Chapter I: Front Matter

</pre>

_THE ROMANCE OF SCIENCE._
--------------------------------------------------

SOUNDING
THE OCEAN OF AIR

_BEING SIX LECTURES_

DELIVERED BEFORE THE LOWELL INSTITUTE OF BOSTON
IN DECEMBER 1898

BY
A. LAWRENCE ROTCH, S.B., A.M.,

DIRECTOR OF THE BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY,
MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., AND MEMBER
OF THE INTERNATIONAL CLOUD AND AERONAUTICAL COMMITTEES.

PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE GENERAL
LITERATURE COMMITTEE.

LONDON:
SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE,
NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, W.C.; 43, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, E.C.

BRIGHTON: 129, NORTH STREET.

NEW YORK: E. & J. B. YOUNG & CO.

1900

This little Book is gratefully Dedicated

TO

The late AUGUSTUS LOWELL, Esq.

OF

BOSTON, U.S.A.

WHO, AS TRUSTEE OF THE LOWELL INSTITUTE,
ENABLED SCIENTIFIC MEN OF TWO CONTINENTS TO
PRESENT THE RESULTS OF THEIR INVESTIGATIONS
TO THE PUBLIC

CORRIGENDA

Page 50, line 11, _for_ "isolation" _read_ "insolation."

Page 59, line 21, _before_ "direction" _insert_ "opposite."

Page 112, line 2; page 115, lines 2 and 15, and Index, pages
175 and 183, _for_ "ViollÈ" _read_ "Violle."

Page 112, line 23; page 113, line 6, and Index, page 181, _for_
"Muntz" _read_ "M¸ntz."

Page 123, last line, _for_ "1889" _read_ "1891."

Index, page 177, _for_ "Cotte (T.)" _read_ "Cotte (L.)."

Index, page 179, _after_ "Hann (J.), 36," _add_ "173."

Index, page 179, _for_ "Hellman (G.)" _read_ "Hellmann (G.)."

Index, page 181, _after_ "Langley (S. P.)" _insert_ "28."

[Transcriber's Note: These corrections have been applied to the
current version]

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. THE ATMOSPHERE--ANCIENT AND MODERN
KNOWLEDGE--METHODS OF INVESTIGATION 9

II. CLOUDS--FORMATION AND CLASSIFICATION--MEASUREMENTS
AT BLUE HILL--THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATIONS 38

III. BALLOONS--NOTABLE ASCENTS AND RESULTS
OBTAINED--CAPTIVE BALLOONS 68

IV. _BALLONS-SONDES_ FOR GREAT ALTITUDES--THE INTERNATIONAL
ASCENTS 98

V. KITES--HISTORY AND APPLICATION TO METEOROLOGICAL
PURPOSES AT BLUE HILL AND ELSEWHERE 117

VI. RESULTS OF THE KITE-FLIGHTS AT BLUE HILL--FUTURE WORK 145

INDEX 175

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

PLATE I. Comparative Altitudes 22

PLATE II. Optical Phenomena showing the Height of the
Atmosphere 26

PLATE III. Temperature at different Latitudes and Altitudes 31

FIG. 1. Nephoscope at Blue Hill Observatory. 52

FIG. 2. Cloud Theodolite at Blue Hill Observatory 54

PLATE IV. Heights and Velocities of Clouds 57

PLATE V. Atmospheric Circulation at different Heights in
Cyclones and Anti-cyclones 61

FIG. 3. German Balloon equipped for Meteorological
Observations 87

PLATE VI. Temperatures observed in Four High Balloon Ascents 91

FIG. 4. German Kite-balloon. 95

FIG. 5. Baro-thermograph of Richard 102

FIG. 6. The _AÈrophile_ rising 103

PLATE VII. Heights and Temperatures recorded in eight Ascents
of the _Cirrus_ 109

FIG. 7. Oriental tailless Kites. 119

FIG. 8. Eddy tailless Kite 129

FIG. 9. Hargrave Kite 130

FIG. 10. Modified Hargrave Kites at Blue Hill 133

FIG. 11. Lamson's Aero-curve Kite 135

FIG. 12. Meteorograph lifted by Kites at Blue Hill 138

PLATE VIII. Meteorogram from the Kite-flight of Oct. 8, 1896,
at Blue Hill 148

PLATE IX. Mean Changes with Height, and Changes during the
Kite-flight of Oct. 8, 1896 150

PLATE X. Changes with Height recorded by Kites at Blue Hill 155

PLATE XI. Kite Observations at Blue Hill, Sept. 5-11, 1897 163

PLATE XII. Automatic Records during a High Kite-flight
at Blue Hill 166

PLATE XIII. Results of Kite-flights at Blue Hill during an
Anti-cyclone and a Cyclone 168

SOUNDING
THE OCEAN OF AIR

----------