Show STRA STRATO TO FLIGHT RECORD VIEWED Instruments Damaged as Giant Balloon Crashes in Nebraska By Associated Press HOLDREGE Neb July Ex 30 of a delicate which floated to safe landing anding before the Explorer worlds world's largest stratosphere balloon plopped to earth near here will determine whether anything of ot scientific value was ac accomplished by the venture last Saturday Captain Albert W. W Stevens Stevens Stev Stev- ens scientific observer said aId today After Alter releasing the instrument on ona ona ona a parachute Stevens Major William Kepner flight commander and Caplain Captain Captain Cap Cap- tain lain OrvUl Orvill A. A Anderson copilot abandoned the gondola and floated safely to earth with parachutes Other precious instruments carried by y the balloon were wrecked the barograph however being forwarded to Washington to be examined with the hope it might show the altitude before the bag ripped Just Iud Missed Mined Record Kepner and his companions believed be be- they reached an altitude of feet leet half halt a mile short of the stra stratosphere record The last time I glanced at the instrument it showed we were at atan atan atan an altitude of feet teet Stevens said We were climbing rapidly at athe atthe atthe the he time but in a few lew minutes we noticed the rip and agreed that we must come down All members of the crew were busy every second at the task of bringing the balloon to earth More holes appeared in the bag and not until the Explorer had dropped to feet above sea level was it po possible ible for the men to open the porthole release the sp which was tied to the outside o of the gondola and jump with their para para- chutes I Saved Empty Bottles I Stevens who tied parachutes to a couple of ol empty empt oxygen bottles and heaved them out of the porthole commented com corn If I had had the sense of ofa a goose gooce I could just as easily have tied led parachutes to some of ot the films and records and saved them instead of the thc bottles I The today was en route by express to the University of Rochester Examination of it there will show whether anything new to science resul resulted d from the worlds world's most pretentious venture into the stratosphere The three airmen are eager for another venture into the stratosphere Captain Stevens said id another attempt attempt attempt at at- tempt to soar uncharted heights would not be possible before next May Mayor or June Jun Instruments Destroyed Stevens said May and June are arc the best months for stratospheric exploration ex cx- and that it would take considerable considerable con con- time to reconstruct the precious instruments destroyed when the gondola condola plunged to the earth crashing like an egg Construction of new instruments Stevens said would take less time than that required for those thore carried by the mammoth bag as plans specifications specifications specifications and blue prints of them are In the hands of the score of s scientific scientific tiie organizations which cooperated b by placing the instruments aboard Funds for another attempt to reach a new stratospheric ceiling would have to be enlisted And whether the U. U S. S army air corps and the National Geographic c society which sponsored red the most ambitious stratosphere flight attempt in history history history his his- tory would cooperate in another such undertaking had not been demin de de- de- de I min Anxious to learn what caused aused the gas bag which contained about three acres of fabric to rip as it swung over Nebraska the balloonists and scientists have given most of or their time to a study of the wreckage |