Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-14

cles from which the rayis diverted collapse,
forming little drops OF water within the
zone OF moisture, and beyond it are formed
ice spiculw and snowf1akes and hail stones.
A hot meteor coming within this atmos-
phere, by melting the ice spicnl@ and acting
on the vapor, cause an abnormal hail
storm, cloud bursts, cyclone or water
spout"
he terms the attractive power Of the point
by attraction OF gravitation." The sur
face OF q pane OF glass in q window, he says
presents q surface OF microscopic points,
while the vapor surrounding it is vascular.
When the glass becomes chilled the vapor
is attracted toward it. Gravity allowsthe
vopor to approach only five-eighths OF the
diste.nce, but the vapor is forced the re-
manning thres-eighths OF the distance by
the attractive power Of the points by at
traction OF gravitation." BY utilizing this
principle, DIR. Cahill says mammoth con-
densers in the shape Of metallic balloons
can be established in the zone OF maximum
moisture and water may be drawn from
the atmosphere. As he explains it, when
the dew point is always present, by means
OF the metallic balloon condensers, the I'M
impeded attractive power OF the point by
attraction OF gravitation will create rain
fall"
THE MATHEMATICAL DEMONSTRATION.
DR.. Cahill's mathematical demonstration
is curious. He estimates that one drop OF
water is ordinarily collected from each
square inch of surface and in each second
OF time. By using sheet iron, weighing one
pound per square foot and worth 1 cent
per pound, c~ondensers OF the area Of 200
feet diameter will have an area OF 125, 664
square feet and cost 81, 81. From
this he calculated that 29,452 gallons OF
water woul1 be collected each second with
one of these c~ondensers. Multiplying this
by the number OF seconds in a day gives a
total OF 25, 24e,52S gallons which would
fall daily.
IF we now insulate the condenser by a
thin coat of glass or agate ware" says DR..
Cahill, Eat an additional cost OF about
$4,000 and charge it with electricity, we
greatly increase it's attractive power. Par
nell on Lightning, page 174, estimates that
iron is 100000 times more collective
than rock. trees or earth"
From this it ia estimated that one OF
these condensers thus plated and electrified
would equal in attractive or collective
power, 21.636,363 acres of forests or
mountains. But say the forests are 300
feet high" he continues, (Which is only
one-tenth the height OF the zone OF the
maximum moisture. Attraction increases
az the square of the distance. Then by
~elevating the condenser 5000 feet. the zone
OF maximum moisture, we have 1885,.
363x1OxlO=2 ,163, 636, 800 acres, the rain
attracting power of the whole OF the
United States, brought within 200 feet
radius"
DR.. Cohill does not explain in very clear
terms just how these condensers are to be
elevated, but he says "they can be caused
to ascend without gas by pumping out the
air."
In conclusion he states that a few OF
these condensers placed at convenient
points in the arid regions will bring the re.
quired rainfall at any time, and he says
that II they are located generally through.
out the United States a more evenly dis.
tributed rainfall will be secured and the
overflow OF rivers may be prevented. by
esta blishing electric communication in this
manner between the earth and the Clouds
he says, "cloud bursts and cyclones may
be prevented, and by causing rain as de-
sired, disease germs may be washed into
the earth, thus preventing epjdemics.
There are other methods which l can x
plain, but this may open up all deserts, in
Guiding about two-thirds the area of the
Chinese Empire. I wrote some time since
to Secretary Blaine on the subject"