The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-01-28
PLAN ARCTIC
EXPEDITION
Seek Light on Origin Of
Weather, Other Scien-
tific Questions


An Arctic expedition which may
revolutionize weather forecasting
in this country is being planned
by Clifford J. MacGregor. New
York. under auspices of the U. ).
Weather Bureau.
The party is scheduled to leave
Newark, N. j., next June on Mac
Gregor's 120-foot schooner for
Fort Conger on the northeast cor
ncr of Greenland.
MacGregor. chief meteorologiSt
for the Second International Elk
petition to the Arctic in 1928,
pointed out that il is an accepted
scientific fact that weather in the
far north has a great influence
as far south as the lower tier of
states. He hopes TO discover just
how great that influence is.
The explorer will use a COM
parativelv new approach - the
study of "air masses" in place of
air currents. thus obtaining
three-dimensional or cubical view
of the atmosrhere rather than q
fat plane. By his method, air
streams in upu.r attitudes can be
traced 10 and from their sources
and high and low pressure areas
CO? he analvzed.
eve think that the complete
L. "A,
because weather must originate
somewhere. and scientists now
believe IL is in the Arctic" Mac
Creoor said.
TO Use BALLOONS
"Thnra are thirty-seven wealth
OF stations in this country for the
study of air masses But they
hav" made comparatively little
nro'-~o~S because their expert
mer'"l airplanes can ascend only
in good weather. We hope to use
c"mna"t meteorological recorders
With which Tho Massachusetts, In
stitrt" &c Technology is expert
menting. They weigh about three
mounds. and will be sent up on
balloons. a RADIO transmitter will
dispatch atmospheric conditions TO
our r"rHivcr on the ground. Thus
we viii not he hampered by I'M
favorable weather conditions. Our
fndin"s will be broadcast TO the
". s. Weather Bureau twice daily
~ Shnrt wave radio"
VOL hrs boon ACCOMPLISHED in
this field nv Soviet Russia and
Canada. and in Norway. II is
hoped that within four or FIVE
years the United States. in CO.
operation with these countries.
may be able to establish perma-
rent meteorological bureaus
throughout the entire north TO
forecast "eathcr for tho entire
world as far ahead as two weeks.
The value of this TO shipping. pas
scngSr scrvircS. and farmers
world b" inevtimable.
eve will also investigate the
Arctic natives belief that the au-
rora borealiS cmits sound Mac
f,regor said. approximately %
per cent Of the natives swear IL
does, while scientists VOW il docs
not. FacctiouS persons say IL Is
inst static electricity cracking in
the natives boards. Natives say
they can hear the aurora distinct
,ly--a sound like the rustling OF
silk. But static which causes au-
sroras is discharged about go miles
from the earth. and therefore any
sound which might be emitted
would take at least eight minutes
TO reach our cars: so you can see
il could not be connected with
anv separate discharge.
CONSIDER VACUUM THEORY
VI. "Also. scientists believe there is
an extensive vacuum in these
upper atmospheric regions, thru
which no sound could possibly
paSs-unleSS there is another con-
ductor up there which they know
nothing about. We are going TO
try to detect any sound by lower,
Ing the ground wire of our radio
straight down to sea-level. Thus
any sound which might reach the
earth will he picked up by this
wire transmitted TO our ears.
,, Another problem which we vii
attempt 10 solve-one which ha:
puzzled scientists for many years
is the origin of the blonde eski
mos in these northern regions
-Four Or Ave hundred years ago. :