The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-07-21
TO MAKE RAIN TO ORDER.
UNCLE SAM TO SEE WHAT HE CAN 90
ASA RAIN DOCTOR.

Party OF Scientists Bound for Kansas to
Try aud Break tho windowso OF Heaven
with Dynamite Guns ana Balloons.
WASHINGTON, July l4.--Some time
within the next few days th. 70 is going
to be noise out in Western Kansas.
Uncle Sans raiu-makers are bound
,hither with provision o. explosives
suili lent to stock fair sized volcano IN
active operation. They take with them
threescoio balloons, each ten feet in di-
ameter when expanded; likewise about
tne hundred kites I'VE feet high, q freight
car FULL OF wooden mortars to fire bombs
from, aud many thousands OF pounds of
dynamite, Suupowder, nitroglycerine
aud other powerful agents Tor agitating
Eature with spasms. If there Is no. Il
second dolugc in the region mentioned
within fortnight IL Will not be for lack
Of effort on the part of Gen. Dyreuf>rth
and the department of agriculture.
Seven thousand dollars yet remains of
the 1000 appropriated by Congress for
this purpose, and so there is no need to
economize on the fireworks for the pre-
liminary experiment. Because 1T 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 con-
vcnie 1t and excessively arid PLAIN will
hp selected for operations, and the wood
,on nnortars 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 materials
caculatcd TO agiiatc the atmosphere as
much as possible, while ut suitable in
tervals of space the balloons will be ar
ranged for ascension. simultaneously
iiight of kites will be let loose in the air.
The three-scorc balloons will in them
selves represent an extraordinary scicn-
titic novelty. They are ali completed,
now, and each one is calculated to hold
about five hundred and twenty five cubic
tcet of gas-ono-third oxygen and two
thirds hydrogen. The oxygen is put III
first, and then the hydrogen. Each bal
loon upon being inflated asccnds under
control of Il double wire, which serves
instead ol' Il rope to hold it by. When
it reaches the desired height the button
| of an electric instrument on the ground
is touched, spark ignites fuse in the
balloon, and the oxygen and hydrogen
suddenly combine with n terrific eXplO-
sion. Experiments made within the
last few days in this city show that sucA
an OXyhydrogcn balloon thus ignited
produces really tremendous detona-
ton, the cloth or paper vessel itself ap-
pearing for an instant and by daylight
like ball of fire. Few things can be
imagined more curious than this phcno-
menOn, which signllics that the two gas
cs, at the touch Of fire, have united in
the shape of n drop or two of water,
which fluid consists OF two parts of hy-
drogen and one Of foXygen.
But, as has been said, the balloons
will be supplemented by great kites. each
of which will dc held by IL doubled wire
instead OF a string. Their tails will car
ry dynamite and other explosives. which
will be set of III the same way by the
electric spark. Meantime, while the
oXyhydr0gcn bags explode and the kite
tails go bang, the buried mortars will
vomit forth ruekarock to the heavens all
along the two-m'lc line. For at least
two, and possibly threc, days the racket
will be kept up. Then the expedition
will hoist its umbrellas and calmly await
the dOwnpour, consoled for the incon-
veniencc by the acclamations of the ag-
ricultural population.
II must not be supposed, however,
that this lombard ncnL OF the heavens
will be conducted without scientific meth
cd. Before il is begun the observers of
the expedition will ascend in suitable
balloon, and find out by the way the hy-
grOmctcr works at what level the cXplO.
sivcs may be most advatagcously set Otf.
II they discover the greatest amount OF
moisture at an elevation o! one thousand
five hundred feet, that is the stratum of
air IN which they want To work. The
theory OF the matter no one prctends to
understand very thoroughly, but 1t is
imagined that the artificial c0mbuslilica-
ton, as scicntlicmcn would say, makes
sort of vortex or hole in the air, into
which the heavier moist particles rush,
so rs to occasion condensation and pre-
ciptatlOn Of ram. 1t is surm scd also
that the small parti lies Of water made
by the explosion OF the combining OXy-
gen and hydrogen form sort OF nucleus
for other particles TO gather about.
Another important idea is that the wat
cry particles in the atmosphere, being
heavier than the rest Of the air, are shak-
ell out OF 1t by conclusion aud fall upon
the earth.
1t the efficacy Of explosives for pro-
ducin9 rain is proved, c is supposed the
farmers will make 1t their business to
establish decorating ll ,nts. employing
lot tho purpose balloons, kites, mortar
bombs, or what not The balloons to
be used in the approaching Government
trials cost about $22 apiece, but the eX-
pense cntailcd for Il score or so of these
would be OF no consequence to IL district
for which sin lc good shower might
ls'4n!ly $1,000 -Vr c>Ga. 500 900 of
value.
Crops Devastated by Grasshoppsrs.
BRUSH, Col, July lj.-Ten miles
south OF here grasshoppcrs are dcvasLa-
ting all plant lite which lies in their
course. Their operations extend over a
scope of country twelve miles in width.
They are moving north and bid fair to
lay waste all crops which they come
across. The ground is comp. .etcly COW
cred and 80 numerous IN parts IS to be
an inch deep. Several upland farmers
have lost their entire crops. Many of
these farmers have suffered for the last
four years from droutb, and il is feared
great distress will be caused by his new
misfortune.
They All DoJt.
GREENWOOD, :. c., July II. - From
an authentic source YOUR cDrresDond-