Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1892-02-11
RAINBOWS.
Reflections and COlOrs Of the
Various Sides from Which Rain
Making Is Viewed.
Natural Results Of Nature's Phenomena
CALIFORNIA; Rain-the States
Interest Russia wants Is.
AMONG THE "RAINERs.r

AMONG THE "RAINERs.r
An Interesting Letter From President
Smith, OF the lst District Rain AssO.
ciatiOn.
EDITOR PREss:--Just now there Is man =.
Tested more than ordinary interest among
the people on the subject OF rain making
that is, by artificial means to cause
precipitation of the moisture held in the
etmoephere, In sufficient Quantities and
at certain times for agricultural purposes.
This subject is being discussed through
out this state by the people. and by the
public press-some IN spirit Of inquiry
and Investigation, and others apparently
for amusement. Some seem willing to
believe that it will soon be understood,
and that the processes will be applied by
proper agents aud under proper regula-
BE- obtained at will. whilst others, among
whom are some Of the leading papers put
themselves or record as doubling the
probability OF human genius ever attain
ing TO such proportion as to enable man
70 control and harvest the benefits of raih
ct will.
II is not my purpose to enter into the
discussion of the question for the pur-
pose Of trying to establish anv theory rel1
alive to the processes TO be employed to
cause q rainfall where the natural coudi-
liens are wanting, but to call attention to
few facts, easily demonstrated, connect.
cd with the phenomena of natural rain
fall.
First Of all, there must be moisture
suspended In the atmosphere in the form
of yapor. Then there must be some in
nuence to cause the condensation Of this
yapor in sufficient quantity. Then at
mospheric conditions favorable for precip-
ltation must also be present.
~ Now as to the first condition this lie
provided in the wind blowing from the
ocean or large body of water TO the land.
This wind il warm enough takes moisture
from the surface Of the water and carries
Il along in its course till from any cause
the temperature is lowered when the
yapor condenses and falls as rain or snow.
few examples will suffice to make
This clear. lake the west coast OF north
ern Europe--there all the conditions for
natural rainfall are present In large de-
gree. The south west wind going In line
with the Gulf stream becomes loaded
with aqueous yapor from the surface of
that broad e&pause Of warm water which
ss carried inland where the currents rise
with the highlands to cooler strata aud
there by the we'll known law Of condenss-
rion the precipitation takes place and the
atmosphere is robbed of much OF its mcis-
fure, Sc that along this coast the fall is
much In excess OF the average OF the con-
tinent.
The similar conditions present on our
north west coast are attended ty similar
results. Here We have the Japan cur.
rents coming from low latItades with
temperature much higher than the waters
of the north Pacific. The currents of air
..passing over these waters as they came
across to our coast are Of necessity loaded
90 their fullest capacity and striking the
high lBnds which here are near the coast
the precipitation is abrupt, IN keeping
with the abrupt rise of the land. But AZ
the moisture laden atmosphere passes on
southwark the precipitation grows grad
-ually less, for the readily understood rea-
son that in its passage south the condi-
tions are being reversed, that is, it is
passing from cooler to a warmer atmos-
phere, where the moisture is beng dissi-
3 pated by heat.
- THIS GREAT BASIN
In which We are now watching the de-
velopment Of the highest type of civil
cation, but for the fact OF the wide gap
fbetween the southern points Of the Rocky
and Allegheny systems and the still fur
ther fact of the highlands of Central
America, must have been desert. The
west winds are deprived of moisture in
passing the Rockies while the east wind
from the Atlantic suffers like drain in
passing the AlIeghenies. We cannot be
supplied from the north for reasons al
ready stated SO that We are dependent
upon the winds blowing west over the
Gulf Of Mexico taking up moisture from
ats warm surface then being turned north
in their course west by the mountains Of
Central America and Mexico. They
sweep aroond the southern extremity OF
the Rockies and then northeast expand
ing IN their course and covering all the
great Mississippi Valley east of line
drawn from San AntoDia to Fargo. West
Of this line there is not sufficient rainfall
for agricultural purposes. or at least not
equally distributed through crop season,
and now we are confronted with the prob
& lem OF supplying the deficiency by arti-
.ficial means.
As before mentioned moisture must be
in suspension in the atmosphere aud then
the temperature must be lowered in order
to cause precipitation. The moisture
which comes to this section is brought by
currents Of wind from the southeast thai
have ebstracted portion Of the moisture
from the Gulf stream. Now here is one Of
'the conditions present. The other must
,eome with the north west wind which is
cooler and competent TO condense the
vapoT IN the other where they intermin-
gle. At this point there should be rain
fall and will be In amount governed by
the amount OF the moisture held In sus-
pension.
These are few oftbe facts connected
'wi,h natural rainfall As to artificial rain,
there seems 10 be put two contingencies
the one may be lack Of moisture. the
.other may be the cost of applying the
means TO lower the temperature.
X. l.. SMITH.