Abstract
Symons's Monthly Meteorological Magazine, August.—“The Thames run dry,” by the Editor. It is less than 200 years since men walked across the bed of the river, near London Bridge; but the old bridges were almost like weirs in the obstruction offered to the flow of the water. The various dates since the year 1114 are given, the last being September 14, 1716. In this year, owing to a long drought and a strong westerly storm at the time in question, the Thames lay perfectly dry above and below bridge, with the exception of a very shallow channel, and many thousand people are said to have passed it on foot.—The first use of kites in meteorology, by A. L. Rotch. It has been stated that the first use of a kite in connection with meteorology was by Dr. Franklin in his experiments on atmospheric electricity in 1752; but Mr. Rotch points out that Dr. A. Wilson, of Glasgow, explored the temperature of the higher regions by raising a number of paper kites, with thermometers appended, in 1749. An account of one of the experiments is contained in Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin., vol. x. part 2. This method was successfully employed on several occasions in that and the following year.
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Scientific Serials. Nature 54, 455–456 (1896). https://doi.org/10.1038/054455a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/054455a0