New-York tribune., 1874-03-07
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
IRRIGATION BY MEANS OF ARTILLERY.
To IN, Rditor or The Tribune.


To the Editor or The Tribune.
SIR: Herewith is brief statement Of my
reasons for believing that irrigation by artillery" Ia
practcsble NY theory rests upon the fact observed
and commented upon by thousands, that battes-and
especially great battesare usually followed by heay
rains To this may be added the fact that the battles
fought principally with muskets are not SO commonly
succeeded by such rains rs those IN whioh
much artillery il used; from which tho concu-
sion Is drawn that 1t IL the heavy conclusions of
cannon firing. aud not the mere burning OF
gunpowdor, which brings the rain DURING our
late war many Of tho most Intelligent men
men I'm the army were forced 10 this conclusion. Among
others who have written to upon the subject IL
major-geBera OF the army, who says Ihat heaVy eau
nonading will produce rain does not IN my opinion ad
init OF doubt" Another, likewise major general says
am sat SIZED that rain can be produced by heaVy
cannonadng" Another officer OF high rank, In speaking
OF the battle OF Buena VISTA fought in the dry season In
Mexico mentions circumstances which he considers rs
satisfactory proof that the showers which oecnrredaI
that time were caused by the shocks to the atmosphere
Produced by the fire." rearadmra OF the navy
says: II is my firm belief that invariably an early ia
of rain follows heavy firing Of artillery, continued for
few hours in limited district OF space ThOugh
srentiao men, eminent other fields OF research, have
not gwen this subject any special attention yet thero
arc some who believe, from evidence that has come to
their notice. that battles bring rain. Prof Alexander
Winchell, in letter which received from him on the
subject does not hesitate TO express such belief aud
Prof. Bent sllliman says consider that the matter
you have hand is perfectly fair subject Of expert
ment."
There is to believe that the materias-the
aqueous yapOr-requlred for making rain, and the con-
dtions necessary for its condemnation, always pres
ent requiring only that the shall be set in mo-
tion The vast quantities OF aqueous yapor in the air
around us-yapor that forms the principal portion OF
raLs-as taught by Prof NJ. f. Maury IN his Physical
Geography Of the Sea- IL supplied by the southeast trace
wind of the Pacific Ocean lie shows by facts and arg-
ments which seem unauswcrdDie, that tue ar OF tbls
tade-wind becomes n great southwest YapOr-bearlnS
current over our continent To my mind the recently
pGbshcd observations OF the signal Corps OF the army
20 confirm his theory. for II Is found that nearly
all our prlucipa across the country from
the westward and sOuth-wcstwad. Iho rdde,Wulu
which furnishes the air and vapOr for this current blows
with slight interruptions, perpetually from whIch ~
follows that tho current itsolf Is practically cDhstdhe
one Above this current Maury argues there must be
polar current lowing In nearly the opposite direction
IL lar conclusion therefore from the teacllhEs Vi
such high authority thar there always vast guam
tines Of aqueous yapor. transparent and inylslDe' pass
ing u.s. whatever may be the condition OF the ar ht
f earth, Irface aud that tho cold necessary for is
condensation is always it, This conclusion CORE
spoads with the arrived at by me through todiy
examination Of facts relating 10 the occurrence VI ram"
Wth ree.rd to nv plan for the prevention OF drouths
40 argue that any system Should DE lhauSaI atou
10 tnat end until some experiments shall have been
made 10 detrmine whelher not II 10 practicable:
There Is, evidently, great rnth at the Dotto V
tn6 matter, and 10 IS lmpOi ant that we sIoui
what that rlhl E5py. who, some 30 years ago pro-
posed TO brng by building large nres, was On tue
track OF il OF It's manifestations thnh tha e1.
ueriuens with powder and cannon would sA0" not
only That storms be originated IN that way but tnaI
thc OF the storms that are constantly moving
across tne country ia general eastward direction WI"
De attracted py conclusions 80 tDa theY can ne
I'D 10 those parts o the country "heIe ram l' a' any
time, most needed -.
A very common objection made TO the experiments
which propose, tnat they would be very expensive
hut II the country afford To send expeditions III
search Of the North Pole cannot afford to burn some
of our damaged powder IN a matter Ike TINS Ana
when we consider that the present time IL u SAID that
a million OF human beings are starving 10 deatn as inc
result OF the failure OF their usual rams; and that not
many years since 60 lost theft lives Ia our own
county forest fire that was consequence OF
GrJutn how insignificant Will appear the question OF q
Jew thousand dollars spent IN determining whether such
calanities cannot he prevented III the future.
Ae.g-lOrE, March 5, 1874. EDN Ai1D POWERS