Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-09-04
TINE GREAT RAIN MAKER.
The Marriage OF Gases the Cause OF
Rain-The lightning Performs
the Ceremony.


II is O well remembered fact in the ex.
perlence Of every person who has lived
In country where thunderstorms occur,
that while the nimbus, or rain cloud, Is
over any given spot, and fierce flash OF
lightning leaps through the undulating
air, while the crashing thunder appals
the senses, there is sudden and mon
strous increase of the volume Of rain.
In fact, for tho moment, the water fairly
pours. The writer, when little child,
observed this phenomenon, and when
the thunder ceased to shake the house,
would ask his mother ''if the thunder
made the rain!'' The answer was not
satisfactory even to . child, for science
had not then hung so many triumphant
banners in the halls Of philosophy as
now adorn the temple Of learning,
The rains on the plains in Southern
California are usually gentle, and free
from violent torrents that are SO FIRE.
quent In the eastern part Of the country.
The rain here falls by the ordinary pro-
cess OF slow condensation, caused BY q
change Of temperature, unless at long
periods, when sn electrical storm and
exchange of compliment takes place be.
tween the clouds, or between the earth
and the clouds. At such times the rain,
or hail, or both, fall In overwhelming
power. A specimen Of the manner In
which rain falls when lightning is flash.
ing was seen in the recent rainstorm that
swept from So!edad Canon to Riverside,
In which three and half inches of rain
fell in an hour. Such storm could not
have occurred without the agency Of
electricity.
Hydrogen gas, although almost as
volatile as electricity, forms about one
ninth of all the waters OF the earth.
By mixing hydrogen and oxygen togeth-
or In the proportion Of two cubic feet Of
hydrogen to one Of oxygen, and expIod.
ing them by an electrical current, the ex.
plosion is terrible and large amount Of
water is suddenly formed. A balloon
seven feet in diameter filled with these
gases, 30 mixed. and exploded, will pro-
duce nine pounds Of water in an instant
while the noise Of the explosion will be
loud. Such an explosion Is thunder
storm on small scale. When 1t takes
place in the air above our heads 1t Ia o
thunder shower, then any person with
the faulty Of seeing and hearing, can
observe the lightning making rain.
This great and interesting fact leads
to consideration Of the rainfall in Los
Angeles. tis matter Of record that
the rainfall collected by Mr.. o. H.
Bliss, one mile from the Plaza, on the
east side of Alameda street, was for q
series of years much greater than that
recorded by the United States Signal
Service or by Mr.. Ducommun.
But strange ~ Il may seem, during
the past year the rainfall collected by
Mr.. Bliss has been far below that of the
Signal Service or Of Mr.. Ducommun.
Another fact now enters into the consid-
GRAFTON of this question, and that Is the
presence Of the great electric cables that
have been placed In certain localities in
this city, and are charged with terri
BILE electric energy that passes through
the air in the vicinity Of the rain-gaugs
of MIR. Ducommun and that Of the Sig.
nal Service and the Normal School, be-
tween which places the rainfall was
comparatively uniform. while near the
residence of Mr.. Bliss there were no
electric currents to marry the hydrogen
and oxygen. and in consequenee his re-
cord, usually 20 robust and slways In
the front, has fallen behind the Others
quite materially. During the past sum
mer an electric cable has been suspended
nearer to Mr.. Bliss, and Il il now to be
tested IL this new cable does not increase
bis rainfall to something like that re-
corded by the others. II this should be
the case, then we have m easy way Of
increasing the rainfall wherever high
electric cables can be charged in the va
porous air that only needs the presence
Of electricity to marry the elsss snd in.
crease the downpour Of The precious
fluid.