CIGARETTE PAPERS.

Southland Times, Issue 22010, 9 May 1933, Page 8

CIGARETTE PAPERS.

BEFORE PICARD. Nicholas Francis Guy-Lussac was one of the earlier precursors of Professor Picard. True ascents in balloons had been made by other scientific men, at Hamburg in 1803 and at Petersburg in 1804 to determine to some extent the effect of altitude on the magnetic needle, but those operations were much restricted. In 1804 the Academy of Sciences organized an ascent, which was to be managed by Guy-Lussac and Biot, with the aid of Conte, who had been chief aeronaut with Bonaparte in Egypt. The ascent was made on August 23, but Guy-Lussac decided that the rotary movement of the ascending balloon should be taken into account, and so on September 16 he went up alone, attaining the then unprecedented height of 23,000 feet. He took up a number of instruments, Making records at five heights, which were valuable in reference to magnetism, pressure, temperature and moisture. Guy-Lussac took notes of his own respirations at high altitudes, brought down specimens of rarefied air in tiny balloons, determined the heights of clouds he passed through, as well as noticing the effect of altitude on the flight of birds. His experimental ascent remained unrivalled until 1862, when James Glaisher rose to 5J miles, and the daring balloonist became unconscious. His companion, named Cox, managed to open the valve with his teeth before he lost his senses, and the balloon came down. It was Guy-Lussac, however, who showed the way to the world in balloon ascents to high altitudes for scientific observation, and this man, who died on May 9, 1850 at Paris, was in his day as daring an adventurer as the Belgian professor who has risen so high in recent times. CRITICUS.