EXPLORATION OF THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE 



AT NASSAU, NEW PROVIDENCE, BY 



MEANS OF KITES^ 



BY 



OLIVER L. FASSIG, Ph. D., 



Section Director of the U. S. Weather Bureau, at Baltimore, Md. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Included in the equipment of the Bahama Expedition of the Geographical 

 Society of Baltimore was a complete outfit for investigating on a small scale 

 the conditions of the upper atmosphere. This apparatus was loaned to the 

 Director of the Expedition by the Chief of the Weather Bureau. It consisted 

 of one medium-sized and one large box kite (Plate XVI, Fig. 2, and Plate 

 XVII, Fig. 1), two meteorographs (Plate XVI, Figs. 1 and ^), a liand reel 

 with 15,000 feet of steel piano wire, and a nephoscope for altitude measure- 

 ments. In addition, the instrumental equipment included a Eichard barograph, 

 a thermograph, and a hygrograph, a sling psychrometer, a rain gage, and a rain 

 recorder, the property of the Maryland State Weather Service. 



Head winds and rough weather caused considerable delay and incon- 

 venience on the outward voyage, and the Expedition did not reach Nassau until 

 the 17th of June. Through the courtesy of Mr. H. M. Flagler, the use of the 

 grounds and clubhouse connected with the Colonial Hotel was kindly granted 

 for the kite experiments. These grounds were by far the most suitable place to be 

 found in the vicinity of Nassau for the purpose, being one of the few open 

 stretches of field upon the entire Island. Situated west of the town of Nas- 

 sau, along the northern coast of the Island and just below the ruins of old Fort 

 Charlotte, the field afforded a free sweep of the air in the direction of the 

 prevailing easterly winds of these latitudes. The Island of New Providence, 

 upon which Nassau is situated, is a small island, measuring less than 20 miles 

 from east to west and about 7 or 8 miles from north to south at its widest point. 

 It lies about 150 miles to the east of the southern point of Florida, in latitude 

 25° north, longitude 77° 30' west, along the northern edge of the trades. 



^ These results were first published in the Monthly Weather Review, U. S. 

 Weather Bureau for Dec, 1903. 

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