65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_006

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Today
the average freight train
helps national rearmament
bycarryingmore freight
and carrying it faster
than ever before!!!histog!
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AssocIATION OFAMERICANRAILROADS
WASHINGTON 6, D.C.
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Li.1·1en lo THE RAILROAD HOUR every Monday evtninR 011 NBC
Skyhook ready for ascent. "Saucers" were unheard of until ONR's ex­
periments in the stratosphere began under Dr. Liddel's supervision.
FLYING SAUCERS continued
Bigger Skyhooks ~oming­
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. Milli­
'k;1n. ~n
P ~rc; "l('l'("t . ,.h ,v, · ':.~ horr
bardment of particles from outer
space was first discov.ered. These
peculiar phenomena were thought
to be some kind of light ray from
an unknown source. They were
later 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 theearth'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
siol)s.
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 wHh star­
tling c}:lritv
Four levels of cosmic-ray ex­
perimentation have been in prog­
••,..,~ "'"~ first is at sea level \"l· .•~
the bombardment is measured and
photographed in devices called
cloud chambers. This type of ex­
perimentation also goes on at two
laboratories, Mount Evans a1·d
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 ancl. 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
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