The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-10-22
LAWMAKERS SUCCESSFUL.
THE EXPERIMENTS AT CAMP EDWARD
MOST ENCOURAGING.
The Conditions That Surr our ded the Test
Were Such as to Convince the Most
skeptical of the Correctness Of
the Explosion Theory.


Special to The Statesman.
CAMP EDWARD (Near San Diego),
Tex, Oct. 1S.-The government rain
makers are the heroes of the hour
here. The experiments which begun
yesterday evening and continued dur
ing the night were entirely successful.
At A o'clock this morning rain fell in
torrents in the camp and soaked the
men to the skin. Never before were
the men so glad to get wetting.
They yelled and hurrahed and
danced fandangos in the mud.
The people of San Diego and
Of the Surrounding country are aston
ished at the result. When they went
to bed at midnight, the moon was
shining in cloudless sky and there
was no sign of rain anywhere. At A
o'clock they were awakened by the
pattering OF the pouring rain on their
roofs and in n few moments ii came
down in torrents. The rain continued
for nearly an hour. When it ceased
the pluvometer showed that half am
inch had fallen at this place.
kilograms received this morning
from stations along the line of the
Mexican National railroad state that.
the rain extended about forty miles to
the northeast, l08 miles to the west
and thirty miles to the southwest. 1t
did not rain either to the west or
south at n greater distance than ten
or fifteen miles.
Cattlemen estimate that the rain is
worth to them in round figures at
least a half million dollars. 1t is
also worth much to the cotton growers.
AS the entire cost of the experiment
was about $1,000, they regard it as
one of the best investments they could
possibly have made.
The bombardment began early in
the evening, and until nearly mid
night there was continuous roar
from the dynamite and rock-a-rock
bate ries.
The heavy smoke from the batteries
drifted Off to the northwest. and the
balloon also sailed off in that direc-
ton. The barometer was high and
rising during the early part of the
evening, but fell rapidly at about
2 o'clock At midnight the
continuous firing ceased and five
minute guns took its place.
Mr.. Ellis, who was in charge, and
Mr.. Geo. easier, the aeronaut, sent up
the balloons at intervals of about forty
minutes. They ran to height of
about half mile before exploding.
The explosions were heard at points
fifty miles and more away. Lieut..
Allen Dyer was in command of the
batteries, and they were worked by
the soldiers from the Twenty-thirdI
Infantry. The men did splendid
work and added to the high
esteem which they have won here by
their conduct throughout. At about
2:30 a. m. q balloon was sent up. The
air at the time was very STILL The
balloon went straight into the air..
then drifted to the northwest, then.
came directly south, then went off
east and at the time it exploded was
travelling west at rapid rate. Mr..
easier, who has been making ascen-.
sions for many years, said that he had.
never seen balloon act in that way >
and that the disturbance in the upper
currents must have been tremendous
1t was 3 o'clock when the storm
, first showed above the horizon to the
, northwest, the direction to which the
J wind had been blowing during the
heavy firing. The clouds came up
, rapidly, and one could see them
gather size and density as they ap-
preached the zenith and drifted
across the moon. A small cloud
would appear suddenly in clear part
of the sky, and in five minutes 4
would spread out enormously.
At a few minutes to A O'c' IA, ~,
sky above was full of he In' I'll, .h'
but not drop Of rain b" 4 a. ~, oion Th
, balloon was sent y ond anclodn,
right in the clo' r on @pd az oAp orto
ooaa;a; began shooting in rapid sue
: H HnI1nnn " two minutes after ~
f o o",iG'" Exploded the rain came dow
: ; T.. "A three minutes more it was fall
A 'bg In sheets and little rivulets wer
running through the camp.
'e AT sunrise a dry norther came up
and in short time the storm cloud,
is had been blown to shreds.
Is Mr.. Ellis is highly pleased at tn,
n results of the experiment, and ever,
" one here agrees that the storm wat
d wholly due to the firing. The ole
!. residents say that heretofore all thu
local storms have come from the east
, and that one from the northwest has
7, = heretofore been unheard of.
4, Naolr k..~.y