The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-01-09
THE FoGs or LONDON
They Are TO Be Done Away With by a
Scientist.


A correspondent from Detroit writes
that r. O. Dyrenforth. the rainmaker.
has non-pateEted scheme whereby, he
says, London's fogs can be dlspeled.
| Recently. a very prominent scientific
official OF the United States weather bu-
reau wrote me-" says NJ Dyrenforth,
that the most pronounced thing / had
demonstrated was that * heavily mois-
ture charged air was present. Immediate
4 precipitation could be effected bv dis
peliirg the cloud by concussion, such
conclusions as had been produced in my
| operations in Washington This theory
can be made effective in London.
The way to operate. would De to have
a dozen or more large tanks on wheels.
Ike water carts. Have these tanks pro-
vlded with porous trays and stirrers, and
nlled with water and iron Filings. Have
sulphuric acid pump to pump the
the requisite quantity Of acid into the
tank as needed, whereupon there would
De immediate evolution OF hydrogen gas
In addition, there should be a light
furnace wagon. in which connected evil
inders, containing a mixture of chIorate
OF potash and maganese dioxide could be
properly heated whereupon there would
De immediate evolution Of oxygen gas.
Il have had drawings prepared of suIt-
able apparatus Of the kind described
Then there should be inexpensive hal
looms, made of light fabric, properly var
hished, or OF paper, rendered gas tight
and these balloons should be filled from
mixing reservoir with the oxyhydrogen
gas.
The balloons must be allowed to rise
l,SO0 or 1900 feet. They could be ex-
ploded either by time fuse and can or
from an electric discharger. A balloon
OF 10 feet in diameter holds about ~
cubic feet OF gas. and a balloon of 12 feet
IN diameter about 1.1O0 cubic feet Of gas
The effect OF an explosion is terrific
and far-reaching. On a still day II can
be heard forty miles. as it was at Cor
pus Christi. Texas
Ihis Is to be said regarding explosions
in the air. The effect upon the ground
or houses is not bad like that of explo-
sions on the ground. Thus, you never
heard OF clap of thunder breaking
glass.
My idea would be to establish stations
on the Thames below London, meeting
the fog as it rolls up the river and caus-
ing as much precipitation there as pos
sible. What is left could be dispelled by
operations at stations to windward-that
is, east Of the city.
II believe that stations of this kind
would be effective When precipitation
Is started 1t is likely to continue until
all the fog is dispelled. Even IL a rain
battle were continued several days the
cost would be trifing compared to that
Incident to a fog. The making of oxy-
hydrogen is cheap enough, and the bal
oons need only cost a few dollars apiece,
they would, of course, be destroyed
Following up my ideas, prominent
English nobleman wrote to me making
the suggestion that should go to Lon
don and operate at the proper season,
and. according to my method. disrel
these fogs. l believe that this could be
lone
1T was suggested by some one else
that a fund of $4,000 might be raised
and with this the proper apparatus be
purchased. A large party Of operators
night beproperly paid, and long-contin-
led and adequate operations be per-
formed.
IF the results were good. not only
''ould the effect to humanity be most
oenefcient in the comfort to man and the
saving of life and property, but there
would be an immense saving of expense
n the matter of light and the cost Of all
sorts of precautions. 1 have been told
hat the costs incident to a fog of this
kind amounted to hundreds of thousands
If dollars daily.
If the result were successful IL would
BRING lasting fame to those achieving the
'eneficent results. II any person or per-
ions should desire to engage in this pro-
ect. should be glad to furnish gratis
Ill information in my possession"