John William Strutt, third baron Rayleigh, O.M., F.R.S., sometime president of the Royal society and chancellor of the University of Cambridge / by his son Robert John Strutt, fourth baron Rayleigh.

  • Robert Strutt, 4th Baron Rayleigh
Date:
1924
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: John William Strutt, third baron Rayleigh, O.M., F.R.S., sometime president of the Royal society and chancellor of the University of Cambridge / by his son Robert John Strutt, fourth baron Rayleigh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of them over-strong. However, they both succeeded in board¬ ing the train, and appeared at the next stopping-place. At Winnipeg Rayleigh had a “ pleasant chat ” with the inevitable reporter. Looking about at the station at St. Paul they saw among the goods waiting to be forwarded a long deal box directed to Mrs. J. Stacey, and on a card attached? “ This is to certify Mr. J. Stacey did not die of any infectious complaint.” The journey passed without further incident. On October 2nd they reached Chicago, when they saw elec¬ trically driven tramways for the first time, and after a night there went on to Washington. At Washington they met various astronomical friends, English and American, including L. M. Rutherfurd, Adams, and Newcomb, who was a resident, being connected with the Naval Observatory. Rayleigh saw the arrangements which Newcomb was preparing for a determination of the velocity of light, and met A. A. Michelson, who was at that time a young naval officer, and had been detailed at Newcomb’s request to assist in this work. From Washington they went to Baltimore on October 6th, 1884, Michelson travelling with them. This was the occasion when Sir William Thomson’s well- known Baltimore Lectures on optical theory were delivered. A full account of them will be found in S. P. Thompson’s Life of Lord Kelvin. I recall a conversation with my father on the subject a year or two before his death. I mentioned the lectures, part of which I had recently been reading. Rayleigh : What an extraordinary performance that was! I often recognized that the morning’s lecture was founded on the questions which had cropped up when we were talking at breakfast. [At the hotel ?] Self: I should have thought that when all the leading physicists in America had collected to hear him, they would have expected something more carefully prepared. Rayleigh : On the contrary, they were very much impressed and he got some of them to do grinding long sums for him in the intervals. L