FitzRoy’s Glass: Victorian Weather Marvel or Glorified Thermometer?

Vice Admiral Robert FitzRoy was a weather forecasting pioneer, but the invention most closely tied to his name — the 'storm glass' — turned out to be essentially useless. According to Hackaday, FitzRoy promoted these sealed vessels in the 1860s, filled with alcohol, water, camphor, saltpeter, and sal ammoniac. The theory was elegant: crystal formations would predict weather. FitzRoy believed wind possessed an 'electrical tension' that powered this effect. Science disagreed. An 1863 critique dismissed it as a crude thermometer, and later studies found no real correlation with actual conditions. The real story? Camphor dissolves and crystallizes based on temperature, so the glass is essentially just a thermometer in disguise. Despite its failure as a forecaster, storm glasses remain popular as decorative pieces — and if you're curious, you can make your own.

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