The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-08-15
RAIN AND RAINMAkERS.

lcCt 10 the VIII OF man ana auic ail'l
ready when properly utilized 10 do
his bidding. There are. however. Il
number of these natural phenomena
which have never rs yet been be-
sought under mans dominion and
been forced TO act at his command
for his advantage and to his gratifica-
ton.
One by one steam, electricity and
the various mechanical forces have
been chained TO the advancing chariot
of civilization and progress, but the
regions OF the air remain almost a.
great a mystery as when icaruS
mounted into the air on wings and
fell into the sea, or when Darius
Green and his flying machine met
with such ignominious failure.
Of late years, however, the efforts
to navigate in the air have been su-
perscded by endeayors 10 cocrce the
moisture in the atmosphere 10 de-
sccnd 10 the earth as rain.
\ short time ago an attempt was
made to cause rain by the explosion
of dynamite on balloons charged with
oxygen and hydrogen, high in the
air. The principle, of course, was
that by the explosion the currents of
air would he TO a certain extent
changed, and the result would be a
discharge of some of the moisture
contained in the clouds.
This experiment, however, did not
meet with success. ICby such an cX-
plosiom a cold current of air could be
drawn toward an area that is satur-
atcd with water the latter must lose
part of its moisture as it coOls, and
consequently there would be a rain
fall. The conditions must be just
right or this theory OF explosives
could not be successful.
Within a few weeks another rain
wizard has come forth with an en-
tircly different scheme, which seems
to promise one success.
Frank Melbourne, an Australian
has invented a machine by Iucan,
of which a certain gas is manuiac-
turcd and projected into the air. isy
this process it is claimed that rain
can be manufactured TO order. The
time required for the successful work
ing of his machine Melbourne says is
from six hours 10 three days and the
area affected is 2J.COO square miles.
Several experiments have been
made with this machine in Ohio and
report says that they have been ap-
~parcntly successful.
Secretary Rusk has taken q deep
interest in all these experiments N
rainmaking. for he fully appreciates
the bearing that such Investigations
have un tlrc agricultural growth and
prosperity of our country. The gov
has also been co@nizant of
this field of experiment. and aTpro
priations have been made TO cover
the expenses of such Investigations
and to stimulate inventors in the field
Of science.
At the present time a party of sci
cntists under the leadership of Gen.
Dyrcnforth, the general director OF
the experiments ill ra~inmaking. is in
Texas 10 conduct some Investigations
which the government is about ia
make rs 10 the practicabIlity of pro-
ducing rain by the firing vi explosives
in the upper strata OF the air. The
theory OH which these experiments
are based is that by means of the cX-
plosiycs The cohesive force in the at
mosphcric atoms which holds in the
air the moisture will be disturbed. and
in consequence the moisture thus held
will tail IL rain. the force which hahn
tains it in the clouds being broken.
This theory has been declared To be
false by SOME eminent scientists. but
they cannot base their denial upon
actual experiment.
Perhaps all this talk about rain
making ma he looked on us Il huge
joke, hut there is Il serious side from
hi,iI 10 view the whole matter.
ANY person who could successfully
the great problem Of producing
rain ut his will would confer Il benefit
upon Humanity that has not been
since steam was brought into
the service of man. The consequences
of such Il discovery cannot be cStiE-
atrd. nor It's uscfuircas computed.
The man who experiments in this
of natural science may he
upon as a crank by has fellows,
but should the secret ever be discov-
rcd the so-called crank will be
,rowucd with a wreath of laurel. and
his uamc will be found Oh the list of
hose whose memory is immortal. {
When that secret of rainmaking is =,
discovered then, indeed, will the dcS- ,
crt be made TO blossom as the rose. {
At present irrigation is the only I
method VIC have Of producing that !