Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-28
MAKING RAIN FALL.
Possibilities Under the Test Proposed
by Senator Farwell.
SHOWERS CAUSED BY BATTLES.
Rainy Seasons Brought About by Volcanoes
in South America.
OPINIONS OF HIGH AUTHORITIES

The question as to whether rain can be
produced by artificial means is to be tested
by the United States Government On
motion of Senator c. B Farwell, of Illinois,
as recently stated in The DISPATCH, a
clause was added to the appropriation bill,
which provides that, under direction Of the
Forestry Division OF the Department of
Agriculture, $1,000 shall be expended in
experiments, having for their object the
artificial production of rainfall by the e1-
plosion Of dynamite.
In communication from Senator Far
well the following theories are advanced:
"My theory in regard to producing rain by
explosives is based partly upon the fact that
after all the great battles fought during the
century heavy rainfalls have occurred. This
is historical and undisputed. Senator Stan
ford, one Of the builders of the Central Pa
cifc Railway, informed me lately that ne
was compelled to do great deal of blasting
through part of the country where rain
had never been known to fall in any useful
quantities and where 1t has never rained
since, and that during the period of
the blasting, which was nearly year, it
rained every day, The experiment should
be made in Eastern Iowa, Colorado, or in
Western Kansas, somewhere along the rail-
way, and my own idea would be to COM
mence early in the morning and explode
continuously for seven or eight hours.
STATISTICS ON BATTLES.
The subject of rain production by means
&c Loo L. 1fdor1 ccaA
during the last % years, says the Scientific
american. A great number of instances
were stated by Francis Powers, G. E., in a
volume entitled "War and the Weather, or
the Artificial Production of Rain," 1871.
Many cases are cited in which great battles
have been followed by speedy rain. tx
occurred during our war with Mexico in 1e46
and 1847; nine cases of battles or skirmishes
are given which occurred in 1861 in the War
of the Rebellion, and which were followed
by rain at no great intervals; 40 cases are
cited In 1862; 30 for 1868; % for 1864: and 6
for 1866. Eighteen similar cases are also
cited from among the great battles which
have occurred in Europe during the past
century, making total of 1877 cases. In a
criticism of Mr.. Powers theory Sillinan's
Journal said:
"1o this argument it may be replied that
throughout the region from which his ex-
amples are mainly drawn, rain falls upon
an average once in three days, and prob
ably a little more frequently; SO that from
the conclusion of one rain to the commence
ment of another, the interval is on an aver
age but little over two days. Now, battles
are not usually commenced during period
of rain; generally not till some hours after
the conclusion of rain. Rain, therefore,
ought to be expected in about one day after
the conclusion of battle"
SOME STRIKING INSTANCES.
Some of the cases, however, which may be
cited where tine fall of rain seems to have
been caused by the discharge of cannon are
very striking. During the siege OF Valen-
ciennes by the allied armies In June, 1893,
the weather, which had been remarkably
hot and dry, became violently rainy after
the cannonading commenced. Two hundred
pieces of heavy artillery were employed in
the attack and 100 in the defense of the city,
the whole of which were frequently in action
at the same time.
At the battle OF Dresden, August 27, 1918,
the weather, which for some days had been
serene and intensely hot, during the progress
of the battle suddenly changed. Vast clouds
filed the skies, and soon the surcharged
moisture poured itself in a. torrent of rain.
At Waterloo, according to Siborne, the
weather during the morning Of June II,
1915, had been oppressively hot. 1t was
now a dead calm; not a leaf was stirring,
and the atmosphere was close to an intoler-
able degree, while a dark, heavy, dense
cloud impended over the combatants. The
Eighteenth Hussars were fully prepared
and awaited the command to charge, when
brigade guns on the right commenced firing
for the purpose of breaking the order of the
enemy's advance. The conclusion seemed
instantly to rebound through the still atmos-
phere and communicate like an electric
spark with the heavily charged mass above.
A violent thunder clap burst forth, which
was Immediately followed by rain which
has never probably been exceeded even in
the tropics.
VOLCANOES PRECIPITATED RAIN.
Humboldt says that when a volcano
bursts out in South America during dry
season it sometimes changes it into rainy
one. 1t is we'll known that in very hot
calm weather the burning of woods, long
grass, and other combustible materials, pro-
duces rain. Very extensive fires in Nova
Scotia are 30 generally followed by heavy
foods of rain that there is ground for be-
lieving that the enormous pillars of smoke
have some share in producing them.
Captain James Allen, acting Signal officer
OF the War Department.. in reply to inter-
rogatories recently addressed to him regard
ing the probability of producing rain by ar
tifcial means, said: 'Even if the pro-
duction of rain be practicable, it can only
be for limited area, and it is believed that
any benefit which can possibly arise from
such rain can never amount to the expense
of the enterprise.
The opinion of Captain Allen is similar to
that of President H. G. Russell, of the Royal
Society of New South Wales, contained in
an anniversary address delivered in 1884.
He says: at would seem unreasonable to
look for the economical production of rain
under ordinary circumstances, and our only
chance would be to take advantage of time
when the atmosphere is in the condition
called unstable equilibrium, or when cold
current overlies warm one. IF under these
conditions we could set the warm current
moving upward, and once flowing into the
cold one, considerable quantity of rain
might fall, but this favorable condition
seldom exists in nature"