Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-10-09
RAIN MAKING.
The Recent Rain-making in Texas.


much less Importance fell during the
sixteen days of our experiments q
most extraordinary occurrence in this
locality, and especially at this season
OF the year. That these results were
not produced at an excessive expense
OF material may be seen from the fact
that in the entire series of experiments
only two tons of iron, one ton of acid,
one-fourth ton of potash and manga
nese, and one ton of rackarock powder
anu other explosives were consumed,
none of which are expensive materials.
In the opinion of the writer the ex-
periments clearly demonstrate
First. That the conclusions from
explosions exert a marked and praclic
al effect upon the atmospheric condi-
tions in producing or occasioning rain
fall, probably by disturbing the upper
currents.
Second. That when the atmosphere
is in threatening" condition
which is frequently the case in most
arid regions without any rain resulting
rain can be caused to fall almost i'm
mediately by jarring together the par
ticles of moisture which hang in sus-
pension in the air. This result was re-
peatedly effected during our operations,
the drops sometimes commencing to
fall within II seconds from the mo-
ment of the initial explosion.
1T also seems probable to the writer
that the immense amount of frictional
electricity generated by the concus-
slons and the mingling of opposing
currents of air may have considerable
influence in the formation of storm
centres by producing a polarized con-
dition OF the earth and air, and so GRE
ating Il magnetic field which may as
sist in gathering and so condensing
the moisture of the surrounding at
mosphere. Altogether, considering
the great difficulties under which we
labored, the results OF our first expert
ments have been exceedingly gratify-
ing and encouraging to the advocates
of the theory that rain can be pro-
duced at will by artificial means, and
the further tests of the theory which
will soon be made at Ell Paso, Texas,
will be watched with great interest,"
From "Can We Make 1t Rain ?" by
General Robert C. Dyrenforth, in
North American Review for October.
SCIENCE SAYS SOUND CAN'T CAUSE RAIN.
Now let us consider sound as an
agent for changing the state of things
in the air. 1t is one of the common
est and simplest agencies in the world,
which we can experiment upon with
out difficulty. 1t is purely mechani-
cal in its action. When a bomb ex-
plodes, certain quantity of gas, say
five or six cubic yards, is suddenly pro.
duced. 1t pushes aside and COM
presses the surrounding air in all di.
rections, and this motion and COM
preston are transmitted from one
portion of the air to another. The
amount of motion diminishes as the
square of the distance; a simple cal
culation shows that a quarter of a
mile from the point of explosion it
would not be one ten-thousandth of
an inch. The condensation is only
momentary; it may last the hundredth
or the thousandth of second, accord
ing to the suddenness and violence of
the explosion; then elasticity restores
the air to its original condition and
everything is just as it was before the
explosion. A thousand detonations
can produce no more effect upon the
air, or upon the watery vapor in it,
than thousand rebounds of small
boy y's rubber ball would produce upon
a stone wall. So far as the compress
sion of the air could produce even a
momentary effect, it would be to pre-
vent rather than to cause condensa-
ton of its vapor, because it is produc-
tive OF heat, which produces evapora-
ton, not condensation.
But how, it may be asked
shall we deal with the fact that
Mr.. Dyrenforth's recent explosions OF
bombs under clear sky in Texas
were followed in few hours, or day
or two-by rains in region where rain
was almost unknown? / know too
little about the fact, if such it be, to
do more than ask questions about it
suggested by well known scientific
truths. If there is any scientific re-
suit which We can accept with conf
dence, it is that 10 seconds after the
sound Of the last bomb had died away
silence resumed her sway. From that
moment everything in the air-hu-
midity, temperature, pressure, and
motion-was exactly the same as il
no bomb has been fired.
Now, what went on during the hour.
that elapsed between the sound of the
last bomb and the failing of the first
drop of rain? Did the aqueous vapor
already in the surrounding air slowly
condense into clouds and raindrops in
defiance of physical laws? If not, the
hours must have been occupied by the
passage of mass of thousands OF
cubic miles of warm, moist air coming
from some other region to which the
sound could not have extended. Or
was Jupiter Pluvius awakened by the
sound after 1000 years OF slumber,
and did the laws of nature become
silent at his command? When we
transcend what is scientifically posi-
BILE, all suppositions are admissible
and we leave the reader to take his
choice betW cen these and apy others
he may choose to inyent.-From "Can