Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-07-26

!. expect the balance to freeze itself. A
the freezing is simply carrying ii
condensation process one step fartht
s than in the production Of rainfall
, why is the comparison not good ON,
The question then is; Is it poss
Bile to so counteract the heat of til
, sun by the liberation Of gases Of an
kind, or by any mechanical mean
, whatever, as to cause rainfall owe
an extended area Of country
It seems to me absurdly impossibl
to produce gas enough Of any kind t
bring about such results. OF course
in a labratory, on a small scale, unde
carefully arranged conditions, aque
GUS vapor within small glass glob
may be caused to fall as snow; hu
this would scarcely warrant us in say
ing; III this Is possible, why can
we produce rain outdoorsp" For tina
would be leaving out Of consideration
the difference in the scale Of opera
ton.
| have seen quicksilver contained ii
an iron spoon frozen into a solid mas
by application of chemical means
but think Of freezing a ton of quick
silver in the midst Of a mighty conila
grafton!
1t Is said also that 1880 cubic feet
Of gas issue every hour from tire,
small tubes and a generator. Now
the production Of gas in such quantity
is no small or trifling operation.
Let us see what amount of material
and apparatus would be necessary to
the production Of that much gas each
hour These figures are also start
ling.
We will take as a basis hydrogen
gas, as that is the simplest and easiest
gas to make, and is used as a standard
Of measurement, chemically, Of all
other gases.
To produce hydrogen it is only nee
essary to bring together in a suitable
glass or earthen jar metallic zinc, sui
phuric acid and water, each in the
proper amount. This in itself is quite
simple, as any high school student
in chemistry knows. But to make
twenty-four times 1850 cubic feet of
gas is q big task, involving the use OF
no less than 1879 pounds Of zinc,
26,l2l pounds Of sulphuric acid, and
1o,o9S gallons Of water, and the tank
which would hold this amount would
have to be nearly 10 feet square and
80 feet deep, while a five day opera
ton would require train Of cars to
haul the material. OF course, | do
not mean to convey the idea that n.y.
drogen is the gas which is used, but
merely used that as a basis for the
calculation.
Most other gases, such as oxygen,
chlorine, nitrogen, the oxides OF
nitrogen, carbonic acid, etc., are much
harder to make than hydrogen and
would require more material and
labor. Now, II rain is to be produced
rat will, and the method in any way
a success, II ought to succeed under
test conditions, which would be as fol-
lows A bright, sunny day, cloudless
ky, no wind, uniform temperature
'f 80 degrees and the air saturated
with moisture at that temperature.
If under such conditions rain may
DC produced "at will' without spend |
ng five or six days in "willing' it
may be success-not otherwise.
As perfect test conditions can prob
IDLY never be secured who can decide |
whether the rain is produced by |
Natural or artificial meansp
10 not desire to disparage any
'ttcmpts to do Kansas good. There
. nothing we need SO much as Ger
ain rainfall. II is possible to get
t by any reasonable means let us
ave 1t. But the modern Aquarlus
must not expect to 70 unchallcnged.
or my part his work is simply n big
oke. PoLoNIls.