Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-30
Artificial Rain.

Some OF inc papers Oh ING COunIiy "@'o
devoted q good deal of space to the At
tempts which for some days or weeks have
been making in Texas to produce artificial
rain. The New York Times particularly
has reported oil the experiments and their
results. And the success of these expert
ments has far exceeded the expectations
of the most sanguino advocates OF those
experiments.
For our part we are not yet convinced
that the rains which have just fallen IN tns
arid regions Of Texas were produced by hr-
tifcial means, though we are bound 70
concede that there are good reasons LOT
maintaining that proposition. People are
40 little disposed to believe in the ability
Of their fellow-men TO cause fall OF aque-
ous meteors. a. the scientists sometimes
characterize q rain, that ii will take long
time 10 convince most of them that artif-
cial showers are as natural as crossing the
Atlantic in q steam vessel. which latter
was within the present century considered
impossible. Instantaneous communication
by telegraph across the ocean was In the
opinion OF the greatest scientists OF q few
generations agos thing that would mover
nav could never be accomplished
Tho reception which Professor NOAH
X. DAvIs's article on praying for rain
has encountered even amongst clergymcn
of tho denomination OF Christians to which
he belongs is q good illustration presented
Immediately under our eyes, and so to
speak. in our presence, OF the manner in
which other novel things were received
when they were first made public and sub
iected TO popular criticism and popular
Judgment. In this matter, as in all others,
+" error is harmless whore truth Is left FREQ
20 combat it."
We suppose that the quantity OF water
annually evaporated by the sun Is a con-
slant quantity. This statement may need
some qualification. 1t does not mean that
the quantity is absolutely constant. Nor
does it follow, If such be the fact, that the
Quantity OF rain which falls at any par
ticular place or IN any particular country
or region. arid or other, Is constant
quantity. Rain does not necessarily fall
where the water is evaporsted. There may
be but little rain In region where much
evaporation has taken place. The greatest
evaporation must DO from the oceans, but
we do not know that the greatest rainfalls
occur upon the oceans.
But q truce to these speculations. Let
US have the facts. We quote from the New
York Tins:
.MIpLASp, TEX, August 2o.--Tho party Of
scdentists who, under the direction OF General r.
q. pyrsnforth, came 10 this place about thrco
weeks ago to try to produce rain by series OF
powerful explosions, have virtually completed
their expcriments In this part OF the country.
General Dyronforth chose this particular place
because no was assured that 1t seldom rained
here al Oil, and that there had been no real good
rain for over three years. At rare intervals
there had been showers, but they wcre few and
far between, and too small when they came 10
DO the country much good.
"1hs effect OF tho explosions In every case
vas highly satisfactory. In every instance q
eeries Of explosions was followed, within ten
hours, by rain. This was conclusive evidence
that tho explosives certainly produced rain.
"Last night the last Of the experiments wa;
conducted. The night WAS beautifully clear, and
not cloud could be seen. Tho heavens were
dotted with stars, and from all indications 1t wal
safe TO predict that no rain would fall within
forty-e,ght hours at the least. A strong gale wa.
blowing toward tho West Five balloons were
cent up and exploded, and 200 pounds OF rack
arock powder and $50 pounds Of dynamite Sci
Oh on the ground. There was, Of course, no I'm
mediate result. The barometer was rising, an(
che needle Was pointed At fair.
sBy O'Clock In tho morning bank Of clouds
eha weatern lOriYOl tho Dpiu
oovHrd which the smoke and noise had blown
ghe sky rapidly became overcast, and by
O'Clock there was rain, accompanied by thunder
end lightning. When the sun rose 1t was seer
that the storm had como directly out Of th'
wet, and on the horizon the clouds rose In fun
mel shape Ike the smoke from volcano. Their
vas beautiful rainbow visible at sunrise j
ceased raining at about O'Clock.
sMany hosvy charges Of dynamite and rscka
fuck we're then frei, and after each rain fell II
showers This continued until the cloads wer,
literally pumped out, and the Gun resolved wha
Vas left Of them into thin air."
The question will not long be under dis
cussion. Experiments will soon be mad,
which will leave no room for two opinions
on the subject. The new experiments oper
up wide field for thought. weswait will
much interest the results OF the decisive
experiments. II successful In producing
gain the result will be revolution a. vel
% revelation. Let us remark by way o
postscript that there were In our issue
ofyesterday kilograms recounting the sue
eesstul results Of two more of Genera
DyRxNyoRTH's experiments.