Evening star., 1935-07-12

feverish activity in the rock bound
bowl, IL miles from here.
After nearly six weeks Of delay, prin-
cipally because Of unsuitable weather,
the start was decided on yesterday
noon. A crew Of 800 soldiers was
summoned to initiate the bag. At
midnight, while a crowd Of thousands
CT persons watched from the cliffs 500
feet above, the stratosphere force
completed initiation.
Even after midnight a continuous
stream Of cars jammed the 11-mile
stretch between Rapid City and the
"strato-camp" It was unoficially
estimated automobiles rolled into the
flight grounds at the rate Of about
5000 an hour.
Night was turned into day in the
bowl as battery of SO foodlights of
1,500 to 1000 candlepower each illu-
minated the rocked-walled natural
valley where the big bag was slowly
rising.
Gondola Lashe6 to Bag.
At AIS am. the balloon was In
proper position and crew started
rolling the gondola beneath the bag.
The next step was lashjng the metal
ball to the balloon bv network of
ropes and webbing. 1t was while this
task was being performed that the top
of the helium- filled fabric gave way.
There was a rush Of spectators to
the rails guarding the rim Ut the
bowl. AL sought q vantage point to
see what had happened.
The catastrophe stunned the crowd
for a few minutes. As the situation
slowly dawned urGr them-there
would be no flight ttday-they COM
menced their 11-mlie trip into the
city. All roads on the rim were made
one-way lanes-goiug out.
For nearly three hours automobiles
loaded with people left the ruu and
hundreds of cars remained. Military
police who directed traffic estimated
10000 automobiles were crowded
around the bowl.
Meteorologists at the flight base had
completed one wind direction test, and
were preparing to make another
when the collapse halted everything.
Near the base q crew OF newspaper
men stood by, some Oh them waiting
to follow the nag TIN ough the air by
plane. The short-wave radio nook
up by which the balloon crew was to
keep in contact with their ground
aides was tested and ready.
Watching over all were the men
who planned to climb into the gon-
dola and soar at least a dozen miles
above the earth. Foremost among
their aims was the collection of data
on the little-known cosmic rays,
which continuously lombard the
earth from a mysterious source. Al
though "cosmic radiation" has been
known for more than 80 years, SCENT
lists are eager to learn more.
Had Many Other Aims.
Other purposes of the flight that
did not materialize were measure
ments of temperature and barometric
pressure changes, collection of sam
pies VI StTdJOSpllCIC oil opCCt1O6AdP dP1llC
studies of sunlight and skylight, sky
brightness, sun brightness and earth
brightness, wind direction and We
locity, electrical conductivity of the
upper air, spore studies, radio re-
search, Photographic studies and
others.
Precautions had been taken so
there would be no recurrence Of last
years near disaster, when the bal
loon ripped and the crew of Explorer I
were forced to take to parachutes. In
addition to the individual parachutes
there was an 80-foot parachute at
tached to the gondola Of this years
balloon, which in case Of accident
was expected to slow the fall sufd-
ciently to permit the flyers to jump
and then bring the lightened gondola
and its precious instrupaents to earth
without major damage.
Then suddenly, while the crew was
preparing to say good-bys and receiv-
ing wishes Of good luck, the adventure
was, at least temporarily, ended. A
puff Of blue haze, q sag Of the huge
fabric, confusion As roll was called
to determine possible casualties. and
everything was changed.