Evening star., 1948-09-10
Bathyscaphe Is Ready
For 24.MiIe Sea Dive,
Prof. Picard Reports
By Roger EeroI
North American Newspaper Alliance

{ ANTWERP, Sept. s. (By AirmaiD
Gin a few days the Scaldis, carry
Sing the members of the Picard
SCosyns expedition will lift anchor
here and set out for its great adven-
sture. For the first time, men will
try to descend 212 miles into the
depths of the seattle record is
5000 feet. set by an American, DR.
William Beebe, in 1884.
4 Profs. Auguste Picard and Max
Cosyns have been hard at work
for the last two weeks inspecting
with extreme care every one Of the
Thousand details of the strange
mechanism - the "bathyscaphe"-
inside which they will make their
sdescents this month in the Gulf OF
Guinea off the west coast of Africa.
The two scientists know that the
least error or the most minute de-
feet can bring certain death, since
at the depth they hope to reach
the crushing pressure of the water
ION their underwater balloon" will
total 250,000 tons.
i Two Men Remain Calm.
+ However, the two men are calm.
EThey have just finished here, in
sthe shipyards Of the Mercantile Ma
rine Engineering Co., the setting up
sof the bathyscaphe on the deck Of
Ithe Scaldis. The delicate operation
twas carried out free from prying
reyes since the two scientists feel
that the success of expedition must
not be jeopardized in any way. 1t
! is being sponsored by the National
Belgian Foundation for Scientific
i Research
Meanwhile, Capt. Laforce, master
Of the Scaldis. has issued his orders
to make the preparations for the
tourney into African waters. Men
scurry about the deck and, over
head, cranes swing material to the
ship.
Profs. Picard and Cosyns check
the two extra emergency RATS
aboard the Scaldis, and also the
radar antenna so vital to their
success. The bathyscaphe has no
cable, and the radar set will be
used to locate it on it's rise to the
surface. Next, they inspect the
huge float that will carry aviation
gasoline and bring the bathyscaphe
to the surface Aviation gasoline
was picked because of its high lift
ing power"
Float Fastened on Last.
/ For each dive, Prof. Picard ex-
plains, the float will have to be
. fastened to the bathyscaphe after
Ethe divers have been locked inside
ION surfacing, the float will have
to be unlocked before the bathy-
scaphe can be hoisted aboard the
ship and it's occupants released.
While the bathyScaphe is below
the sea, he points out, Prof Cosyns
will direct its dive by relay box
controlling the electric motor in the
underwater balloon" The ascent,
however, will not be directed from
the ship and the bathyscaphe will
rise OF it's own accord. probably to
be swept away from the ship by
the underwater currents.
The diving device in all is COM
posed of three main parts: There
Is the cabin in which the occupants
sit. the bathyscaphe proper which
will be hoisted and fitted over the
cabin while it is aboard the ship
and finally the float which will be
fastened to the top of the bathy-
scaphe. The entire mechanism. de-
signed by Prof Picard 40 years
ago, was assembled here aboard the
ship
The two half-spheres forming the
bathyscaphe are hermetically locked
together by a revolutionary new
process. 1t is about six feet in
diameter but appears almost tiny
under the enormous float above.
Cabin Has Portfolio.
At the right lower side Of the
cabin is portfolio. which also serves
as door, but is so small that the
passengers will have to crawl