OUTLINES
OF

A MECHANICAL THEORY OF STORMS,

Present State of the Science of Meteorology—Primordial Condition of the Solar System—Theory of Gravitation the great key of Nature—Bessell’s doubts of its perfect adequacy—the Newtonian Vacuum: its difficulties—Nature of the element called Ether—The Medium of Space and the Electric Fluid—Ponderosity of Matter—Dynamical law of Equilibrium—Specific heat and its relation to space—A Plenum not opposed to Gravitation—The medium of space in motion—Formation of Vortices—A new principle developed—Elements of the problem—Hutton’s theory of the production of rain—Indications of change and the cause—Action of the Ethereal Current—Physical process of Atmospheric Derangement—Redfield’s theory of Storms: its difficulties—All storms are of brief duration and limited extent.

Mechanical action of the Moon—The Moon’s mass—Axis of the Terral Vortex affected by the Moon: its inclination and position: its displacement—An example of the principle—Corrections necessary—Milwaukie storm—New York storm—Ottawa storm—Liverpool storm—Names and recurring order of the storm-producing agents—Record of the weather—Second New York storm.

Lunar influence rejected by the learned—Their conclusions not valid—Modifying causes in accordance with these principles—Years and seasons vary in character—Superficial temperature of different Planets—No storms on the planet Mars—Rotation the cause of Ocean and Atmospheric Currents—Pressure of the atmosphere and its regular and irregular variations—Terrestrial Magnetism—Internal Constitution of the Globe—Magnetic variations—Cause of these variations—Magnetic storms—Aurora Borealis: its altitude—Earthquakes; their possible connection with Storms.

The solar spots—Law of periodicity compared with the theory—Existence of another planet beyond Neptune probable—Masses of the Sun and Planet yet uncertain—The Law of Gravitation not above suspicion—Proofs of this—The full of the Moon—Density of the Ethereal Medium: its law in the Solar Vortex—Bode’s law of the planetary distances—Law of planetary density—Law connecting the present and former diameters of the planets—Disturbing action of the Ether—Kepler’s third law not rigidly exact—Inconsistencies of Astronomers—Nature of light and heat—Distinction between light and heat.

Comets—Their small inclinations—Their motions chiefly direct—Comet of 1770 and 1844—Cause of acceleration in the case of Encke—Anomalous motions of the comet of 1843—Change of diameter at different distances of a comet from the sun—Cause of this change—Nature of the nebulosity—Formation of the tail—Compound nature of a comet’s light—motion and direction of a comet’s tail—Phenomena presented by the great comet of Halley—Mass of a comet—The Zodial light—Nebulous stars—Shooting stars—Periodic showers—Periodicity doubtful—Cause of the apparent periodicity—Cause for being more numerous in Autumn than in Spring.

State of the polar ice since 1845—Sir John Franklin’s track—Probable existence of islands north of Behring’s Straits—Possibility of subsisting in the Arctic islands—News from the Investigator—Necessity of searching in a higher latitude than the Investigator visited—Franklin’s misfortunes due to