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cun-ent, alinoöt gciicmlly adopted hitlicrto. Of the Rejiorl altoiit llie 

 cloiid-year only a first part has yet appeared. 



Mention must also be made of Professor H. Hergesell, the impulsive 

 and able chairman of the International aeronautic Committee. In 

 this quality he has conti-ibutcd much to promote a systematic 

 examination of the higher air and has taken the initiative for the 

 simultaneous international ascents of balloons, w^hich since November 

 1900 are being undertaken on the first Thursday of each month 

 from some ten stations. Moreover he has by his own investigations 

 very successfully contributed to the common task. 



Though it would be easy to mention some more meteorologists, 

 to whom the new branch of investigation owes nearly equally much, 

 it seems to be difficult, after all these men of great merits, to 

 indicate another who should more than one of them have advanced 

 Meteorology by his labour in the line considered. Accordingly the 

 Committee do not intend to name one person, but wish to recommend 

 for the Medal two in\'estigators — who are, however, one in their 

 work — viz, the editors of "Die Wibsenschaftlichcn Luftfixhrten des 

 deutschen Vereins zur Förderung der LuftschifTahrt, in Berlin", 

 Richard Assmann and Arthur Berson. 



The reason which has determined the Committee to hold these two 

 explorers as more than any one else worthy of the distinction, is 

 especially the high value of the said publication. There the editors 

 liave laid down the foundations, the course and the results of their 

 highly important series of investigations, at the same time clearly 

 showing their great perseverance and earnestness in their exertions, 

 their great scrupulousness and punctuality in the accomplishment of 

 their task. This [)ublication, in which moreover numerous new 

 instruments and resources are described and results communicated 

 which immediately have a[)peared to be of great value, is undoubtedly 

 a work of classic importance. 



The balloon-expeditions, descril)ed in this work, were made from 

 1888 to 1899 and are divided into 6 preparatory (1888—1891), 

 40 princi[»al (1893 — 94) and 29 sn[>i)lenientary expeditions; besides 

 experiments were made with a registerijig captixe balloon and with 

 registering free balloons. In i-eality the scientific aerial voyages, 

 made at Berlin, ha\ e not been finished herewith. Among those 

 not described in the work we mention the rightly well-known 

 "Hochfahrt" of Berson and Süring, undertaken especially to verify 

 the instruments of the registering ivrc balloons by comparing their 

 records with eye-observations made in a mamied balloon started at the 

 same time. The free balloons being meant for the greatest heights 



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