The herald., 1894-08-19
A SUCCESSFUL RAlNMAKER.
How Clayton B. Jewell Coaxes Moistui
From C1oudless Skies.


and contiguous states as a successful
coaxer of rain from cloudless skies, op-
crates under the auspices of the Chica-
go, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
company, using special car construct
ed for him by that company. The Pitts
burg Dispatch tells the following inter-
esting story of his work and methods:
Mr.. Jewell said: ''To produce rain it
is necessary to work with the laws of
nature and strive to bring about the
same conditions that produce q natural
storm. All transforms are caused by the
meeting Of warm and cold currents of
air. When the cold air strikes tho warm
air, it naturally falls rapidly, being the
heavier, thereby causing a vacuum into
which the moisture in the atmosphere
rushes, making clouds and becoming a
cloud center. 1t was to produce this con-
dition that my efforts were directed,
and believe that have discovered q
gas that will do the work
"At any rate, every time that have
sent it into the air in sufficient guam
titles rainfall has followed. To manu-
facture this gas use metallic sodium,
ammonia, black oxide of manganese,
caustic potash and aluminium. In oom-
bining these materials dangerous ex-
plosions are apt to occur, and in my
preliminary experiments | had some
narrow escapes. With these I also use
an alloy known as murium, which
have manufactured for my use, fand
which costs Is cents per pound. "
When rain is to be produced Mr..
Jewell's car is run onto side track. A
hole feet in 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
boards. Directly over the hole and on
the top of the car is tank filled with
800 gallons of water, Between the tank
and the edge of the car is a space Of
about foot in width through which
three pipes project 80 inches apart On
top of the tank is square box "a inches
long and 12 inches wide.
Inside the laboratory part Of the car
wide shelf about two feet from the
floor extends from one end to the other.
On this are many curious looking bot
ties and boxes said to contain the chem
icals from which the rain producing
gases are made Under the shelf are
large boxes, securely locked, which the
young rainmaker declared were never
opened in the presence Of any one.
Above the shelf and near the top of the
car is another shelf on which rests "a
cell battery, besides an unusually large
| jar connected by wires with the battery.
! There are also wires connecting the bat
! terry with the rain machine proper,
which consists Of six large jars divided
into groups of two each. In these jars
the gas is made and released through
the three pipes mentioned above, that
project through the top of the Car by the
side Of the water tank.
No forco is necessary to send the gas
into the sky as at the time it is re-
leased it is much lighter than the air.
In escaping it makes little or no noise
and is almost invisible being of a light
h'-l1te "1nu4Attg down from the planl
above and connecting with large wood
en- vessel, which in turn is connected
with another wooden vessel of similar
pattern The remainder of the laboratory
is filled with pipes bottles and other
apparatus ordinarily found in a small
laboratory. In the rainmaking depart
ment of the Chicago, Rock Island and
Pacific Railroad company there are
three cars fitted up in the Same manner,
and they all operate at the same time a
few miles apart. After showing the car
Mr.. Jewell proceeded:
when the rainmaking machine is
in operation, l. 500 feet of gas escapes
from each of the three pipes projecting
from the top of the car every hour.
When it is liberated, it is warm and as
cends steadily. In four hours it has
reached an altitude of from 1000 to
5000 feet, depending upon the condi-
tions, altitude of the point of operation,
vegetation and humidity. After the
lapse of a certain time it turns cold in
stantly and drops with q rush, creating
vacuum, into which the moisture con
tanned in the air rushes, forming clouds,
and they form the storm center
when | have done this, I have ac-
complished all that is necessary, for ma
ture will do the rest. The size of the
storm depends upon the velocity and
direction Of the wind, together with
the temperature. | do not claim to be
able to always produce rain at the point
of operation, because tho wind may
carry it many miles away, but rain will
surely fall in the direction the gases
were carried On calm day rain
should extend about 20 miles in each
direction from the point Of operation.
A 10 mile wind will spread the rainfall
10 miles in one direction and about so
miles in the direction it is blowing. In
95 mile wind the area of the storm
will be extended from 100 to $50 miles
in one direction, and no rain falling to
windward Of the point of operation and
but sprinkle at that point.
''While splendid success has attended
my efforts so far, / will only require
proper machinery to make rainfall al |
most Instantly l have completed de-
sign for apparatus which hope to have |
for next seasons work that will ao-
complish this result With this | pro-
pose to send my gases up to the re-
quired height by compressed air in liq-
uid form inclosed in shell, which,
when it bursts, will release the liquid,
spreading it i'll all directions, instantly
forming large volume of cold gas that
will do more than the gases now sent