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69.

[[underlined]] SUMMARY [[/underlined]].

1. An important part of the atmosphere, that extends for many miles beyond the reach of sounding-balloons, has up to the present time been considered inaccessible. Data of great value in meteorology and in solar physics could be obtained in recording instruments sent into this region.

2. The rocket, in principle, is ideally suited for reaching high altitudes, in that it carries apparatus without jar, and does not depend upon the presence of air for propulsion. A new form of rocket apparatus, which embodies a number of improvements over the common form, is described in the present paper. 

3. A theoretical treatment of the rocket principle shows that, if the velocity of expulsion of the gases were considerably increased, and the ratio of propellant material to the entire rocket were also increased, a tremendous increase in range would result; from the fact that these two quantities enter exponentially in the expression for the initial mass of the rocket necessary to raise a given mass to a given height.

4. Experiments with ordinary rockets show that the efficiency of such rockets is of the order of 2 per cent, and the velocity of ejection of the gases, 1,000 ft/sec. For small rockets the values are slightly less. 

With a special type of steel chamber and nozzle, an efficiency has been obtained with smokeless powder of over 64 per cent, (higher than that of any heat engine ever before tested); and a velocity of nearly 8,000 ft/sec., which is the highest velocity so