INTO THE STRATOSPHERE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 20 August 1934, Page 5

INTO THE STRATOSPHERE

DRIFT ACROSS EUROPE BALLOONISTS LAND SAFELY (United Press Association— By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) BRUSSELS, 18th August. Professor Max Cosyns, accompanied by Monsieur Vanderelst, began a balloon ascent into the stratosphere at 6.19 a.m. from Hour-Hayenne, in the Belgian Ardennes. He is not trying to beat the altitude record, and expects to stay in the air fourteen hours. LONDON, 18th August. A Vienna message states it is feared something untoward has happened to the two occupants of a stratosphere balloon which should have descended last night. The balloon drifted across Europe from the Belgian Ardennes to the mountainous regions on the border of Jugo-Slavia. It was expected to land in Bavaria, and was last sighted in Hungary, near the Jugo-Slavian border. A British United Press Vienna message from Yugo-Slavia says the stratosphere balloon landed at 9 p.m. on Saturday. Both occupants were alive.

ALTITUDE OF 16,000 METRES

IMPORTANT SCIENTIFIC CONCLUSIONS (Received 20th August, 9.15 a.m.) LONDON, 19th August. A message from Ljubljana says that Professor Cosyns made a perfect landing, assisted by peasants, who at first were terrified by the balloon. Professor Cosyns says lie reached 16,000 metres and bad no notion of flying to Jugoslavia. He thought he was over Czechoslovakia. He was very pleased with, the results of his flight. He investigated certain movements of cosmic rays and reached important scientific conclusions. Ho was most alarmed yesterday when the radio broke down. He tried to send out S.O.S. signals, fearing a drift to disaster. The balloonists dismantled the balloon this morning for return by rail to Belgium.' The instruments are in perfect order.