Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-03
RAIN-MAKiNG.
GREAT INTEREST MANIFESTED IN
THE RESULT OF
The Experimental Expeditions to Visit
Texas and the southwestern
Out by Uncle Sam.
Editor Gazette.

An expedition will leave Washington to-
day for Texas and Western Kansas to per-
form d series OF experiments in those states,
which may be c!assed among the most
novel and interesting ever attempted by the
government. II is the rainfall eXpedi-
ton from the department of agriculture,
under the leadership OF General Robert G..
Dvrenforth, a special agent appointed by
Secretary Rusk TO superintend series OF
experiments in the attempt TO produce OF
increase rainfall by artificial means. in ac-
cordance with an act of congress making an
appropriation for the purpose.
AS General Dvrenforth's Investigations
have already attracted widespread atten-
ton in botn this country and Europe, and
as the results of the experiments will be of
great Importance TO the people of Texas,
The GAZETTE furnishes its readers g
morning with an account OF the progress
which has alredy been made in the investi-
kafions Of the subject, and will publish full
accounts of the novel and interesting opera
tions which the expedition from Washing
ton will soon enter upon, together with de-
scriptlons of the various apparatus used
and the methods of its operation.
Early in the course of the civil war it
was noticed that severe rains almost in
variably followed battles in which infantry
or artillery were engaged in heavy firing,
and any veteran of the war can recall many
weary IldEtlcS through the DCIIllg ram
and over roads converted into almost i'm
passable mire as the result OF these storms.
Before the close of the great conflict it
became fact so conspicuous. that battles
of any importance We're followed by heavy
rain, that the storm was fully anticipated
and came 10 be considered one of the fac
tors in the case. IL be weighed by leader
when forming his plans on the eve of a
battle.
Cr.-ic.i,c which ho1-a haap ,ra+ bara1 nv
Gen Dyenforth and Professor Edward
Powers. an engineer of note, now show
that with very few exceptions every battle
,of consequence fought during the civil war
was succeeded III d few hours by rainfall
which varied in severity and extent in pro-
portion to the magnitude OF the battle and
the amount of heavy firing.
Among the most important battles fol-
lowed by transforms may be mentioned the
battles of Bull Run, F'redricks burg, Gettys-
burg, the fighting in the Wilderness, the
sharper of the engagements before Rich
moud, Fort DOnelson, Shiloh, most of Gen.
sShermau's engagements on his Atlanta cam
paign, the ombardment of Island No. 10,
many of the engagements at NickS burg. and
the bombardmentS of the forts below New
Orleans. at Mobile, Charleston and Hat
teras Inlet, In most of these cases the,
storm began about twelve hours after ting
heavy firing, generally arising in the nigl
following the battle, and III cases of contie
uous fighting for several days, as i'll the
battles of the Wilderness, they reoccurred
gilhfly during the continuance of the en-
gagementS.
History also shows that during the Mexi-
can war many battles on the arid plains of
Mexico were followed by copious rainfallS,
a thing almost unknown in those localities.
Senator Stanford of California is author
ity for the statement that during heavy
blasting in the construction of the Union
Pacific heavy rains fell daily in the most
arid deserts of the Western plateauS, ard
ceased only when the blasting WAS com
pleted. Gen. Daniel RuggleS of F'redricks-
burg, Va. was among the number of those
who observed the regularity of this phe-
nomenOn of rain storms. After battles, and
after studying the matter a little from Il
scientific standpoint. he became convinced
that the storms We're the direct result of the
disturbances of the atmosphere by the CON
EMISSIONS and heat OF the battles. Soon after
the close OF the war, therefore, he applied
for q patent on the idea OF producing rain
fall artifcially by means of explosions in
the upper air" Gen. Ruggles ideas on the
subject were crude. but he obtained his
patent and thereby the exclusive right to
the wholesale and retail trade in artificial
transforms in this country. However, when
congress began to talk of investigating the
Subject. Gen. RuggleS freely surrendered
all the rights of his patents to Uncle Sam.
After Gen. Ruggles had taken out his
patent. the subject of artificial rainfall re
ceivcd little attention for twenty Years or
more. but as the grain and cattle interests
extended into some OF the seml-arid re-
gions Of the West and Southwest. the posi-
blitieS of the subject began 10 be discussed,
and many of the prominent ranch and farm
owners of the West were soon convinced
that the scheme was well worth i trial.
Senator c. B. Farwell of Chicago who is
extensively interested in stock lands. took
the matter before congress and by dint of
earnest agitation obtained last year an
of $1,000 the use by the de-
partment of agriculture in prosecuting in
yestgatiOn in this direction, and the last
added $1,000 10 this sum for j series
of practical experiments.
At the urgent request of the friends of
the scheme, Gen. Robert G. Dyrenforth, eX-
of patents and 4 prominent
patent attorney of Washington. consented
10 superintend the Investigations and eXpe-
rimeutS and under his directions vigor-
Gus scientific research has been carried on
il Washington and New York during the
last five months. Methods of operation have
been planned and a large amount of special
apparatus has been devised and constructed.
On June - and n. j series OF tentative eX-
perimentS We're prosecuted near Washing
ton, at which Il number OF cabinet officials
and prominent scientists were present.
In these experiments balloons were in
fiated with Il gas composed OF two parts of
hydrogen and one part OF oxygen and eN-
pioded at an altitude of 1900 to 5000 feet by
means of electricity conveyed through wires
extending from the balloons TO dynamos on
the ground below.
The mixture of hydrogen and oxygen in
the proportions used, forms one of the most
violent explosives known to science. AT
the time OF operations in the District of
Columbia The explosions produced great
Washington, and 4 petition was at once
he remove his Gynamiters to a region
more remote and secluded.
\ copious rain followed the first days
operations, but Gen. Dyrenforth laid no
claim to its production, as the trials were
Oh too small scale TO produce any prac-
teal effect on meteorological conditions.
The government expedition consists of
the following gentlemen: Gen. Robert G.
Dyrentorth, special agent OF the depart
ment of agriculture; Mr.. John T. Ellis. and
NJ F B keefer of the department Of ag-
riculture: DR.. c. y. Q. Resell, government
chemist: Professor George W. Curtis and
MIR. Paul \. Draper of the weather bureau:
Professor Carl f. Myers and Mr. George
W. easier, ballooniStS. and their assistants.
The party are fully equipped with me
instruments of the latest pat
terms. and beside fifty balloons to be eX-
ploded, they are provided with two large
balloons in which 10 make aScenSions 10 as
certain the conditions of the upper air
strata for height of several miles above
the elrtl'S surface These observations