The Lake Charles echo., 1894-08-24
a SUCCESSFUL RAINMAKEn.


lBuIlIB SAtSbblFGly III "NAtOAh AuilSaS
and contiguous states as q successful
COaxor of rain from eloudiess skies, op-
crates under the auspices of the Chica-
go, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
company, usinga 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 1t
is necessary to work with the laws Of |
nature and strive to bring about the |
same conditions that produce natural |
storm. All rainstorms arc caused by tho |
meeting Of warm and cold currents OF
air. When the cold air strikes the warm
air, it naturally falls rapidly, being the
heavier, thereby causing 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 | haYo discovered q
gas that will do tho work,
"At any rate, every time that / have
sent it into the air in sufficient guam
titles "a rainfall has followed. TO manu-
facture this gas uso metallic sodium
ammonia, black oxide of manganese,
caustio potash and aluminium. In COM
bining these materials dangerous ex-
plosions are apt to occur, and in my
preliminary experiments ! had some
narrow escapes. With these also uso
all alloy known as murium, which l
have manufactured for my use, gand
which costs 10 cents per pound. "
When rain is to be produced M.
Jowoll's car is run onto a side tracks AZ
hole 8 feet in diameter and about
feet deep is dug and connected
with the car by u rubber hose, after
which the top of the hole is covered BY
boards. Directly over the hole and on
the top of tho car Is tank filled with
500 gallons of water, Between the tank
and the edge of the car Il agspaeo Of
about q foot in width through which
three pipes project 30 inches apart. On
ton of the tank is square box "a inches
long and 2 inches wide. 7
Inside the laboratory part of the car
wide shelf about two fOot 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 arc mado. Under the shelf are
large boxes, securely locked, which tho
Young rainnlaker declared were never
0pened 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
lar 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, thai
project through the top OF the car by the
side Of the water tank.
No force is necessary TO send tho gas
into the sky, as at the timo it is re
leased it is much lighter than tho air
In escaping it makes little or no nolst
and is almost invisible, being OF a llgh
blue tinge At tho other end OF the car Il
O nine running down from the ptahi
above and connecting with large wood
en- vessel, which in turn is CONNECTED
with another wooden vessel OF simiia
, pattern. The remainder OF the laborator,
Is filled with pipes, bottles and othe
apparatus ordinarily found in small
laboratory. In the Tainmaking depart
: meut of the Chicago, Rock Island an
Z Pacific Railroad company there ar
r three cars fitted up IN the same manner
= and they all operate at the same time
= few miles apart After showing the ca
. MI Jewell proceeded;
. "Whan the rainmaking machine
. in operation, 1900 feet Of gas escape
9 from each Of the three pipes projectin
Q from the top of tho car every honl
! When it is liberated, it is warm and a
y eends steadily. In f0nT honrs II ha
g reached an altitude Of from 1000
= 8, GOO feet, depending upon the eond
Y tions, altitude Of the point Of opefatiqr
. vegetation and humidity. After q
" LAPSE of certain time il turns cold il
y stantly and drops with rlsh, cFeatin
y o vacuum, into which the moisture COZ
= tanned In the air Fushes, forming elond
4 and they form the storm center
q "When | have done this, have y
y complished all that Is necessary, for NJ
e turo will do the rest The size OF Il
Is storm depends upon the velocity az
direction Of the wind, together WA
the temperature do not claim to
\. able to always produce rain at the poi
a Of operation, because the wind m.
ID carry it many miles away, but rain WI
VI surely fall in the direction the gas
u we're carried. On o calm day ra
IL should extend about 20 miles in eal
N direction from the point of operatio
4. a 10 mile wind win spread tho rainfi
4. 10 miles III one direction and about
N miles in the direction it Is blowing,
u a 25 mile wind the area Of the stor
~ win be extended from 100 TO 100 mil
y. Ia one direction, and no rain falling
N windward of tic point Of operation q
AZ but sprinkle at that point
n t.While splendid success has attend
NV efforts 50 far, / viii only reqni
pvoper machinery to make rainfall
most instantly I have completed q 4
be sign for apparltus which 1 hope to ha
IN for next seasons work that will
ly conplish this result With this ! p
~ nose 10 send my gases PIP 70 the
10 qnired height by compressed alr ~ I
oR nid form inclosed in q she'll whiS
he when It bursts, will release the liaui
w Spreading II Ia all directions, Install
he forming q large volume of cold gas u
II. viii do moro thnH the gases now q
np from the chr by rho present meth
Iii d pueh shorter space of time.
VI t'If Girls machine does what feel z
las tain IL viii 10, rain can be made to |
aa IS the shortest possible spaeeof time
he ynaae so successful experiments !
lg year and up 10 this tilne 2 expeFiTlle
this year, Ateaeh of these rain was ?
u aaeea ranging FROM operhaK to
u inches, and each tinae contrary q tAe 7
a aioaona piade III the weather. HaliAee