Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-19
THE RAIN MAKERS.
Bombarding the Elements at
FL Paso Yesterday.
SANGUINE OF GREAT SUCCESS.
Full Description of the Operations and
Who Manipulated Them-A Gazette
Man on the Ground-Professor
Ellis Observations.
Special to the Gazette.

Special to the Gazette.
ELPAso, Ten, Sept. 1S.-The rain makers
are at work III earnest, and all indications
are favorable. The balloon ascension was
i great success. Professor Ellis made the
reading of the barometer every 500
feet. The greatest altitude attained
was 500 feet, and the professor
has collected sufficient Cat. to
be of invaluable service TO the signal ser
vice. He was only up about ffty-fve
minutes. After being up about 1000 feet he
struck Il current of wind with tendency
TO the south. He kept ascending. He met
minor currents until an altitude of
$500 feet was reached, at which
height steady current was met,
which continued until his descent.
He landed about seven miles south of this
city. and shortly thereafter ne was reached
by Capt Jennings, who assisted him. They
reached FL Paso at about o'clock last
night, highly pleased with the experiment.
All of the indications of the professors
observations We're for Il continuance of eX-
tremely dry weather for some time to
come. These observations will be publish ID
upon the professor return to Washington.
The dynamite brigade is under the charge
of Capt. Jennings of New York He is as
sisted by two batteries from the post. This
party is at the extreme point at the head of
Mount Franklin. They have two dynamos
nj the end of small plateau on the head of
the mountain. They have six firing
wires, divided equally between the
two batteries extending east and west.
about 800 feet. Each charge consists of
ten sticks of rack-a-rOck weighing twelve
ounces each. and four sticks of dynamite,
weighing about nine ounces each. They
are fired by electricity, Victor Reinhart
checking each explosion. The first charge
was fired to-day at 1925 AT this time the
SlsNv absolutely rlOnIlpGS These
explosions were continued at in
tervalS of about four minutes
each. At the tenth explosion a small
cloud was noticed in the Sierra Madre
mountains, which rapidly increased after
every explosion.
BY noon thirty-one charges had been
fired, III addition to four bombs which had
beed fired from patent mortar. which had
been carried up by the mountain battery
AT this hour the whole horizon to the south
west and west was covered with clouds
Before the firing commenced the heat on
the mountain top was oppressive. After
each charge there was rush of coli at
moSphcre, and in an hour the temperature
had fallen from eight to ten degrees.
Capt. Jennings had his Photographic APP
paratus on the ground and, with the as
sistance of some newspaper men, he pic
tured the sixteenth explosion and the fourth
bomb
ne OaIIoOn corps commenced operations
at 9 O'Clock this morning, but in conse-
quence of the leakage of the tank there was
no ascension until late this afternoon.
However, this deficiency was supplied bv 4
t"n-pound battery from the fort firing the
entire forenoon at intervals of five minutes.
This battery is located at tank No. = on the
crest Of the hill.
The balloon operations commenced about
4 O'Clock. These operations consisted OF
setting off explosives at an elevation of
about POO feet in mid-air.
Battery No. l, on the top of Mount
Franklin. consisted Of Sergeant Lehman,
Frank Nelson, Henry J. Hogan, Michael
Nicholas Clair Scott Adams, Owen Gan
non and John B. Wyatt. The official time
keeper was Victor Reinhart. This whole
brigade is under the command of Capt. Jen-
ningS.
The force of every explosion could plainly
be felt in this city. and at every point
crowds of people had congregated, watching
the work. If the experiments prove sue
cessful rain will fall in and about this city
before tomorrow evening. Everyone
connected with the party is sanguine of
success.
Col. Webster Flanagan. the new collector
of customs. arrived on to-days Texas and
Pacific train.