Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-11-04
RAlN-MANNG q AT WASHINGTON.
Doubt as to Its Success but None as to It's
Discomfort.
tBy telegraph to the Dispatch

tBy telegraph 10 the Dispatchl
WAsHINGTOS. ID. c., November 3.-After dry
spell OF many weeks Washington caught light
rainfall last night az the alleged result Of n Sc
res Of exUosious which experts OF the Agrcul-
cultural Department have been causing across
the riyor. But the cost OF the eXperimentShas
been too great in the sacrifice OF nerves anu
comfort 10 make the plan entirely popular with
Washington people. They stood the noise very
well as long as IL was confined 70 the daylight
hours, but their patience was exhausted When,
after midnight last nlgn'. tnero was IearIul
roar that snook every house in the city, and
brought many people out of bed under the I'M
preston that there was an earthquake. Al III
tcryals nicely adjusted to allow the victims OPP
portunity 10 fall Into an uneasy nap the e1plo-
SION was repeated, with the result That NOBODY
slept and a slight rain fell
1his morning there was a general expression
Of indignation al the disturbance. The people
at Foyt Meyer. VINO bad broken glass shaken
upon their beads, were especially wrought no,
aud yielding TO the generally-e1pressed senti-
ment. the MaiOr-General commanding the army
this morning promptly ordered the Agricultural
Department experts to vacate the Fort Meyer
Reservation. 30 there viii be no further at
tempt- at rlin-naking on military reservations
III and around Washington.
ono army officer, who observed the expert
ments last night because nc could not sleep,
asserts that the frst two shocks brought down
smart showers which settled into q steady RAIN,
but that this was suddenly stopped by the last Tvs
or not tEe GriGl DOmbardment IL a success.
A large numter OF complaints wore To-Day
made 70 MISUNDERSTANDING Willis, of the ARri-
cultural Department, by CltlzenS, who strongly
protested against the rain-making experiments
being continued during the night. The whole
city was several times awakened during the
early hours thus morning ana the proiestahts
evidently were not In very amiable frame OF
mind when writing their communications to the
Assistant Secretary.
OTHER SIDE or THE STORY.
General II. G. DyrcnfOrth, who has been IN
charge OF tho experiments, to-day explained
that The heavy explosions last night. which seem
10 have disturbeL the slumoers and awakened
the ire OF many citizens Of Washington. wera
caused by his having gwen directions TO the peo-
pie AT the eXperimcnl-camp 10 watch ior heavy
clouds which would apparently pass over with
out precipitation 4 un1lstlrDe3, and hro under
them. These coalitions several tmos appear
ing, charges were fired, and were Immediately
followed by dOwLpours OF rain, the men having
to run Tor shelter. lie had not thought about
their firing IN the night, ana wodld see mat
there was no further cause for complaint
General DyIeltOrth, IN speaking OK the cost OF
the eXperimOnts. said that kOsse!te, which had
been found 20 meet all the reqlienchts-naihe-
ly. adequate power, satisfy, and crerpness-
could be manufactured GtfrOm $ 10 10 cents per
pound. A charge usually contains from 10 20 20
pounds. ROsseihie, no sad, Is not as powerful
"a some other expiosye3-tJI example, Ameri-
cantte OK Tackr0cS, bat II tuly acsWefel every
required purpose.
General Dyrentorth said that a. the compare
lively slight CONCLUSIONS last night were such a
shOcx 10 the people OF Washington, from three
TO five miles away. one could Imagine what "a
disturbance OF the ar must result IRON regu-
lar rainfall operation where there are thousands
OF such conclusions IN rapid succession and Dal-
loon vxplo5ions, which arc many tunes more
violent.
General Dyrenforih and his party win leave
Washington tomorrow f0r some ralnleSs region
In Texas or New Mexico, whore no says thu
roughly scientific test will be made.
An Official connected with the experiments
gave to-day statement OF hls personal oOscrva-
lions OF tue results of tue bOmbardment last
night. lie says that the first explosion at loo
O'Clock a. NJ. was followed by hycly shower o.
rain. Al pal another explosion occurred AMI
yain followed within two minutes. No rain fol-
lowed the explosion OF 2:33, but the clouds broke
away and the SKY cleared. At 1906 rain followed
the explosion within eight minutes. No rain oc-
Cured after the explosion at 3:44 lie thinks
that the exporimenters succeeded in causing
ram by the explosions, but he says 1t Is not
the oxpo sions upon the atmosphere was SUN
cient 10 produce rain. Ho believes that II will
be possible 20 secure ram by artificial means.
MAJOR Duawoody, Of the Weather Bureau,
holds an entirely opposite opinion. llo thinks
that the rain had no possible connection with
the explosions. II was raining at the time over
an area OF territory 1000 miles long aud 900
miles wide Rain had been forecast for this sec
ton, hud what little precipitation there was
came naturally aud not by artificial means.
Major DunHoOdy Is Oi the opinion that tho eK-
periments VIII result only in a waste Of money
aud time.