Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-09-09
For the SPECTATOR.
LAWMAKERS IN TEXAS.


Ex.U. 8. SENATOR FARWELL's APPROPRIA-
JIoN UTILIzED-PowDER FIRED HIGH IN
AIR OVER NELSON MORRIS RANCH IN
TEXAS AND THE FIRST EXPERIMENT sue.
CEEsFUL.
SAN DIEGO, TEXAS, Aug. Goth, 1891.
Editor Staunton Spectator:
The people of Texas are excited over the
rainmaking business, and the experiments
now going on in the Pan handle portion of
our State has worked up the Powder horn
parties. and, in fact, the whole State.
The rainfall expedition, headed by Gen.
eral Dyrenforth from the United Staras de
partment of agriculture, reached Midland
county Wednesday, August 5th, and on the
Sth and 10sh part of one of the rainmaking
apparatus was sent up and preliminary
trial made, simply to test the efficiency of
the special blasting powder which is being
manufactured On the grounds from material
brought from Washington. D. G. Several
bombs were exploded by means of electrical
dynamos.
While this powder is very powerful, Gen.
eral Dyrenforth was not confident that the
explosions would have any practical effect
upon the meteorological conditions. How
ever, he was agreeably surprised, for about
ten hours after the explosions, clouds began
to gather and
HEAVY RAIL FELL
extending for many miles and lasting for
six hours at the Nelson Morris ranch, the
first rain bad for three years at this season
OF The ear and tho fret had then for four
months. Of course, this was the 1rst ex-
pertinent and cannot be taken as primo
facie evidence that the explosion actually
produced the storm which reached for twen-
ty miles around, but they undoubtedly were
instrumental in p.ecl pitating the moisture
which the clouds brought to that locality,
and greatly increased the intensity of the
storm and the quantity of the rainfall, which
was greatest in the vicinity of the Morris
ranch, tho place of operations.
General Dyrenforth is general manager,
Professors Meyer and Custellar are the
baloonists, and Professor Resell, Chemist,
one manipulating the explosions.
THE PROGRAMME.
Balloons, inflated with explosive gas,
which are really small air yachts, being
about ten feet in diameter, the explosives
being one part of oxygen gas and two parts
of hydrogen gas, and loaded with cartridges
made of powerful explosive. When the
balloon is sufficiently high, the cartridges
are exploded by means of electricity sent
wires, and the two gases unite,
forming water. This serves as nucleus
to precipisate the moisture of the atmosphere
and there is rain. At the same time these
balloons are sent up, kites with dynamite
tails are also sent up, connected like the
balloons to the earth with wires, and at the
same time terra 1irma mortars are dis
charged, not simultaneously, bat in rapid
succession, while Professors Meyer and
Custellar are located in balloons in midair
taking scientific observations, and General
Dyrenforth and staff on earth connected
with them by telephone. The programme
is elaborate, the material 10 abundant, ana
the science involved exhaustive. Success
means the regeneration of the Panhandle,
the Powder-horp, and, in fact, all OF Texas
and the whole country. Southwest Texas
will be the garden spot, the Eden OF the
World, if this matter is dec ided success.
Everybody is filed with the idea. The
atmosphere all over Texas is heavily laden
with scientific terms.
COWBOYS TALK FLUENTLY
and fiippantly of thermometers, hydrome..
ters, and rainology in all its ramihcations'
farmers and ranchmen say now we can raise
two crops of corn and cotton every year, and
even the writer is learning how to distin-
guish cirrus from oumulo formation.
The HANSON City Star says: "The rain from
this explosion extended all the way from
Texas up through the Indian territory,
Arkansas, and Missouri to Genital Iowa."
This, if true, and the writer does not doubt
it may, or may not have been caused by the
operation. OF course one experiment proves
nothing, especially, aa some say, as sea-
son when rain is likely to come at any time;
but then is not rain likely to come Or not
come at any season. The experiment will
do some good if it proves the negative, for
there is widespread belief that artificlally
produced conclusions of the atmosphere
cause rain, and if such is not the case, it is
well to know it. Old soldiers inform the
there was much artillery firing, rain always
followed. Let those who were present call
to mind the fact whether this true or not.
The main difficulty, however, lies in
the fact that the air nearest the earth
is often superheated in hot weather, and
therefore, "holds up the moisture" as it
were. The rain stratum lies above that,
perhaps mile high, and observations have
shown that light rains often start from it,
and are vaporizsd in the dry belt stratum
below, and SO sent up again. Hence the
scheme to send up balloons and do the ex-
ploding 10 the moist stratum.
EX-SENATOR FARwELL
of Illinois, was the Iirst statesman to take
any interest in the theory, and secured
small appropriation for experiments, and
the Lafayette Journal says, "Seuator Far
we'll, of Illinois, has secured victory in the
successful test Of his theory that rain may
be produced by explosions. The expert
ment was tried 10 Texas and the results
were very satisfactory. Now if Farweli can
down Harrison he will be reasonably hap
py." And now comes the Philadelphia
Record and says, "Isolated experiments of
this sort prove nothing in themselves. When
Mr.. Farwell shall be able to tabulate the
result of seasons experiments, giving the
percentage of failure as well as success, it
NAV then be possible to determine from his