BALLOON ASCENT

Hokitika Guardian, 19 August 1932, Page 5

BALLOON ASCENT

SCIENTIFIC TEST

PROFESSOR PICARD’S EFFORT.

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.)

LONDON, August 18.

The Belgian scientist, professor Piccard, got away at dawn on his balloon ascent. The conditions were good. When'Professor Piccard got away at dawn, his wife and five- children waved him farewell. (Professor Piccard is accompanied by his 4 assistant, M. Max Tfe "aims','to -rise over ten miles, and to obtain photographs arid data of the qosmie rays. The balloon, spread on. thei ground before inflation, measured one hundred reet in diameter. The airtight aluminium gondola, in 'which the aeronauts are

sealed, weighs five- hundredweight: It is connected with the bag by thirtytwo cables. It contains wireless equipment and delicate instruments to measure the cosmic rays at a record height. There are also four cylinders of oxygen, and regenerating apparatus,-, enabling the occupants to live for thirty hours, and if necessary for sixty-four hours. The flight is creating enormous interest.

15.000 REET ALTITUDE REACHED. (Received this day at 9.25 a.m) ; LURIGH, August 18. Professor Piccard ascended from the Dubenfore aerodrome in the presence of thirty thousand spectators, including Von' Eckner. He wirelessed at 10 a.m., reporting that he was between -14,000 and 15,000 .metres up. Over th© Tyrol all was well, and visibility was good. Investigations of s-olar conditions are proceeding satisfactorily. Later he 'wirelessed: “We are halfway up, and intend to break last year’s record by a wide margin.” The balloon earlier presented a beautiful sight

the clear .atmosphere, and the white gondola was visible in many towns. A Swiss aeroplane pilot, who accompanied Professor Piccard part < the way, returned after an hour’s flying, and reported that the balloon, a ’ reaching 15,000 feet, ascended too fast for |the aeroplane’ to keep pace with it. PICCARD’S RECORD* ASCENT. thisUday at 10.15 a.m.) • ZURICH, August 18. Piccard alighted near Desenzano 1 , on Lake Garda. He bad previously wirelessed that' helHwas 16,500 metres up, thereby breaking the- record. He then said that he intended alighting soon, to avoid ooming down in the Adriatic.