at Akron,
Ohio. The balloon makers will use
two-and-a-third acres Of cotton fabric
impregnated with rubber in construct
Ing the bag, and it will have a capacity
OF 100000 cubic feet of gas.
When the balloon rises from the
earth. only partly inflated, 1t will be
shaped like a gigantic exclamation
point with the round gondola repre-
senting the period. AS the gondola
leaves the ground, the top of the bag
will be 295 feet above it-approxi-
mately the height of 27-story office
building. When the bag becomes
spherical In the thin air of the strato-
sphere, 1t will be large enough to en-
close an History building of normal
ACiShl duu VI eQudl WlQCQ.
The assent, in which 1t is hoped to
reach the highest point to which it
ts practicable for balloon to lift
man, will be made in the United
States. The purpose of the flight is to
clear problems of the upper air that
are still puzzling to science. 1t Is esti-
mated that 1t will rise to a height of
more than Is miles above sea level.
The first ascent will be made In
June by Capt. Albert w. Stevens,
noted aerial observer and photographer
of the army air corps, who conceived
the project, and Maj. William Kepner,
balloon expert Of the army air corps.
If this flight Is successful, the same
balloonists will make second ascent
in September, in order to check OBJ
servatiOns under similar conditions.
Scientists to Give Aid.
To advise in regard to the scien-
tific plans and equipment, and to di-
rect studies of the data collected, DR..
Gilbert Grosyenor, president Of the
National Geographic society, has formed
committee of outstanding American
scientists. Its members are:
DR.. Lyman ]. Briggs, director United
States bureau of standards, chairman;
DR.. F. v. Coville, United States De-
partment of Agriculture; Gen. Oscar
Westover, assistant chief, United
States Army Air corps; Capt. R. s.
Patton, director, United States coast
and geodetic survey; DR.. w. F. G.
Swami, Bartol Research foundation,
Franklin institute, Swarthmore, Pa. !;
DR.. Floyd K. Richtmyer, department
Of physics, Cornell university, and
member research council, American
Association for the Advancement of
Science; DR.. Charles e. K. Mees, d.
rector research laboratory, Eastman
Kodak company; Dr. Charles F. Mar
vim, chief Of United States weather
bureau, and DR.. John Oliver La Gorce,
National Geographic society.
The huge balloon to be used In the
ascents will have a gas capacity five
times that of the bag in which Com
mander Settle established his 11-mile
record last November; and nearly
three-and-a-half times that of the Soviet
balloon which in September rose near
ly II miles above the earth.
The exact point at which the bal
loon will take to the air has not been
selected, but it will probably be in the
northern great plains region. Such
choice, It is pointed out, will give am
pie room for drift to the northeast,
east, or southeast and a landing in
open country, so that the bag can be
salvaged.
The completed plans for the flights
are due to the efforts of Captain
Stevens, who has gathered data dur
ing the past eleven months directed
toward the use In stratOsphere flights
Of the largest balloon which it Is prac-
ticable to construct, and an ascent
to the highest point to which 1t Is be-
lieved possible for man to rise In gas
bag, with hope Of safe landing. The
mere attainment of altitude, however,
is not q primary object of the ascents.
1t Is desired to reach the greatest at
tainable height above the earth in or
der that conditions there can be OBJ
served.
Stevens Has Experience.
Captain Stevens has penetrated the
lower levels Of the stratosphere by air.
plane on numerous occasions and also
has served as observer on a number
Of army balloon ascensions. During
his high altitude flying he has col
lected much scientific data. In flight
over Dayton, Ohio, In October, 1923,
he reached an altitude Of 39,150 feet
and obtained the only complete record
of thermometer readings ever made
in America. showing on the same day
the temperature gradient" In the
region from the earth to the strato-
sphere. Other such records of temper
atures, from the earth to an altitude
of approximately $4,000 feet. is one of
the detectives Of the 1884 ascents.
Such data will be extremely valuable
In weather studies.
Another project Of Importance viii
be the trapping Of samples Of strato-
sphere air at several levels. These
specimens will be analysed and studied
later In physical and chemical lab
nratorfoa