The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-09
"A SUCCESSFUL RAlNMAkER.
How Clayton d. 5sweaf Comaes nroissuse
Hf6m Ca6asasss slxaes.

~ SUGCESSFul HAiNMAkER.
now Ciaysan i. Sswsai Co.x.s srosasu,,
Hfdm Ca6adssss skies.
| Clayton D. JeweIi Of Kansas who /,
figuring extensively iii western Kansal
and contiguous states as i succeasfu
coaxer of rain from cioudless siies. %
crates under the auspices Of fhe Chica
90, Rock Island md Pacific RaiIroad
company, using q special car consfruct.
ed for him By that company. TIE Pitts.
burg Dispatch tells the following inter.
estina story Oh bis work and methods:
4 Nr. Jewell said: ITO produce rain Il
il necessary ID work with the laws d
nature and strive to bring abont the
Same conditions that produce d natural
storm. All rainstorms are cafsed BY the
meeting OF warm and cold currents of
cir. When the cold air strikes the warm
air. il naturally falls rapidly, being the
heavier, thereby causing vacuum into
which the moisture In the at1nosphhere
rushes, making clouds and becoming d
cloud center. It was To produce this con.
dition that my efforts were directed,
and / believe that have discovered d
gas that VIII do the work.
At any rate, every time that / have
sent It into the air lii Sufficient unar,-
titles rainfall has followed. Tomanu-
facture this gas IiBe metallic sodium.
ammonia, black oxide of manganese.
caustic potash and alunfnfuin. hi com.
pinifig these materials dangerous eex.
ploaiosis are apt 10 occur, ana III my
preliminary experiments I had some
narrow escapAg. with these / also yise
ali alloy known hi muriufn, which +
haye manuYactursd fof my use, and
which costs i5 cents per pound. ~
When rain is I'd bA produced Mr.
Jewell car ii run onto d side track Al
hole 5 feet III diafhetef and about
8 feet deep II dug and connected
with the car BY d rubber hose, after
which tie top sof tlie hole Ii covered bv
boards. Directly over the hole and oii
che top Of the car is'a tank Gfled with
500 gnflons Of water. Between the raiik
and the edge of the car is q SPACE of
about a foot fl width through which
three pipes project 80 inches apart. On
top Of the tank Is ssquare box OF inches
long and 10 inches wide.
Inside the laboratory part of the car
q 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
icais from which the rain producing
gases arc made. Under the shelf are
large boxes, securely locked, which the
young rainnlaker 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 d 24
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 Ia these Jars
the gas Is made and released through
the three pipes mentioned above, that
project through tho top OF the car BY the
side Of the water tank
No force IL necessary 60 send the gas
into the sky, as at the time it ii re-
leased II ID much lighter than the air.
In escaping 1t makes little or no noise
and Ii almost inviHible, being Of b light |
blua tingass Atthe other endaof she caisis
d pipe running down from the plauk
above and connecting witka LARGE wood
en- vessel which iii turn, III connecteil
with another wooden vessel of eirnilAf
paftern. The semainder of the lab0rntn4yI
~ filled with pipes bottlBs and 0fherl
asAMx.aA