The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-10-04
THINKS THEM FAILURES.
PROFESSOR HAzEN HAS LITTLE
FAITH IN THE RAIN-PRoDUCERs.
Their Experiments Prove Nothing and
the Reports of Them Are Wide Open
to Suspicion-A Suggestion For More
Scientific Tests.

Professor II. A. Hazen, of the Weather Bu-
reau, has watched with considerable interest
the rain-producing experiments OF General
Dyrenforth and from all the facts he can CLEAN
has come to the conclusion that the expert
ments are q failure. To HERALD reporter
he said yesterday:
'There are two views which have been
rather freely advanced regarding the recent
experiments in rain-production in Western
Texas. One of these admits that light
sprinkles occasionally followed few of the
explosions, while the other insists very strongly
that copious rains frequently followed i'm
mediately upon the explosions or within few
hours, and tries to explain away the failures.
1t is very much to be regretted that definite
observations have not been published, and we
may hope tR at this will be done shortly, still
1t seems as though enough has appeared to
lead us on the way to a correct conclusion.
''We can safely admit that when rain was
imminent or the air was pretty well charged
with moisture fine drizzle often followed I'm
mediately upon the explosion indeed, expert
ments have already been made which show
that such aresultmay be accepted by scientists.
1t should be noted, however, that such an
admission carries with it the idea that no
other result can be anticipated from each ex-
plosion For example, any rain which occurs
after lapse OF about ten minutes cannot be
due to the conclusion, nor can any rain be
due to this which occurs more than few thou
sand feet from the spot, or beyond the violent
agitation of the explosion. We cannot expect
two very dissimilar actions to take place from
the same cause, and it would seem that the ex-
perimenters should decide on just what shall
be regarded as the probable effect Of the ex-
plosion and not try to sit on two stools.
''It would seem,h Professor Hazen con-
tinued, ''that the most significant fact thus
far deyelope is the entire failure Of the trials
at Ell Paso on September Is. 1t is probable
that the extent OF this failure has not been
fully appreciated by the public 1t would be
unwise to say that this particular day was
chosen purposely hut II is most remark able
coincidence that while no rain had fallen for
some time previously and none tell for some
time afterward, yet on the morning of this
very day an extraordinary rain fell at this sta
ton. we may conclude that the atmosphere
must have been IN a fairly satisfactory con-
dition for producing this rain, and hence the
failure was all the more conspicuous.
lone other very significant fact may be
briefly alluded to. The trials began on Aug
ust Q, and were continued to August is. In
these cases it Was stated that the expert
ments were preliminary and that the final
tests would te made tie Goth. The public
appetite was Whetted by the kilograms show
ing that rains had fallen after each of the pre-
liminary trials, but, strange to cay, nothing
was telegraphed on the 2lst, apparently, while
on the 22d the telegram was sent out that
nothing had been proved by the tests Of the
Goth This statement, coming from such
source, was very remarkable, and 1t Is no
wonder that attempts are now being made to
ignore or weaken us force.
"The evidence ia very strong indeed, that
no valuable results have been or can be OBJ
taned by such iEdiscriminate explosions under
all manner of conditions of the atmosphere as
these have been. We must first determine, II
possible, the A, 3, @, of reproduction, and
after that we snail be in position to take the
first step toward helping nature. There GER
tainly is legitimate field for research. and 1t
is almost unlimited, and it is much to be
hoped that there may be stimulation to try
some crucial experiments on strictly
scientific basis in this enchanting field for re-
search. The expense need not be great. Prob
ably one-third the expense of the present very
costly trials, in region where we may say
a priori one would be certain to fail, would
enable us TO ascertain most valuable and
essential factsD