◆ SpookStack

WASHINGTON 6, D.C. Listen to THE RAILROAD HOUR every Monday evening on NBC Bigser Skyhooks coming— Skyhook ready for ascent. “Saucers” were unheard of until ONR’s ex- periments in the stratosphere began under Dr. Liddel’s supervision. FLYING SAUCERS continved then more “saucers” will fly recorded on the instruments dan- gling from them. The instruments are released electronically by par- achute at the end of the flight. The cosmic-ray experiments themselves stem from pioneer work done by Dr. Robert A. Milii- kan.8Nevears: ago when the bom- bardment of particles from outer space was first discovered. These peculiar phenomena were thought to be some kind of light ray from an unknown source. They were Jater discovered to be atomic par- ticles striking at the rate of five per square inch per minute at the earth’s surface. © Cosmic-Ray Mystery The source of these particles is unknown. One theory firmly held for a while was that they origi- nated from explosions on the sun. Some scientists believe now that their impact and energy are so great they must originate from higher-powered galaxies outside the solar system. Whatever their source, these particles strike atoms in the earth’s atmosphere, cause them to ex- plode and fill the atmosphere with atomic debris. Physicists early discovered that the higher they went in the atmos~ ‘phere the more certain they could be of recording the explosions with the greatest accuracy. Their ultimate aim is to make photo- graphs and measurements at the very fringe of the earth’s atmos- phere, for all the air below that is filled in greater or lesser degree with atomic debris from the explo- sions. These explosions, of course, can- not be seen or felt by the human mechanism. But their dramatic impact on the measuring devices can be photographed with star- tling clarity. Four levels of cosmic-ray ex~ perimentation have been in prog- recs ‘The first is at sea level where the bombardment is measured and photographed in devices called cloud chambers. This type of ex- perimentation also goes on at two laboratories, Mount Evans aid Climax Mountain, both in Colo-~ rado, at 14,000 feet. A third type of experimenta- tion was carried on in three B-29 bombers, fitted out as flying lab- oratories. They flew up and down a degree of latitude toward the North Pole and away from it be- tween Fort Churchill, Manitoba, and Lima, Peru. These flying labo- ratories made their recordings at between 30,000 and 40,000 feet. The fourth type is the Skyhook project which has led to so many reports of flying saucers. But there are still more to come. General Mills and the Office of Naval Research are working on a new balloon with four times the capacity of the Skyhook, which can rise to heights of 120,000 feet. This will leave only 0.4 per cent of the earth’s atmospheric envelope above the new balloon. It can safely be predicted that a year hence there will be a new wave of flying-saucer reports. A new, improved model will be ob- served by credulous and alarmed citizens of middle America. These observers will be unable to escape the conclusion that the thing in outer space is gaining on us. = END