244 METEOROLOGY. 



iier, about once per minute, after he had risen a short distance above the 

 earth, and continued to do so at least until he passed through a mass of 

 cloud and was concealed from view. The rotation of the large balloon 

 was easily observed from below, by watching a flag which he had fixed 

 to the side of his car. He farther stated that he had frequently noticed 

 that pieces of paper, &c. dropped out of his car acquired a whirling 

 motion in descending to the earth. 



On Saturday, October 1st, prox. Mr. J. M'Clellan, instead of Mr-W., 

 made an ascension from the same place, at which time the pilot balloons 

 by the politeness of Mr. Wise, were tried in a similar manner, with sim- 

 ilar results. 



These facts, together with the rotation, in the same direction, of whirl- 

 winds and fluids flowing through a funnel, are interesting as they all 

 point to some common physical cause. I am aware that the vorticular 

 motion, in one invariable direction, of fluids flowing through a funnel 

 has been denied on high authority, but when fairly tried it will always 

 be found that the rotation will be from right to left, and that if even, by 

 oblique pouring, a contrary rotation at first be communicated, this will 

 soon cease, and be followed by a state of quiescence or an opposite mo- 

 tion. It also happens that occasionally a whirlwind may be observed 

 to rotate from left to right, but then it is found to be confined within 

 narrow limits as to space and duration. These whirls are but eddies 

 produced by atmospheric currents flowing obliquely against obstacles, 

 like those similarly produced in water-, but the regularly developed 

 whirlwind, carried along in free open space, always rotates in one inva- 

 riable direction in the same hemisphere. 



For some years previous to the date of Mr. Wise's ascension above 

 mentioned, I had become interested in the science of Meteorology, es- 

 pecially after the perusal of the able papers on that subject, published 

 in our scientific journals, by Prof. Espy and Mr. Redfield. The two in 

 .some respects rival theories of storms of these gentlemen called forth 

 much discussion, and very naturally directed attention to their relative 

 merits. Whilst too much praise cannot be awarded to the former for 

 his indefatigable labors and the vast amount of new and interesting truths 

 which be brought together, mainly through his own individual exertions, 

 I must confess that in my view Redfield's theory of roiarj/ or incorrectly 

 centrifrugal storms conforms more nearly to the facts of observation 

 than does that of the Prof. E., which maintains that there is an afflux air 

 from the exterior towards some central point or line, and which has 

 therefore been called the centripetal theory. Agreeably to Redfield's 

 theory, the rotation of the great storm-cloud is from right to left, and 



