Evening star., 1934-01-17
Geographic Group and
Army Air Corps Are
Sponsors.
Capt. A. W. Stevens and
Maj. William Kepner
Viii Man Bag.

pacity of 100000 cubic feet, will be
the largest ever constructed. 1t is es-
timated that 1t will rise to 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 a second ascent
in September. in order to check OBJ
servations under similar conditions.
Committee Is Formed.
The flights will be known as the
National Geographic Society-Army
Air Corps Stratosphere Flights" To
advise in regard to the scientific plans
and equipment, and to direct studies
of the data collected. DR.. Gilbert
Grosvenor, president Of the National
Geographic Society. has formed
committee of outstanding American
scientists. It's members are:
DR.. Lyman j. Briggs, chairman, dlrec-
tor United States Bureau of Standards;
DR.. F. v. Coville United States Depart
ment of Agriculture; Gen. Oscar West
over, 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 re-
search council, American Association
for the Advancement of Science; DR..
Charles E. K. Mees, director research
laboratory, Eastman Kodak Co.: Dr.
Charles F. Marvin, chief, 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 Comdr.
Settle established his 1112 2-mile record
last November: and nearly three-anda-
half times that of the Soviet balloon
which, in September, rose more than
II miles above the earth.
The exact point at which the balloon
will take to the air has not been
selected, but it will probably be in the
Northern Great Plains region. Such a
choice, it is pointed out will give ample
room for drift to the northeast, east or
southeast and a landing in open coun-
try, so that the bag can be salvaged.
Aim to Observe Conditions
The. completed plans for the flights
are due to the efforts of Capt. Stevens,
who has gathered data during the past
II months directed toward the use in
Str FIGHTS largest l..
loon which it is practicable to con-
struct and an ascent to the highest
point to which it is believed possible
for man to rise in a gas bag with hope
of a safe landing. The mere attain
ment of altitude, however, is not a pri-
mary object of the ascents. 1t Is de-
height above the earth in order that
conditions there can be observed.
Capt. Stevens has penetrated the
lower levels of the stratosphere by air
plane on numerous occasions and also
has served as observer on number OF
Army balloon ascensions. During his
high-altitude flying he has collected
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 stratosphere.
Other such records of temperatures,
from the earth to an altitude Of ap-
proximately 10000 feet, is one of the
obtectives Of the 1884 ascents. Such
data will be extremely valuable in
weather studies.
Another project Of importance will be
the trapping of samples of stratcsphere
air at several levels. These specimens
will be analyzed and studied later in
physical and chemical laboratories.
The preliminary "agenda" for scief-
tific data to be collected during the
ascents contains IA other items. vary
ing from high level photography and
the ascertainment Of the electrical con-
dition of the air at various levels, to
cosmic ray studies and efforts to de-
termine ozone concentration. The
mysterious ozone layer of the upper air,
which some scientists assert Is all that
saves life on the earth from destruction
by ultra short light rays, is thought to
lie far above the highest point that can
be reached by a manned balloon. 1t is
hoped, however, that evidences of an
increasing ozone content of the air can
be detected IS miles up.
Stevens Designed Instruments.
In order to house the many instru-
ments and automatic recording devices
that will be taken aloft. the balloon will
have attached to it a spherical gondola
of light metal feet in diameter. This
diameter is feet greater than that of
the gondolas used by Prof. Picard and
Comdr Settle, and will provide a cubic
capacity more than twice as great.
The instruments, many of them de-
signed and modified by Capt. Stevens
as a result of trials during high-alti-
tude flights. will be largely automatic,
leaving observer and pilot free to take
care of the many activities in the gon-
dola that will require personal atten-
ton. A number of tiny cameras, using
motion-picture film, will automatically
and tirelessly "read" dials and clock
faces simultaneously at frequent in
tervals.
Capt. Stevens has made innumerable
high altitude photographs, some of
them, by the use of infra-red rays,
showing mountain peaks more than 800
miles from the camera. Two of his
photographs, of extraordinary interest
to geographers and astronomers, are
unique. One, taken from a plane 2l.-
600 feet over Central Argentina, is the
first photograph ever made showing
laterally the curvature of the earth.
The other, made at an altitude OF
$4,000 feet over Southern Maine, in
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