Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-20
A NEW RAIN MAKER.
PROFESSOR MEAGHER'S SCHEME
FOR BRINGING RAIN.
Two Currents of Electricity Passing all tho
Time-when They Interminsle
Rain Is Produced.
Special to the Gazette.


rainmaker has appeared, and says that he
can command the clouds to Open and pour
down their water at viii. Professor Rich
ard Meagher. who about six months ago
startled the scientific world with his theory
on irrigation and foods, VIII CHI he evolved
after close and patient research. now says
that he has the proper theory for making
rain, and after the first cost of material
and rain stations the process viii be cheaper
than any form of irrigation that is known.
Professor Afeagher has been studying the
subject for 4 number Of years. and unlike
most men who find new thing that is of I
benefit to mankind, he does not expect to
make any money out of il himself, and con-
sequently gives the results of his studies to
the world at large for the good it may do.
The professor has spent much time during
the past year on the arid plains OF the West
and Northwest and in the mountains, and
the result of his observations Is, that all
rain is produced by an electrical condition
of the atmosphere. With this as the start
ing point he began the study of the precipi
tation of moisture, and has become COLI
WINGED that he can produce rain in any
quantity and at any time. To show that he
has true theory, he SAYS that he can go
out on any day when there is an abundance
of moisture inthe air and cause it TO rain
with such simple material as he can pick
up around any farm.
The professors idea is that there are
two currents of electricity passing all the
time-an earth current and an air current
and when these currents get Supercharged
the excess of electricity passes from one
current TO the other, and while this IS in
progress there is n condensation of the
moisture in the air and a consequent fall OF
rain, This being accepted as the truth, the
question now arises, now can An exchange
Of these currents be made at will! This
was the problem that the professor set
n va ha pn has
solved it and is confident that he has the
key tonature'S Storehouse of water.
The professors attention was first called
to the solution OF the problem by reading
the accounts of the increased frequency OF
severe electrical storms in Paris since the
erection Of the Eifei tower, and the fact
that these storms are not only more fire.
Guent. but they were more violent. With
this starting point he went to the Rocky
mountains and there began Investigating
the electrical currents of the earth and air.
He found that by erecting steel-tipped poles
on the tops of mountains he could, by con-
Meeting and disconnecting them with the
earth, cause an interruption of the cur
rents and could, in a measure, telegraph
from one point TO another without connect
ing wires. BY the use of strong battery
lie coGlG bring thunder and lightning at
viii. and when he sent charge into the air
current It was invariably followed by rain.
y
he divided into rain sections of about one
hundred miles square. IN the center Of
each OF thC Sc sections there should be built
i tower extending into the cir not less than
Il thousand feet; these towers 10 be con-
structed of iron ana with Il skeleton frame
10 give rs little resistance TO the wind as
possible. Electricity could be generated
either by immense dynamos at some CEN
tral station or by heavy batteries IN each
tower In either case the result would be
the same. but the electricity from the dyna-
mos would be better for it would be regu-
lated with more certainty. Each tower
would thus be in the center of area of
thousand square miles and would cause
rain 10 fall over that territory. After the
erection of the towers the cost of producing
rain with the electrical discharge would be
less than one hundred dollars Each sta
ton could be cared for by one man, who
could be had at a nominal salary and whose
duties would be 10 keep the station or
tower in order and make the necessary con-
uCctioEs when the rain was needed.
The professors idea is to have the gen.
eral government or individual states erect
the towers and make appropriations for the
maintenance of them. and then appoint a
rain committee 10 order rain for each terri
tory as it is needed. He thinks the govern
ment should take the first step in the mat
ter, and then the states should have the
care and management Of them. While he
has not made close calculations on the proba
bic cost of the towers. he is confident that
ii is in the power of the government to erect
them and show thatsIhc theory is correct
one, and then large ranch owners would
put up their own towers i'll order TO bring
rain whenever they wished 1t. The towers
would not cost TO exceed 5000 each, II
they were properly contracted for. and the
appliances ali complete would not increase
this 5000 With this as starting point
-l1- : "a a
erect 200 towers. covering an area of :3J3,
OOO. OOU acres G. land. Each tower could be |
managed 2t an expense of 5000 per year. |
1t being well recognized that timely rains !
are worth millions OF dollars to crop pro- |
ducirg countries it can readily be seen that |,
towers over 4 section of the country 100000 |
square miles in extent could be supplied |
and cared for for one year at an expense of |
less than the benefit for the first year, |
while the succeeding Years would be at an !
expense hardly worth calculating when |
compared with the vast benefit to be OBJ
tanned from timely rains.
1t the professors is correct the state Of |
Texas, which has the greatest amount OF |
arid land of any state i'll the Union, would |
be converted into the best AGRICULTURAL |
state at q nominal cost. The area of the |
state is 214,353 square miles, and if it is
conceded that onehalf of this is arid which
which is an enormous estimate. it would |
give about one hundred thousand square
miles to be cared for. According TO the |
preceding calculation this could be done at
an expense of S500,000 for the first year
including erection of towers and all neces-
sary supplies. This being the cost Texas
would have redeemed for cultivation 6400o,-
600 acres of land that would be the most |
fertile of any IN the Union at cost OF less |
than 10 cents an acre.
Colorado and Kansas could combine, re-
deem and place in high state of cultiva-
ton their arid lands at 4 similar cost and |
the result would be that land which is now
givenover TO prairie dogs and snakes would
sustain thousands of prosperous farmers.
The erection of the towers and plants could |
be paid for from the first sale of lands
which would be redeemed by this process
and the subsequent expense of keeping the y
towers running would be paid out OF the in A
terest OF the money received from the salYl
of excess lands after the towers were paid