The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-06-10

"I'll have Douglas avenue in Wichita
turned into canal by tomorrow" said
Jewell, the rainmaker. yesterday.
81 hone sou said George Matthews, the
local rainmaker. and I'll throw in little
on the side if you will make it rain
enough so that a certain gentleman friend
of mine will stand in water up 70 his
auburn whiskers."
''You telephone to me-" said the rain
maker when the water is up to the curb
stone, and I'll turn on more steam and
drown the heretics."
All this overflow of eloquence was the
result of the skepticism of the people of
Wichita relative to the practicability OF
rainmaking.
1t was reported last evening that war
had broken out among the rainmakers.
1t was alleged that the local scien-
tist claimed the credit of the downpour
of yesterday, and that the Jewell crowd
claimed it for themselves. George Math-
ews was seen last night and questioned
about the matter. He said that Jewell was
entitled to the credit of yesterdays rain
and that they were innocent of any desire
to divide honors with him. He said that
his firm were not even at work and hence
could not claim credit for the rain il they
wanted to. Mr.. Mathews is not only a
sincere believer in his own method, but is
also thorough believer in the Jewell
system.
Recently the New York Mail and Ex-
press contained column write-up on the
Wichita rainmakers. and its correspond
ent writes them up as follows:
"Please fluid enclosed the advertisement
of the Boston Chemical Rain company.
taken from the Wichita EAGLE. These
people have been at work in Kansas for
some time We had slight shower yes
terday, and they have been claiming it as
the result of their work. Personally
have no faith in this business, believing
that the Great Divine Rainmaker furnishes
this great earth of ours with all these need
full things when in His wisdom it seems
best | have never seen these fellows at
work, but am told. by friend who has,
that they have some large jars in which
they put their preparations. The jars are
then covered and small pipe runs from
the jars, allowing the gases to escape into
the air, and as a result they claim the
gathering OF clouds and the final pouring
of rain"
Notwithstanding all that has been said
pro and con about rain making generally,
Mr.. Jewell opened up operations yester-
day morning at Peabody, Wellington and
Caldwell, and 1t hogan to rain yesterday
at o'clock Whether this was the result
of Mr.. Jewelrs experiments. will for
long time be q matter of doubt The be-
levers will give Mr.. Jewell credit for it
while, Oh the other hand. the skeptics will
insis, that it is the work of the Lord who.
they claim, like the correspondent of the
Mail and Express, is the only rain maker.
Doubts or no doubts the rain poured
~ inf air nd . bo NJ q
patch of potatoes or field of corn will not
bother his head rs to who sent il.
The indications are that it will continue
for a day or two as weather critics say that
the atmosphere. the position of the moon
and many other heavenly changes are
favorable for not only wet day, but wet
week,
There is certainly lots of rain overhead.
Immense rain clouds hung over the entire
southwest last night ard the elements
looked very strange. An unusual scene
was observed on the northern sky. 1t was
exactly due north and looked like blazing
sunset. Some held that this was the re-
Election of the setting sun which could not
be observed itself while Others insisted
that it was some peculiar electrical phe-
nomeuon that forebodei a deluge or some
thing else strange to Kansas. The cur
rents of wind, too, playei pranks that in
Dictated some change. They went some
times in opposite directions and then
brought clouds together into one mass OF
dense vapor which would suspend itself
perfectly motionless as if hesitating
whether or not to organize itself into
cyclone and swoop down upon the
earth. After a short consultation they
separated again and little clouds would sail
in different directions and bring hack
other clouds with them as if recruiting for
some terrible mission of destruction. The
initiated called this peculiar gallivanting
of the clouds the formation OF a storm
center.
1t seems, according to the theory of
rainmakers, that when they go to work
first the moisture gathers in a ring by
system of revolutions and that when 1t at
tainS certain circumference the current
sweeps in and across the diameter and
thus fills up the circle and makes storm
center. According to the statement made
by Mr.. Jewell this storm center will
be filled UP today, aud the
rain will pour down steadily
and not in broken and disconnected show
ers Ike yesterday.
Let the center form as rapidly as posi-
bile, the people need the rain and need it
bad.
1t is not generally known. but it is fact
nevertheless, that yesterday was the fif-
teenth anniversary of the most destructive
hail storm in the memory of the oldest in
habitauts Of Wichita. Hailstones fell that
when picked up twenty minutes later
measured over twelve inches in circumfer-
ence. The north windows of every house
in town were broken into thousands OF pie
ces. It IS even said that when they struck
the sidewalks they reoouuded aud broke
plate glass windows.