The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-06-18
FUN IN CONGRESS.
Statesmen on Science and Religion


On June 9th, the House of Representa-
tives had under consideration paragraph
in the Agricultural appropriation bill pro-
viding for an expenditure of $4,000 to
continue experiments in the production of
rainfall.
Mr.. Lanham. Mr.. Chairman, [ would
like to ask the gentleman from Missouri
Mr. Hatch for some information with re-
ference to the paragraph just read, provid-
ing an appropriation for continuation of
experiments for the production of rainfall.
| will ask him to state what information
his committee obtained as to the probabili-
ty of useful results in this direction.
Mr.. Hatch. Mr.. Chairman, | shall be
glad to answer the inquiry. The gentle
man from Texas and the members of the
committee will remember that an appropri-
alton for this experiment was made by a
Senate amendment to the agricultural ap-
preparation bill, | think two years ago.
The then Senator from Illinois Mr.. Far
well1, who had devoted considerable time
to an investigation of the subject, was very
earnest in urging that the experiment
should be made. As member of that
committee on the part of the House, L op-
posed the appropriation, as did the gentle
man from Kansas Mr.. Funston] who was
then chairman of the committee, but We
finally consented to a small appropriation
for this purpose. The experiment seemed
to be satisfactory, and in the last annual
appropriation bill the Secretary of Agri-
culture was given so much of the ap-
preparation made for the division of fores
try as would enable him to continue the
experiments. He used about $1,000 last
year for that purpose. There was one
initial experiment made here in the Dis
trict of Columbia, and two or three were
made in Texas and, believe, in Southern
Kansas.
The committee at first were opposed to
making further appropriation in this direc-
ton; but at the request of the gentleman
from South Dakota Mr.. Jolley] the COM
mittee gave three hours and half on two
consecutive days to a hearing on this sub
ject. They listened to a very complete
and exhaustive statement by Gen. Dyren-
forth, who had conducted these expert
ments, and also to the Secretary of Agri-
culture, and the Assistant Secretary, Mr..
Willets Upon the information given in
these statements and derived from the read
ing of the official report, now in the docu-
ment room, made by Gen. Dyrenforth, the
Committee on Agriculture was unanimous
in recommending an appropriation to con-
tinue for another year these experiments.
The experiments, so far as they have
gone, have demonstrated, [ think, beyond
reasonable question that rainfall under GER
tain conditions can be produced either by
conclusions in the upper air or by firing
dynamite or other explosives from the sur
face of the earth into the Clouds 1t has
not been demonstrated what are the most
economic appliances and methods for con
ducting these experiments; and the object
of this appropriation is to give to the De-
partment further opportunity to demon
strate if possible the economical value of
these experiments.
Gen. Dyrenforth was positive in his
statement (and he made a very strong I'M
preston on the committee by the frank and
candid way in which he admitted every
thing which had looked like a failure in
the nature of these experiments )-he was
perfectly positive in his statement that
every experiment that he had made with
these explosions had produced rainfall in
greater or less degree; and he believes that
It can be demonstrated that balloons filled
two-thirds with hydrogen and one-third
with oxygen (making, as he stated, the
most powerful explosive yet discovered by
man, can be discharged in the air so as to
produce rainfall over a surface of $50 tC
300 square miles. If that can be done
there is no limit which can be adopted in
estimating the value of the discovery to
certain sections of the country.
Mr.. Lanham. The gentleman then be-
lieyes, and it is the judgment of the com
mittee, as | understand him, that this
amount can be usefully expended in thi:
experimental way.
Mr.. Hatch. II was the unanimous de
cision of the committee that it was worth
this further expenditure OF money to de
termine the exact value of the experiments
Mr.. Lanham. Only $4,000, believe
was appropriated in the last Congress for
this purpose.
Mr.. Hatch. The appropriation was
SIS 900, or so much as might be necessary
only about 81 900 was used
Mr. Bushnell. Will the gentleman tel
us how much in all has been expended
heretofore in these experiments?