The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-06-07
Make Rain at Will In Kansas.

drought in the Sodthern central portion
of Kansas has been broken, and the dry
soil soaked by rainfall much greater
than has been before experienced in that
section of the State for more than q year.
Those who have faith in the science of
rain.making as advocated by Lieut..
Dyrenforth believe that the concerted
action of the people of Wellington, Win.
field, Arkansas City, South Haven,
Caldwell, Hutchinson and Newton in
firing heavy explosives simultaneously
was the means of securing the relief
which had been obtained.
Mayor Savage, of Wellington, origi-
mated the idea. He consulted the may.
ors of all towns within a radius of thirty
miles concerning his scheme, and while
they had little faith in its effectiveness
all agreed to assist him in his expert
menti
Several days were required to perfect
arrangements. The State arsenal was
drawn upon. All of its canuons and
mortars and guns we're brought into
requisition. Everything that could be
found in the country that would make q
noise and create smoke was brought ont
and distributed over the section which it
was hoped would be benefited by it. All
of the boys and young men who owned
guns were induced to come out. The
preparations became go general and
elaborate that the country appeared to
be having a Fourth of July celebration.
At noon Thursday all was in readiness.
Mayor Savage telegraphed his lieuten.
ants to begin the bombardment of the.
heavens. For two hours the explosives
were discharged. The noise created WAS
terrific. Windows we're shattered and
houses trembled on their foundations.
Smoke clouds gathered in small bodies.
Then they united, and by3 o'clock the
sky over eight counties was black and
every indication of rain storm was visi.
BILE. Soon the water began to fall. The
precipitation steadily increased, and the
work begun by man was carried on BY
nature.
Many people scoff at the idea that
Mayor Savage is responsible for Thura-
days storm, but the people of the eight
counties where the rain fell who saw and
heard the bombardment believe thor
oughly ia the art of rain making.
During the past three days Adjt. Gen.
Artz has received many letters and tele-
grams from all sections of Western Kan
sas calling on him for the use of cannons
with which to produce rain. The appar.
ent success of thursdays experiment has
melted the people of every town and city
where the drought is unbrokcn to repeat
the effort. The work will be resumed
early in the week.
Yesterday at Detroit, little town in
Dickinson County, in lieu of cannon or
guns, the people procured four anvills
from the two village blacksmith shops
and commenced the burning of large
amount of powder. After about twenty
volleys had been fred clouds began to
gather over the village, and within an
hour dense clouds obscured the horizon
and shut out the sky in all directions.
In few minutes rain began to fall, and
BY sunset half inch of rain had covered
an area twenty miles square.
These experiences have had discour-
aging effect on the chemical rain-makers
of Western Kansas, who have been oper.
atipg for month without success. The
Lin makers reserve the right to operate
when they pleaee, and they invariably
consult the predictions Of weather pro-
phets before attempting to bring down
the moisture. They 60 into a little
cabin, run stovepipe through the roof
and set fire to certain chemicals.
If the bombardment with gunpowder
continues to prove successful, as it did in
Southern Kansas, it is believed that the
people of the western part of the State
will employ that method exclusively in
the future.