Evening star., 1935-01-20

innovation which has had highly
creditable results. It was begun
aboard the Rupert by DR.. Poulter,
DR.. Bramhall and Mr.. Zuhn, carried
across the Pacific, extended into new
regions during the Eastern cruise and
made an integral part OF the routine
program at Little America. Recently,
in order to determine whether or not
the significant variations in coSmic
ray activity noted at high attitudes
and lower latitudes occur at high alti-
tude in high latitudes, we sent the
apparatus to an altitude of 12,500 feet
in one of the planes.
Cosmic Ray Data.
The data. which have been only
partly analyzed. have confirmed DR..
Compton's theory of cosmic rays as
consisting in their major part of elec-
trically charged particles Of great
penetrating power originating In re-
mote space, which rain in continu-
Gus bombardment through the earth's
atmosphere. A variation of intensity
of cosmic ray radiation with geomag-
netic latitude has been determined.
OF equal and perhaps greater interest,
the observations at Little America
show an unexpectedly high absolute
value and slow increase in intensity
which may presage some period varia-
ton.
Polar meteorology was likewise
given a boost upward. In September.
with the temperature still between so
and 60 degrees below zero, Haines
initiated series of high-altitude aero
logical soundings. the first of the kind
ever undertaken in the South Polar
regions. The autogyro was equipped
with a Paragraph for making O con-
tinuous registration Of temperature,
barometric pressure and humidity at
different attitudes. Through Septem-
ber. until the gyro crashed, Mccormick
made such flights on every clear day.
Now that the major flights are safely
past and standby plane Is not re-
quired for emergency purposes, we have
been able to resume these flights. The
data, Haines believes, are Of great
value in understanding the general
circulation of the air in these lati-
tudeS.
Considering how recent Is the use
Of aircraft In polar explorations, we
were able to put our planes to excel
lent use in many directions. Certain
flights served as many as four pur-
poses simultaneously: Discovery, map
ping, theological soundings and alti-
meter soundings Of surface elevations.
On different occasions aviation was
effectively employed to reconnoiter
dangerous terrain for field parties.
Aided by Radio.
The hazards, to be sure, remained.
The keenest sort Of cooperation was
required between the meteorologist
and pilots. Practically all our later
flights were barely squeezed In between
periods Of unfavorable weather; but
the main program was successfully
executed.
Radio. too. as q polar tool made
important advances. Every field party
was equipped with radio and reported
at fixed intervals. As many as five
parties have reported to the main base
on a single day. When important
flights were pending these field parties
filed weather reports from their widely
scattered positions. The planes were
in continuous communication with the
main base and have on occasion COM
municated with field parties IN the
area Of their fight, passing on impor-
tant information about crevasses and
other hazards in their path.
With such communication facilities,
the credit for which belongs to Chief
Radio Operator Bailey. Engineers
Dyer and Hutchison and Operator
Waite, I possessed directive influence
over scattered units that no other
leader Of polar expedition ever pos
sessed. Any important discovery, any
crisis, any situation requiring quick
action, extraneous assistance O.
further investigation could be at once
communicated tn Little America.