The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-12
THE RAIN MAKERS.
Line of Battle Two Miles Long
on the Kansas Desert.
THREE DAYS OF HuLLABALLoo
After That the Deluge-Kites with Dy-
Mantle Tails, Balloons and
Mortar Bombs.

respondence. Some time within the next
few days there is going to be noise out in
Western Kansas. Uncle Sans rain-mak-
ers are bound thither, with provision of
explosives sufficient to stock fair sized
volcano in active operation. They take
with them three score balloons, each ten
feet in diameter when expended; likewise
about 100 kites, five feet high, a freight car
full of wooden mortars to fire bombs from,
and many thousand pounds of dynamite,
gunpowder. nitroglycerine and other pow
erful agents for agitating nature with
spasms. If there is not second deluge in
the region mentioned within a fortnight it
will not be for lack of effort on the part of
General Dyrenforth and the department of
agriculture.
Seven thousand dollars vet remain of
the S., 900 appropriated by congress for
this purpose, and so there is no need to
economic on the fireworks for the prelim-
mary experiment. Because it is matter
of history that storms have often followed
heavy cannonading in warfare, it has been
thought desirable to attack the sky for this
meteorological purpose with regular line
of battle A convenient and excessively
arid plain will be selected for operations,
and the wooden mortars will be planted
across it in drills, as it were for distance
of about two miles. They will be loaded
with dynamite, rackarock and other mate
rails Calculated to agitate the atmosphere
as much as possible, while at suitable in
tervals of space the balloons will be ar
ranged for ascension. Simultaneously
fight of kites will be let loose in the air.
The three score balloons will in them
selves represent an extraordinary scientific
novelty. They are all completed now and
each one is calculated to hold about 525
cubic feet of gas-one-third oxygen and
two.thirds hydrogen. The oxygen is put
in first, and then the hydrogen. Each
balloon, upon being inflated. ascends
under control of a double wire, which
serves instead of 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 a fuse
in the balloon and the oxygen and hydro
den suddenly combine with a terrific ex-
plosion. Experiments made within the
last few days in this city show that such
an oxy-hydrogen balloon, thus ignited,
produces a really tremendous defamation,
the cloth or paper vessel itself appearing
for an instant and by daylight like ball
of fire. Few things can be imagined
CURIOUS IHdn tHlS
which signifies that the two gases, at the
touch of fire, have united in the shape of a
drop or two of water, which harmless
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 double wire in
stead of string. Their tails will carry
OWN TO nd 9TH ovyinsivoS nh mil
be set off in the same way by the electric
spark. Meanwhile, while the oxy-hydro-
gen bags explode ana the kite-tails go
bang, the buried mortars will vomit
forth rackarock to the heavens all
along the two-mile line. For at
least two, and possibly three. days
the racket will be kept up. the object being
to raise as much hi as possible, so TO
speak. Then the expedition will hoist it's
umbrellas and calmly await the downpour,
consoled for the inconvenience by the ac-
carnations of an agricultural population
which has learned to appreciate the fact
that moisture is wealth.
1t must not be supposed, however that
this bombardment of the heavens will be
conducted without scientific method. Be-
fore it is begun the observers of the expe-
dition will ascend in suitable aeronautic
balloon and find out by the way the n.y.
grometer works at what level the explo-
sives may be most advantageously set off.
If they discover the greatest amount
of moisture at an elevation of
| 1.5O0 feet, that is the stratum
of air in which they want to do their
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, so as TO occasion condensation and
precipitation of rain. 1t is surmised also
that the small PARTICLES of water made by
the explosion Of the combining oxygen
and hydrogen form a sort of nucleus 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 ii by con-
cussion and fall upon the earth.
Ill-informed persons have been disposed
| TO scott at this effort which the govern
ment is making to sprinkle the arid re-
| gions of this country with gentle, though
| artificial, rain from heaven, which mas
| been compared by Shakespeare to the
/ quality of mercy. They have striven to
prove lldI tue lutd was new anu not SUfn-
| GENTLY grounded on demonstration, fail.
| ing to realize that methods for controlling
| rainfall are as old as history. In India
| and in many parts of Africa the rain-maker
| is the most important parsonage in every
| community, though his methods are pre-
| catorily rather than explosivsly scientific
| No less an authority than Plutarch declares
| that rain usually falls after battles. al
/ though il must be admitted that in his
| time gunpowder had not been invented
/ He said that the storms were sent by
/ the gods to cleanse the earth
! that had been polluted with blood.
| Also, in some parts of Europe as late as
| lsi0 il was the custom 10 dispel storms by
| the nring of guns. But, if reliable data
/ on this subject have been lacking hitherto,
| they will be supplied by the forthcoming
| experiments in Western Kansas. and il Is
| likely that the time will shortly arrive
/ when every one viii be able to regulate
| showers for his own garden-patch.
! Seriously, however, the notion is that
| supposing the efficacy of explosives for
| producing rain once proved, communities
| of farmers might make il their business 10
establish decorating plants, EMPLOYING for
| the purpose balloons, kites, mortar bombs
| or what not. The balloons 10 be used in
| the approaching government trials cost
| about So apiece; but the expense entailed
for a score or so Of these would be of no
| consequence TO district for which single
| good shower might signify $1,000 or even
I $1,000 of value.
| Another scientific scheme of much i'm
| portance has been agitated in Washington