Evening star., 1948-10-03
Picard Expedition
Includes Men With
Heroic War Records
By Henry GhysseIs

NofIh Am%fieon Ne~SPoPeF AHtones
Aboard Picard -Cosyns Deep.Ses
Expedition mothership Scaldis. al
sea. Sept. 40 (By WirelesS De.
layed) Who are the pioneers oi
the great depths now sailing toward
tropical seas where they will brave
the unknow perils Of the ocean bot
tom in the interests of science7
There is. first, of course, Prof
Auguste Picard himself. This So.
want 1t was who some 40 years age
conceived the idea which is now
being realized. His, too, was the con-
cept Of the balloon In which he and
Prof. Max Cosyns first penetrated
the upper atmosphere, reaching a
stratospheric height Of over $4,000
feet.
Prof. Picard is not a Belgian
despite the popularity Of this mis-
take. He was born in Switzerland,
January 20, 1884. Physicist and en-
gineer, he was professor at the
Geneva Federal Polytechnic School
Recently Prof. Picard has been
committing between posts as pro-
fessor at the University Of Brussels
and engineer for a major plant at
Sierre in Switzerland.
Auguste Piccard's twin brother
Jean, also an engineer, is resident
Of the United States, where he Is
today working on plans for a STRAIT
osphere ascent.
The professor has four daughters
Zone of whom is herself mother)
and a son. Jean, who is accompany
ing this expedition.
Cosyns Is Keen Technician.
Co-leader of the expedition and
Prof. Piccard's associate in previous
scientific undertakings is Prof. MAJ
Cosyns, a Belgian, born at Schaer-
beck, May 20. 1906. He is associated
with the Faculty Of Applied Sciences
at Brussels University. A physicist
and a mechanical and electrical
engineer, he has been attached tt
the Brussels faculty since 1s45.
A frequent visitor to the Belgian
Congo, Prof. Cosyns is a member oi
the Belgian Scientific Commission
for the Study Of Nuclear Problemi
and at Brussels University is direc.
tor Of the Nuclear Physics Labera-
tory. He is the technician of the
expedition.
1t Was Prof. Cosyns who had direct
charge Of the actual building Of the
fabulous bathyscaphe In which the
expedition members will ride the
deep-ocean currents.
During the German occupation OF
Belgium in World War II Prof
Cosyns worked with the informa-
ton division of the underground
He was seized by the Germans
however, and sent to Dachau. He
spent two and half years in that
concentration camp. Married just
before the war, Prof. Cosyns has q
daughter of 7.
Marlier Well Known Zoologist.
The expeditions invertebrate-
zoology specialist, Georges Marlier
is Belgian, although born in
France, at Bordeaux, January 2S
1917. An assistant In the zoology
department of the University OF
Brussels, his papers have been wide
ly published in scientific journals.
He hopes also during the current
expedition to carry out experiments
on the electrical conductivity Of
sea water.
Youngest member Of the expedi-
tion Is Jean Pierre van den Eeck-
houdt, born In Belgium, June 10,
1919. Also an assistant at the 20.
ology department Of Brussels Uni
versity, his special field Of research
Is the influence Of light and heat on
the sex life Of fish.
One Of the French scientists on
board Is Claude Francis -Boeuf, born
In French West Africa, at Kotounou
June Is. 1905, the son Of a colonial
functionary. He is q member OF the
French Oceanographic Research
Center and assistant director of the
Submarine Zoology Laboratory OF
the University OF Paris.
Married and father Of son OF
three, Mr. Francis-Boeuf's wartime
activity as a member Of the French