Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-08-21

1t WINS Greatly Needed-Drank Up
GreediIy by tho Parched Earth-A
Great Benefit to the Crops-The Com
necticut Attempt at Rafn-Making
Laet Saturday.
Happiness reigned hereabouts over the
eopious rainfall of yesterday and the night
before. The psrched earth drank up the
rain greedily and all nature can but look
smiling when the sun comes out of the
clouds again. The city streets are once
more free from dust for a day or 40. The
whole city looked freshened last evening.
The crops all over the state must be bene-
fitted greatly. But the Connecticut rain
making attempt Saturday can claim little
credit, as the storm came from the east
Yesterdays New York Tribune thus COM
ments editorially on the attempt at rain
making in this state last Saturday:
The latest effort of the effete east to catch
up with the enterprise of the ever-vigor-
GUS and fruitful west came to an unhappy
end yesterday in the Nutmeg state. The
tobacco growers of the Connecticut valley
have been threatened for some time with q
failure of their crop on account of the con-
tinued drouth. Nature did not send them
rain, 30 they decided to import Arizona
methods and themselves call some moist
ure down from the clouds. They prepared
about fifty balloons, each with . dynamite
cartridge attached, and succeeded in send
ing two of them up with great success, the
bombs exploding in the upper air to the
intense delight and edifcation of the as
ssmbled spectators. But the third balloon
IL Tn, Tank b.
necticut pedler, it insisted on coming back
before it had fairly got started away. As
1t contained dynamite cartridge, with
lighted fuse attachment, the returning
traveller was not welcomed with true
Yankee hospitality, and only the presence
of mind of two of the experimenters pre-
vented what might have been an effective
appeal to the crowd for blood. The eI-
periments were Immediately discontinued.
May it not be suggested that before the in
ventore of wooden nutmegs try again to
ride hobby from the plains they employ
their genius to devise q bride with which
1t can be CONTROLLED
HOW TREY OPERATED IN THE CASE.
The Hartford Times gives graphic &C.
count of the rain-making attempt as fol-
lows: Half the population of Bloomfield
B6bAcIcu MT G<ukcuc ~ SAoAN - A@AAA oh sAAo
plains, this morning, to witness the first
experiment in ain-making tried in these
parts. Nearly every man in the asssmblage
had tobacco In the fields that was being
scorched for want of shower, and all
were expectant as to the results of explod-
ing dynamite In the air. The operation
itself was novelty, and the crowd pressed
close upon the men who performed the
work until the fifth cartridge threatened
to blow them to pieces. Then they scat
tered.
It was splendid day for the experiment..
The farmers were out at daybreak and .
glance at the heavens convinced them that
no rain was in sight. II anybody had
doubts about the matter they were dis
pelled when Collins Barnard, the Bloom
field weather bureau looked up at the
skies, shifted his chew Of tobacco and
solemnly announced that there would be
no s'naturap rain before three days. Col
Inns did not venture prediction as to the
effect of the dynamite In producing "un-
natural rain, but he was willing TO stake