_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