, 1891-11-21
RAIN MAKING.
Oictofia Colonist.)

tempts at rain-making which are going on IN
the United States. They are disposed to look
upon the theories of the rain-makers as the
superstition of science. But it is hardly safe
in these days to laugh at any scientific theory
the soundncss of which men are ready to test
by experiment.
The originator of the theory Of producing
rain by conclusion is Mr.. Edward Powers,
G,E.. of Delavan, Wisconsin. He had read that
rain had fallen copiously after many OF the
great battles of modern times, and was led to
enquire into the cause Of the phenomenon.
His theory is that there are, high over our
heads, two great currents of air, one warm
from the equator to the poles, and one cold
from the poles to the equator. When the air
is greatly disturbed by any cause these cur
rents of different temperatures mix, and the
precipitation of rain is the result. He bellev-
ed that the requisite atmospheric disturbance
can be produced artifcfally, and he tried to
make converts to his views. he was at hrst
very unsuccessful. Some of his hearers openly
scoffed Ii at him, and some listened to him Wltha
polite incredulity which was even more dis
~couraging. But like most men who are pos
sessed with a new idea he was persevering,
and at last he succeeded in making a convert
of Senator Farwell. The Senator saw that if
u WtI6 DObblULG w DIOOuCC IOlt1O III CAO
invention or discovery, would be a boon Of ill.,
estimatable value to the whole human race.
He, consequently, did his best to convince the
men in power that the experiment was worth
trying, and Congress was prevailed upon to
= appropriate $1,000 for the rain-makIng ex.
periments. The work was placed under the
superintendent, not of Mr.. Powers, but OF
General Dyrenforth, who Immediately procur-
ed the necessary explosives and set to work
in Texas to lombard the sky, with hope and
expectation Of producing rain at a dry time, in
a dry country.
The first experiments were made at Midland,
and this is what Mr.. N. A. Jennings says
about them in Harper's weekly, Of the 10th
instant =
"I have been present at all of the tests, and
have observed them carefully, and the deduc-
tion which ! have drawn is that while, with
the present limited knowledge of the subject,
it would be extravaganza to attempt to trans
form the desert places of this country into
fertile farming lands, still the benefits which
will be realized if rain can be produced at will
even in more favored localities, will be so vast
that it is we'll worth while to continue in the
@lines laid down. That by far the greater num-
Der of the tests were successful, | know from
personal observation. Those which were made
at Midland, on the southern edge of the Llano
Estacado, were particularly encouraging. All
of chat country is dry and almost barren, and
almost no rain had fallen there for months
previous to the advent of the rain-makers.
Immediately following several of the expert
ments heavy rains fell within a radius of from
forty to one hundred miles of the place where
the explosions were made, and, what was even
more important, the rain fell heaviest imme-
diately at the place where the e%xperimenters
WERE"
Some will be surprised to learn that great
atmospheric disturbances can be produced by
artificial means. But the wonder is not so
great after all. Most people have noticed the
power of not very great conclusions. The
firing of great guns causes houses to shake and
breaks the glass in the windows. At Ell Paso
where General Dryenforth's bombardment was
more than usually heavy, the conclusions from
the explosions of the balloons shook the build
ings so that the plaster fell from the ceilings,
frightening the women and children so that
they rushed out of doors. If the conclusions
could produce such effects on the solid earth,
it is easy to imagine what an immense distur-
bance they would create in the thin and mo-
bile atmosphere. The experiment was not
signally successful in the vicinity of FL Paso,
but heavy rains fell in the Mexican province of