The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1894-08-10
a SUCCESSFUL RAINMAKER.
HOW NayAen =. Jewell Coaxes ssoissrrV
from 0lonalcss SisiSs.


aud contiguous states as d suocessfu
ooaxer Of rain from oloualess skies. on
crates under the auspices Of the Chioa
go, Rock Island and Pacific Rtilroal
company, using a special car construct
ea for him BY that company. The Pitts
burg Dispatch tells the following inter
esting story Of his work and methods:
! AIR. Jewell said: tI'o proauce rain i
/ Is necessary to work with the laws 4
nature and strive to bring about tn,
saine conditions that produce d nat1ra
storm All rainstornls are caused by u,
meeting Of warm and cola currents i.
an. When thecold ain strikes the warn
air, it naturally falls rapidly, being tht
heavier, thereby causing vacuum init
which the moisture iii the atmosnhherg
rushes, making clouds and becoming i
cloud center. 1t was to produce this cs,n.
dltion that my efforts were directed
and believe that ] have discovered i
gas that Will do the work.
At any rate, every time that / haye
sent il into the air in sufficient uuan.
titles a rainfall has followed. Tomann.
taesure this gas / use metallic sodium
ammonia, black oxide Of manganese,
canstic potash and aluminium. In com
bining these materials dangerous ex.
plnsions are apt to occur. and in nv
preliminary experiments | had some
narrow escapes With these / also use
an alloy known as murium. which i
hare manufactured for my use, Eand
which costs is cents per pound
When rain is to be produced Mn
Jewell + car isrun onto side track. "a
hole 3 feet III diameter and about
s feet deep is dug and connected
with the car By rubber hose. after
which The top Of the hole is covered by
hoaFds Directly over the hole ana on
the top Of the car isa tank flled with
SEQ gallons Of water. Between the tank
and the edge Of the car Is 4 srace u
about O foot in width through which
taree Pipes project 80 inches apart. on
top Of the tank is square box "a inohss
long and r. inches wide.
Inside the laboratory rart of the nar
wide shelf about two fest from the
iaor extends from one end 10 the utii5r
On this are many curious looking bot-
rlss and boxes said To contain the ehe,,l-
icals from which the rain producing
gases are made Under the shalf are
large boxes, securely lgeked whieh Tic
Fnnng rainniaker declared we're never I
lRened in tile presence of any on5. I
Above the shelf and near the ton of the
'a-r Is another shelf On which rests 4 "a I
leil battery. besides an unuFaalIy large
A. connected by wines with tire hattsry
Iher8 ere aiso wires caanectsug the bis
eFT wifh The ram machine prosper
which consists q six large lags divided
nto groups b two each N yliase ,iars
he gas is made and released thr1urI,
lie three pipes mentioned above, .hat
ireiect through the top Of tile car ls3 tho
iaa uf the water 5a1k.
30 f1ges y necessary to send tie gas
nto the Sly, rs at che time Ill. ii re-
aa7Ed i Is much lighter 5hau tia air
i escaping II hiales lir-lR ar no ndise
nit 4 ainast invisible, being of a light
Inc tlnge. Atthe Gther end If t55le csr n
aipe running doWn from tAa plank
i'Gve and connecting nith d issrse wood
D vessel which ID tnru il CONNECTED
-lth another wooden Vessel IL similar
astefli. The remainder Of ellle lahrs. ,5ry
HAled with pines, b0ttigs aaa other
ordinarily found III i giaaIl
ilaorar0ly. II The rGiisrnaling depart
lent d The Chicago, Rock Island .iiid
aa1ac Railroad caapap7 there are
sra4 CARS fttedup id THE same 1natnag
II tAeF az opsrate al tlie salne time 4
w miles apart After showing the eli !
i Jewell procaaiad.
e NJ han the raininalsing maciline Il 9
operation, l.509 feet d gss escapes J
anl each Of the three pipes projecting
ON the top of the car every hour. .
'hen it Il liberated, tits warm and as .
nds steadily In four hours it has 2
aahed an altitude Of from 1000 10 2
e00 feet, depending upon the condi- 7
1ns, altitude Of the point 0s operation, !
gstation and humidity. After fhe 2
l1se Of certain time ii tnrls cold i'll z
intly and drops with rush, creating q
Facnnfn INTO which tile moisture con. Z
med III the air rushes. forming clouds, q
4 they form the storm center ie
when I have dome this. / have ae. q q
npiished all that is necessary. for na. y
re will do the rest. The size of the ~
Irm depentls upon the velocity and y
.ection Of the wind, together with y
temperature, I do not claim to ba 7 Y
70 70 always produce rain ct the point z 4
operation, because the wind may ~
ny it many miles away, but rain will q
'ely fall IN the direction the case ~
y carried. On b calm day rain "
lnla extend about 10 miles III each "
ection from the point of operation ao
10 mile wind will spread the rainfall ~
miles In one direction and about 50 y
Ies in the direction II is blowing. Ini Y
& mile wind the area Of the storm my
4 be extended from 100 to 150 miles 81!
me direction and no rain falling t5 gi'
ldward q the point Of operation and
. sprinkle at that point