Finally, the question of the possibility of its construction would have 

 to be examined closely. It would probably be impossible to run it off 

 in two large hemispheres, as I had done for the cabin which is in use 

 at the moment in the FNRS 3. In this case the cabin would be sub- 

 divided into a larger number of pieces. It would be possible, for 

 example, to replace the two hemispheres by twelve-twelfths of a 

 sphere, all exactly equal and glued or welded together. Their contours 

 would be the central projection on the sphere of the twelve pentagons 

 of a regular dodecahedron. The thirty joints would be flat surfaces. 



In these conditions the joints between the twelve spherical pentagons 

 would in no way decrease the strength of the cabin. The manhole 

 would be conical, cut in one of these twelve pieces. It would be closed 

 by a door likewise in the form of a truncated cone : this door, being in 

 plexiglas, would in no way decrease the strength of the cabin. 



Another solution should also be considered : to construct the sphere 

 of a great number of rings stuck together. This construction would 

 naturally be simpler. However, the joints between the rings, this time 

 subjected to shearing, would have to be perfect in quality. 



All things considered, the mesoscaphe, like the bathyscaphe, would 

 be entirely safe. Its scientific operation would be less expensive than 

 that of the bathyscaphes, and would give better results down to those 

 depths to which the strength of the plexiglas would allow it to descend. 



If circumstances, financial and otherwise, do not permit me to con- 

 struct this new apparatus myself, I hope that some day someone will 

 be found to take my project in hand and bring it to a happy conclusion. 



[145] 



