The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-12-08
THE RAINMAKERS.
A CAUsTIc REVIEW OF THEIR OPERA
TI0Ns BY PROF. MAcFARLANE
OF THE UNIVERSITY.
Hs Carefully Observed All Their Means oil
Work and Declares Their Theory Of
Explosions Producing Rain as
Wholly Absurd.
AUSTIN, Tex, Nov. 28.

AUSTIN, Tex, Nov. ~.
AS very contradicting accounts ap-
peared last year of the results of the
experiments of the rainmakers in
Texas, resolved to take advantage OF
the pearness of San Antonio in order
to witness for myself and give an
exact account of what actually took
place. Having obtained leave of alb
sence for few days from my work in
the University of Texas, l set out for
San Antonio and reached the city on
the night of Saturday, Nov. 10. The
newspapers had announced that the
experimenting was to begin on the
following Monday, and that the place
chosen for the experiments was the
Alamo Heights, four miles north from
the city. 1t is one OF the numerous
suburbs which owe their existence
and development to the electric rail-
Way. Next day took the electric
car, and on nearing the terminus of
the railway / heard sundry explos-
ions, and guided by the noise and
smoke found the party of rainmakers
encamped little distance to the south
of the Argyle hotel, which is built on
the summit of one of the heights and
close to the water reservoir, which has
q height of about forty feet, and into
which water is pumped from one OF
the numerous springs which give rise
to the San Antonio river. / assembled
to the top of the reservoir tOgst gen.
viz nf fhn nf the nnarA-
tions. | seemed to be standing on a
hill at the center of a circular basin,
ridges forming a complete rim, except
towards the south. On this rim to
the southeast appeared the towers OF
Fort Sam Houston, and through the
opening appeared the spires OF the city
of San Antonio. The surface OF the
basin was mostly covered with live
oak and mesquite, but at the bottom
of the hill to the southwest there were
some cultivated fields. About mile
to the north there were half dozen
tents, the camp of the United States
soldiers detailed TO assist in carrying
out the experiments.
| decended to make more minute
observation of the camp. Scattered
around | found six largo iron casks
containing sulphGric acid, forty bot
ties containing compressed oxygen
brought from New York, fifty bags of
iron filings and a number of packing
boxes whereon | read, General
Dyrenforth, U. S. Special Agent"
The speciality
WAS NOT FURTHER PARTICULARIZED.
A number of men were fixing large
wooden barrel, evidently to serve |
along with the iron filings and the |
sulphurc acid in the preparation of
hydrogen gas. Another party were
making q mixture on board after the |
manner of plasterer5. On closer ex-
animation l found that they were mix
ing chlorate of potash, nitrate of soda
and oil of asphalt in the proportions of
the new explosive, roselite. l intro
duced myself to Mr.. Krug, one of the
physics in the state University, and |
he introduced me to DR.. Roselle, the
inventor Of the explosive, and Prot.
Ellis, the aeronaut of the party. DIR.
TEcaeile informed ne that the compo-
siti On for high explosion is eight
pounds of chlorate Of potash to enc
pound of oil of asphalt, by-product
obtained in the preparation of asphalt
for street paving. For less sudden
explosions quantity of nitrate of soda
is added. They were making expert
ments of the proper amount to add.
SOoi. afterWard General Dyrenforth,
ethe chief rainmaker, came up and |
was introduced to him. L asked
him what was the plan OF his
experiments. He took me aside and
we discussed them. He said that he
started out without any theory OF how
conclusion produced rain, but he noW
believes that series of conclusions
when kept up long enough, as IN
battle, causes the atmosphere to take
q spiral or cyclonic motion round an
axis, and this produces q separation
of the rain from the air. The water Is
sucked into the center OF the whirl.
as pieces Of wood into the center of
whirlpool. He had always observed
that after series of explosions rain
first appeared round about on the
horizon and it afterward came to the
center. / observed that water in the
air was ordinarily a vapor, and that
according to his special theory the
water mOl6CuleS DellS lSoo h0oNy Ni"h
the molecules of nitrogen ant oxygen
ought to collect at the axis.
"What l go by" he said, lis the
fact that when the explosion is pro-
duced in a mine, moisture is produced
on the walls of the NINE"
"Have you ever observed the rain
fall from cloud Immediately after a
balloon of oxygen and hydrogen gas
was exploded below or inside it?"
eyes. Rain always drops, but
sometimes it does not reach the
ground"
"Have you experimental on the eff
feet of smoke? 1t is true cause in
the production of rain"
eyes. We have that too in the
smoke from the chlorate of potash"
~ saw Atkins experiment when
it was first performed in Edinburgh"
"What did he do?"
"He filled glass receiver with air
drawn though plug of cotton wool
SO as to be freed of dust, though this
air was saturated with steam, no rain