The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-01-25
Prepared by National Geographic Society


Washington. D. C.-WNU Service.
A MOTHER flight by huge bal
"A loon into the shakespeare will
4 "A be made in the summer of 1885,
jointly by the National Geo
graphic society and the United
States army air corps. Capt. Albert
w. Stevens will be in command Of the
balloon which will be piloted by Capt.
Orvil A. Anderson. Like the expedi-
ton of last summer, the flight of 1885
will take off from a natural basin in
the Black Hills, eleven miles south
west of Rapid City, S. d.
Preparation for such a flight is a
stupendous task. From the inception
of the last flight, in the fall of 1888,
with the guidance of the scientific COM
mittee appointed by President Gros-
venor Of the National Geographic So
ciety, no pains were spared to pro-
duce the best possible instruments and
equipment for collecting scientific data
In the stratosphere. The instruments
were to be of full laboratory size to
insure the greatest attainable ac-
curacy. This meant that some would
be both bulky and heavy.
To house these many large instru-
ments, it became necessary to design
gondola larger than any that had
previously been sent aloft.
Finally, it became apparent that to
lift the gondola and it's cargo of ap-
paratus high into the stratosphere, a
very large balloon would be required.
Experts were consulted, skilled in such
construction, and contract was given
to design and build larger balloon
than any previously constructed-a
bag which, when fully inflated, would
contain 100000 cubic feet of gas.
1t required five months to fashion
this gigantic bag, and into it went two
and third acres of rubber-impregnat-
ed cloth made from long staple cotton.
While it was being built, work was
begun on the gondola, a globe of dow
metal, lighter than aluminium; and in
a score of laboratories and workshops
from New York to California special
ly designed instruments were being
constructed.
Meanwhile a site for the base camp
Of the shakespeare flight had been
chosen in western South Dakota.
Three considerations determined this
choice: the point was far enough west
to permit the balloon to drift even 700
or 800 miles to the eastward and still
come to earth in relatively level, I'M
forested country; the record of the re-
gion was promising for good summer
flying weather; and the site was shell
tered from surface winds.
Making the "stratocamp."
Early in June camp was estab-
lished in the deep, cliff-encircled nat
ural BOWL near Rapid City. 1t quick.
ly became known as the "Stratocamp."
Capt Orvil A. Anderson was on the
scene from the start. Under his capa-
BILE direction the camp developed from
an almost deserted basin into a bus
Ting little village of more than a hun
dred inhabitants.
Within a few weeks it had its drain
age system, and sawdust-paved streets,
a waterworks. two electric lighting
systems, a sewage disposal plant, park
ing spaces, traffic officers, a hospital
and ambulance. There was even fire
department with full-size hose
wagon, two professional fire fighters,
dozen fire extinguishers, and volun-
teer corps to operate them, providing
safeguard against accident in han
ding quantities of explosive gas. No
smoking was permitted in the neigh
borhood of the hydrogen cylinders
Three telephone lines and two radio
stations kept the Stratocamp In COM
munication with the outside world;
and there were two telegraph wires
leading to teletype machines which
constantly raped out weather infor
nation from points as far away as
Alaska, Cuba and Iceland The spe-
cial weather station set up at the
camp, through the cooperation of the
United States weather bureau, the sig
nal corps, and the air corps, ranked,
IN fullness of information furnished,
with the half dozen most important
weather stations in the United States.
Two weeks after the camp was start
ed Captain Stevens went out by plane
from washington, taking some special
instruments. A few days later Mai,
William e. Kepner few into Rapid
City, and the fight personnel was COM
plete.
Freight car loads and truck loads Of
the equipment necessary for a strato