The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-02
RAIN-sIAKEEs Ar WASHINGTON.

The Agricultural Bureau is engaged in
testing a new plan of irrigation by creating
| artificial rain-storms. A Wisconsin man
named Bowers lately published a book in
which he recapitulsted the familiar facts
regarding the occurrence Of rain showers
after battles, and oblivi Gus of the little cir
cumstance that while some battles were fol-
lowed by rain a great many others were
not, he deduced the formula that concus-
sionS in the air cause rain. The deduction
seems to have struck some people in Wash
lngton as novelty and a discovery of
merit. \ sum of money was voted to eX-
pertinent on it, and under the direction OF
the Agricultural Bureau captive balloons,
charged with explosive gas, were sent up
aud the gas exploded by electric wires Not
very strange to say, no rain fell in cOnse-
queuce, and at the request of the discoverer
the investigation was adjourned, to be re-
suned in the arid regions of the West.
1t will be watched with interest by those
who are suffering from the aridity of our
deserts. But here in the West we are prone
to take practical views of questions of
science We are believers in the old Latin
adaga that nothing can be made out of
nothing. Rain is the precipitation of moist
ure which is vapuriZed in clouds, and is
tOhf cl ltu IllLU hdlcl D4 COUbdGl Will DOUitS
either solid or gaseous. If there are no
clouds charged with moisture, there can be
no rain, even though the air be rent by can
nonading or explosions. When a cloud
that is full of moisture strikes the top of \
mountain range it empties its contents in
the shape of rain, and the same thing occurs
when the cloud collideS with another cloud
whose temperature is higher or lower. But
the rain must be in the cloud in the shape
| OF vapor. or it cannot be precipitated. Here
| is where the Bowers theory breaks down,
| If the sky over the place where he expert
ments is hidden by rain clouds the rain
will fall sooner or later without any can
| nonading, and if there are no rain clouds
above him he may fire his cannons to the
crack of doom without producing drop of
rain.
Observation of the meteOrology of South
ern California furnishes illustrations. Clouds
laden with moisture sweep in from the
ocean. They strike the Coast Range and the
parallel lines of hills back of the beach and
empty their contents, which flow back into
the ocean. By the time the clouds have
crossed the Coast Range they have lost their
moisture, and the consequence is that in the
San Joaquin Valley and the counties south
of 1t, Kern, Tulare and San Bernardino, the
IA nIal Is HEnI. Inc clouds WHICH pass
over that region contain no moisture except
what they can draw from the scanty river
system and an occasional lake. The course
Of the winds is almost invariably from west
| to east.
1t is quite possible that prolonged and vio-
| lent Conclusions OF the air may hasten the
| precipitation of rain from clouds which at
| the time OF the conclusions were surchargei
| with moisture But no amount of concus-
| sion could create atmos pheric moisture which
| did not exist befo e. 1t appears that it is
going 10 cost the Government several thou
sand dollars to ascertain the fact. This
matters little; there is plenty of money at
Washington, ana knowledge is cheap at any
price.
Among the Bechuanas in seasons Of
drought the medicine man gives a small
dose of medicine to the clouds-at least he
says he d0es-and he guarantees Il speedy
rainfall thereafter. III the rain comes as it
probably does quite as often as rain follows
battle, he is loaded with honors and re-
wards. When tue rain does not come, his
| head is cut off, If lie does not make his es-
| cape. THE CALL would not like to conf
mend the Bechuana practice for imitation in
this country. The officials of the Agricul-
tural Bureau might perhaps not object to
the rewards which await the successful
| medicine man in Africa