The Coolidge examiner., 1934-04-13

p
Waat astae. - H--wHt ssrrice
w YORK. On The worlds largest
w free balloon Which will bc
ased In the National Geo.
Eruphir Sori~ty. United States Army
Air corIis stratosphcre alEhts Is sell
under way az the Goodyear zeppelin
corporations plant al Akron. Ohio.
The balloon makers vii use two
and a-third acres of cotton fabric
imprrsnated with rubber Ia con
sirurtlux the bag. aud n VIII have
a rapaeiiy % gpp1op0 cubic feet %
gas
When the balloon rises from the
earth. oniy partly inflated. u wiil Dc
shaped Ike = gigantic exclamation
point wlth the round Eondoia repre-
senilug the period As the g0ndola
leaves the ground. The top % the
hax wlll be- 30 feet above tap
prorima,eiy the height % a - story
oflcc building when the baE he.
comes spherical 10 the thin air o.
the strstosphcre. Il wll be large
enough % enclose an iistory build
ing - normal height and % equal
widgh
The Ascent. Ia which q u hoped
10 reach The h'gbes, point 70 which
u = practicable for a balloon 20 ur
man. sill be made IN the Cnlied
States. The purpose % the alEht Is
20 clear problems OF the upper air
that arc siil puEzling science II Is
estimated that Il will rise 10 a height
- more than ~ miles above sea
levei
The nusi ascent will he made 10
June by Capt. Albert ". Stevens.
noted aerial observer and pho,oE.
rapher 81 the army air corps. who
conceived the project. and Mai VII.
liam Kepner. balloon expert of the
army air corps. n this fighi u sue
cessfui. the same hailoonists viii
make second ascent IN Septem-
Der. IN order 20 check observations
under similar conditions
Scientists 20 Give Aid.
To advise IN regard 10 the scien.
tlac plans and equipment. and d.
rect studies of the data collected.
pr. Gilbert Crosyenor. president os
The Naiioual Geographic society. has
formed a committee % outstanding
American scientists It's members
are.
Dr. Lyman J. Briggs. director
United states bureau % standards.
chairman. Dr. q. v. Covllle. United
States Department % Agriculture: /:
Gen. Oscar westover. assistant
chief. United States Army Air corps /:
Capt. Y. 5. Patton. director. United
States coast aud geodetlc survey /:
pr. ". ?. g. Swami. Bartoi Research
foundation. Franklin Institute.
Swarthmorc. Pa: Or. Floyd X.
Richtmyer. department of physics
Cornell university. and member re-
search council American AssOcla-
ton FOR the Advancement Of Sci
ence: nr. Charles T. X. Mees. dlrec-
tor research laboratory. Eastman
Kodak company: Or. Charles +.
Marvin. chief % United States
weather bureau. and DR. John oliver
In Gorce. National Geographic so
cleiy.
The huge balloon 10 be used IN
the asccnts viii have a gas capacity
Eve times that OF the bag ln which
Commander Settle established his
li-mile record last November: aud
nearly three snd-a-half times that OF
the Soviet balloon which In Sepiem.
ber rose nearly l. miles above the
earth.
The exact point at which the bal
loon will take 70 the air has not
been selected. but Il VIII probably De
In the northern great plains region.
Such a choice. Il is pointed out. viii
give ample room for drift 10 the
northeast. east. or southeast and
landing In open country. 50 that the
bar can be salvaged.
The completed plans for the
flights are due 20 the efforts OF Cap
tain Stevens. who has gathered data
during the past eleven months 81.
rected toward the use In sirato-
sphere flights OF the largest balloon
which II Is practicable to construct.
and an ascent 20 the highest point TO
which II is believed possible for a man
10 rise In 4 gas bag. with hope OF n
safe landing The mere attainment
OF altitude. however. Is not a pri.
mary object % the aScents. II is
desired 10 reach the greatest attain
able height above the earth in or
der that conditions there can he OBJ
served.
Stevens Has Experience.
captain Stevens has penetrated
the lower levels Of the stratosphere
by alrplane on numerous occasions
aud also has served as observer on
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