Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-21

water held in that something to pour
down where needed in copious shower
of rain. The bill making the approprla-
ton passed without oppositionl
Now, it does seem to us that this thing
is fearful exhibit, so tar as relates to
the intelligence of American congress-
men. Any school boy ought to know
more about the principles of rain and
moisture IN the atmosphere than they
have put themselves to record as know
Ing. Thunder never produces rain or
moisture In the atmosphere. 1t is simply
the child OF moisture. Without the
moisture being first in the atmosphere
there could be no thunder What we
call thunder is simply an information re-
sultlng from rapid rush OF electricity
along an imperfect conductor. The air
ITSELF Is no conductor at all, but water is
1alr conductor, and hence when the
air becomes snrcharged with moisture we
nave conductor over which can pass
the electric current. If the conductor
was perfect the current would pass noise
less' as II does along the wires on it's
way to drive our electric cars, but since
it is not perfect, being more or less
broken everywhere, the current tears
along it, leaping the breaks and pro-
duclng the intonations known as
thunder.
That moisture in the atmosphere which
gives us rain is mainly taken up from the
sea-ln most cases thousands of miles
away. Certain conditions, only, admit
OF It's being taken up, therefore the at
mosphere is not constantly surcharged
with moisture. How then is the explod-
ing dynamite to secure US the water sup
ply at any time we might desire it. sup
posing It could be made effectual? Where
would the water come from? The idea
Is simply too preposterous to admit of
discussion.
Some of our very young readers might
take an interest in description of how it
happens to rain al any time; so well put
in few words for them. The atmos-
phere may be likened to great sponge
moving across the surface of the earth
In currents. AS one of these
eurrants, warm and expanded. rolls
over the ocean it takes up water just as q
sponge would take it up, and carries
1t along in its course-all the wa
ter 1t can hold. 1t leaves the sea
a saturated sponge, SO to speak. FL
nally, at some point In its course it comes
into contact with a current of air colder
than itself, and is thereby contracted in
its proportions. It is well known law
that heat expands objects while cold con-
tracts them. The saturated current,
then, becoming contracted or reduced in
size, asst were, finds itself with more
water than it has space sufficient 10 ac-
commodate, hence the water is dis
charged to fall to the earth in showers.
You can readily illustrate :his last thing |
18th common sponge. Saturate the |
sponge and it will hold the water without |
permitting any to fall out, so long as left |
but squeeze 1t in your hand |
and out pours the water. So it is with the
moisture charged atmospheric long as
left at the temperature prevailing when
the water was taken up il continues to |
hold the water, but as soon as squeezed |
into smaller proportions by a fall of tenn
perature, the water comes out and we
have rain.
If our intelligent congressman had
made an appropriation for establishing
an ice factory in the clouds for the pur-
pose of cooling and contracting the mois-
atmosphere they would
have shown themselves in possession of
more intelligence, certainly, so far as
relates to the aerial water supply.
Our monopoly fighting friends ought
TO go for this thing as movement in
favor of the rich and against the poor.
When it has been made u success will
not all the big farmers of our country
get up corner on showers, on account
Of being able to send up the biggest bal
oons and set of the heaviest charges of
dynamite? They'll treat their lands TO
regular deluges of rain, if they need
hat much, while the poor farmer not
able to build balloon and buy dynamite
will be forced to take back seat and
Ook on with his fingers In his mouth,
while the drought is at work in his own
leld playing the saddest of havoc with
he hard earned results of his labors