The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-10-01
ART OF RAIN.MAKING IN TEXAS.
Col. Dyrenfortl,,we1l Satisfied with, Results.

cent experiments In Texas, with view
Of testing the theory Of rain production
by great atmospheric disturbances, is
not the kind of man to rest, but, at least,
80 far as that work is concerned, is TAX
ing matters easily, and receiving daily
reports from his assistant, Lieut. Ellis,
who is now in Texas pursuing the work.
"The work hat we have done," said
Col. Dyrentorth last night, "has con-
vinced me that the subject is we'll worth
being thoroughly Investigated, and in
my opinion it should be pursued still
further. I do not say that what has
been accomplished is sufficient, but
enough has been done to convince any
one eonyersant with the subject that we
are on the right track. A. further out.
lay of money would be profitable, but
whether Congress will make an appro-
priation for future experiments do not
know. That is matter the Agricul.
tural Department will 10 doubt take up.
So far nothing has beer done in this di-
rection, but 1 feel pretty certain it will
be brought before Congress in due time.
"As for myself will not Conduct any
more experiments, for my private busi-
ness is interfered with too much. These
experiments ought to be conducted un.
der the direction of some one now in the
service of the .GoYerhr1cnt-an army
officer for instance. You will see by
the dispatches from Lieut.. Ellis that he
noticed the force of the Hafes produced
by discharge Of dynamite from the
earth, while he was in a balloon some
distance above This same thing was no.
ticed while he was at Midland. We had a
captive balloon attached 10 g wire. 1t
was at the time I speak of about 1000
feet high, and 3 half mile IRON the oper.
ators. While it was In this situation
lot of dynamite was discharged. The
charge was sufficient to produce waves
of such force that they struck the balloon
producing noise similar to the Tapping
Of a huge sail Oh a vessel when struck
by the wipd, The report was so loud
that we thought our balloon had burst
ed. There can be no doubt but that
these conclusions produce the atmos.
pheriS Disturbances; and; properly con-
Quoted, bring about the gathering Of
clouds and precipitation Of moisture. I
believe that in time the theory can be
reduced to an absolute art.
"fhefe i6 still t1uch, however, that
ne must determine. We do not know
Just how these discharges should take
place. So far it is a mere conjecture:
and can only be ascertained by being
worked out; We must find out by ex.
pertinent whether it is bsttet to arrange
our discharging force in line, in q cir
Gle, spirally, or whether it should be
concentrated. The question Of altitude
also has much to do with it. The meth
cd of producing the concuasion has
more, perhaps, to do with it than the
mere discharge itself. We know of in.
stances where powder mills have blown
up, great quantities Of powder having
been exploded with no resulting rain.
The same absence of. rainfall has been
noticed following the accidental dis.
charge of large amount of dynamite.
Ofcourse, it will cost money to make
these experiments, but 1t Fill DO money
we'll spent.
"Had it not been for the utmost econ
omy on Our part during our recent expe.
dition the very small appropriation Of
$1,000 would have been used Up long
ago. The railroads and others have been
very kind to US. The Iron Mountain
and other southern roads furnished free
transportation for our whole party and
all of ouf goods aid natetial. MIR. Mel
son Morris, who put his ranch at our dis.
posal, permitted his carpenters and Ia
borets to do our work, and thereby saw
ing US hundreds Of dollars. Had il not
been for all these things we would have
run out of money long ago. As mat
ter of fact the Government paid for the
materials used in the experiment at
Midland only. While we were there
citizens of Ell Paso and Corpus Christi
waited upon us and desired US 10 make
experiments there, but did not think il
right to spend all the money in Texas
At my suggestion Ell Paso agreed to pay
| for all materials used in an experiment
there and it was under such circum'
stances that We went there. Down
there there is intense interest in the sue
cess of these experiments, and the peo-
pie of Texas appreciate the fact that j.
rain can be produced by this means mil
lions or acres of arid land will be redeem
ed, and the property in the State be in
creased in value amazingly.
received telegram from Lieut.. Ell
lis this afternoon, stating that be wal
going, in q few days, to Corpus Christi tt
make another experiment. As said be
fore, we have discovered enough to know
that these experiments ought to be pur-
sued, and 1 believe this will be DONE"
CHARGES $500 A SHOWER.
TOPEKA, KAN, Sept. 10.-Melbourne
the Australian rain wizard, has agreed
for $500 to make torrents of rainfall q
Goodland next Saturday. Goodland il
the county seat Of Sherman County bor-
der;ng on Colorado. He contracts tt
make it rain for fifty miles in all direc-
tions from Goodland.
His method is entirely different from
Dyrenforth's. he takes his chemical
into small building, makes the room
dark and runs small pipe out the ROOT
No one can see what produces the rain