Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-24
THE RAIN MAKERS.
Bombarding the Elements at
FL Paso Yesterday.
SANGUlNE 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.
Ell PAso Ten, Sept 1S.-The rain makers
are at work in earnest, and all indications
are favorable. The balloon ascension was
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 Gata to
be of invaluable service 10 the signal SER
vice He was only up about ffty-five
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 a steady current was met.
which continued until his descent
He landed about seven miles south of Tins
city, and shortly thereafter he was reached
by Capt. Jennings, who assisted him. They
reached FL PaSo at about 9 o'clock last
night, highly pleased with the experiment.
All of the indications of the professors
observations were for d continuance of eX-
tremely dry weather for some time to
come. These observations will be published
upon the professors 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 ut the extreme point at the head of
Mount Franklin. They have two dynamos
at the end of Il 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, ~'ictor Reinhart
checking each explosion. The first charge
was fired to-day at :25. AT this time the
sky was absolutely cloudless. These
explosions were continued at in
tervals of about four minutes
each. At the tenth explosion small
cloud was noticed in the Sierra Madrc
mountains which rapidly increased after
every explosion.
BY noon thirty-one charges had been
fired, i'll 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 a rush OF cold at
mosphere, and in an hour the temperature
had fallen from eight to ten degrees.
Capt Jennings had his Photographic ap-
paratus on. the ground and, with the as
sistance of some newspaper men, ne pic
tured the sixteenth explosion and the fourth
bomb
3 The balloon corps commenced operations
at 9 O'Clock this morning, out in conse-
quence OF the leakage of the tank there was
no ascension until late this afternoon.
However, this deficiency was supplied by
ten-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
Battery No. /, 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 3. Wyatt The official time
keeper was Victor Reiuhart. 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 III and about this city
before tomorrow evening Everyone
with the party is sanguine of
success.
Col. Webster Flanagan. the rev collector
Of customs. arrived on to-days Texas and !
Pacific train.