The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-07-23
TO Make Rain TO Urder.a

to be noise out In Western Kansas.
Uncle Sans raih. makers are bound
thither with a provision of explosives
sufficient to stock fair sized volcano in
active operation. They take with them
threescofe ballons, each ten feet in diam>
eter when expanded; likewise about one
hundred kites FIVE feet high, freight
car fall of wooden mortars to fire bombs
from, and many thousands Of pounds Of
dynamite and guupowder, nitro -glycer-
inc and other powerful agents for ag;tat'
ing nature with spasms. If there is not
a second deluge in the region mentioned
within fortnight it will not be for lack
of,eGort on the part of Gen. Dyrenforth
and the Department Of Agriculture.
Seven thousand dollars yet remains of
the $4,000 appropriated by Congress for
this purpose, and 80 there Is no need to
economize on the fireworks for the pre-.
liminary experiment. Because it is
matter of history that storms have often
followed heavy canonading in warfare, it
has been thought desirable to attack the
sky for this meteorological purpose with
a regular line of battle. A convenient
a',d excessively arid plain will be select.
ed for operations, and the wooden NOR.
tars will be planted across it In drills, as
it we're, for distance of about two miles.
They will be loaded with dynamite,
rackarock and other materials calculated
to agitate the atmosphere as much as
possible, while at suitable intervals of
space the balloons will be arranged for
ascension. simultaneously a flight of
kites will be let loose in the air.
The three.score balloons will in them
selves represent an extraordinary seien.
ti6c novelty. They are completed now,
and each one is calculated to hold about
FIVE hundred and twenty-five cubic feet of
gaa-one-third oxygen and two.thirds
hydrogen. The oxygen is put in first,
and then the hydrogen. Each balloon
upon being inflated ascends under con-
troll of a double wire, which serves
instead Of a rope to hold it by. When it
reaches the desired height the button of
an electric instrument on the ground is
touched, a spark ignites fuse in the
balloon and the oxygen and hydrogen
suddenly combine with terrific explo.
sion. Experiments made within the last
few days in this city show that such an
oxyhydrogen balloon, thus ignited, pro.
duces a tremendous detonation, the cloth
or paper vessel itself appearing for an in
stant and by daylight like ball of fire.
Few things can be imagined more Curl
Gus than this phenomenon, which signi.
6es that the two gases, at the touch of
fire, have united in the shape of drop
or two of water, which fluid consists of
two parts of hydrogen and one of oxygen.
But, as has been said, the balloons
will be supplemented by great kites, each
of which will be held by doubled wire
instead of a string. Their tails will carry
dynamite and other explosives, which
will be set off in the same way by the cleo.
tric spark. Meantime, while the oxygen
hydrogen bags explode and the kite tails
go bang, the buried mortars will vomit
forth rackarock to the heavens all along
the tw6.mile line. For at least two, and
possibly three days, the racket will be
kept up. Then the expedition will hoist
its umbrellas and calmly await the down.
pour, consoIed for the inconvenience by
the acclamations of the agricultural pop.
ulation.
It must not be supposed, however,
that this bombardment of the heavens
will be conducted without scientific
method. Before it is begun the observers
of the expedition will ascend in suita-
BILE balloon, and find out by the way the
hygrometer works at what level the e1-
plosives may be most advantageously set
of. If they discover the greatest
amount of moisture at an elvation of one
thousand FIVE hundred feet, that is the
stratum of air in which they want to
work. The theory of the matter no one
pretends to understand very thoroughly,
but it is imagined that the artificial com.
justification, as scientific men would say,
makes sort of vortex or hole in the air,
into which the heavier moist particles
rush, 80 as to occasion condensation and
precipitation of rain. It is surmised
also that the small particles of water
made by the explosion of the combining
oxygen and hydrogen form a sort Of nu.
cleus for other particles to gather about.
Another important idea is that the
watery particles in the atmosphere, being
heavier than the rest of the air, are
shaken out of it by concussion and fall
upon the earth.
If the efficacy Of explosives for produc-
ing rain is proved, it Is supposed the far.
mers will make it their business to estab.
lish decorating plants, employing for the
purpose balloons, kites, mortar bombs, OF
what not. The balloons to be used in
the approaching Government trials cost
about $22 apiece, but the expense
entailed for score or 30 of these would
be of no consequence to district for
which single good shower might signify
$4,000 or even 100000 of value.
Banana Peel on the Sidewalk.
The street car had passed, but to catch
it he reckoned,
So he ran like deer and shouted and