The times., 1899-10-15

ing to the historian. Ito its unbrcken peIt-
iEgs General Worth and the Second Divis-
ion OF the army were exposed during the
night
similar phenomenon is said TO have
occurred on the 23d. The battle of Palo
Alto was fought during the dry season.
May s. 1876. and the drought was broken
by rain. II is alleged that transforms
broke soon after the battles of Contreras,
Pueblo, Chalco, Churubusco, Molina del
Rey, and Chapultepee.
Rain After American BATTLES.
During the siege of Lexington, KY, in
September. 1861. when the water supply of
the Confederates had been cut off, Colonel
Mulligan is reported to have tod his men
that, by keeping up a strong fire on the
enemy, rain would soon come to quench
their thirst. The prophecy is said to have
been fulfilled and the men caught the rain
in their blankets. Some of the battles of
the Civil War, which it is said were fol-
lowed or interrupted by rain, are: Big
Bethel, Rich Mountain, Carnifax Ferry,
Cheat Mountain, Green Brier Allegheny
Summit. Bull Run, Fort Pickens, Logan
Cross Roads. Fort Donelson, Pea Ridge,
Roanoke Island, Newbern, Fort Macon,
Merrimac, and Monitor, New Madrid, ISL
and No. 10, Passage of Forts jackson and
St Philip. Vicksburg, Shiloh, Bull Pasture
Mountain. Winchester, Cross Keys, York
town, Fort Magruder, Williamson G.
Chiekahominy, Hanover Court House, Fair
Oaks, and others.
II is narrated that the Princess of Ma
pies, who became the Empress of Brazil
oa the occasion of her arrival at Rio Jane
irQ in, rppafvaS co ynanv rolutac from,
the Neapolitan and Brazilian ships that the
sky suddenly became overcast and heavy
rain fell. In Seott's life of Napoleon, he
says that rain fell after the battles of Dres-
den. Ligny, Eylau. Among ether battles
which il is said were followed by rain were
Madras, Nalenciennes, Donnholm Sedan,
Strssburg Solferino, Koeniggratz, Weis-
senberg, Woerth, Metz, and Khiva.
Among the theories advanced by those
who maintain the practicability of pro-
dueing rainfall by eoncussion are the fol-
lowing:
The Coniectures Advanced.
First-That the jarring OF the air by
the conclusive force Of explosions causes
aggregations of the particles of moisture
held in suspension. particularly by the
tendency of such body as water to con-
| densation, collection, or agIomeration, like
quicksilver.
Second-That in connection with the Jar
ring, smoke particularly, perhaps the
smoke of gunpowder, presents nuclei or
mechanical retaining points for the ag-
glomeration OF suspended particles of
moisture, that moisture will collect in the
air upon solid particles as nuclei, being
shown by the fact that hailstones are fire.
quetly found to have particles of dust or
vegetable matter in their centres
Ihird-That the reaction of the pressure
of the atmosphere after each explosion,
combined with the shock of the explo-
sion, the buoyancy Of the gases pro-
duced, and the heat generated, creates a
forcible upward current, which breaks
strata above and below. and takes the form
OF an eddy Or whirlpool, which tends still
further TO break the strata, and also ex-
tends the disturbance: or, with a shade
OF difference, that each explosion produc-
ing a momentary vacuum, the subsequent
thrush Of columns of air considering the
air, for mere illustration, to be in lateral
columns) viii, perhaps, by the motion of
the earth on It's axis, not be just end to
END or point against point; but, the COL
urnns passing each other, whirl or
whorl will be started, which widening as 1t
extends upward, will present a vortex,
where by heavy or moisture-laden air will
be drawn from afar, in right lines, toward
the centre, just as objects are drawn from
the circumference Of the maelstrom to its
centre; the action being thus centripetal
and not centrifugal: the precipitation not
necessarily waiting for an arrival at the
storm centre, but taking place as soon as
there has been sufficient weight of mois-
ture by condensation, anywhere away from
this centre. to prevent its longer being
held IN suspension.
Fourth.-That electricity is generated by
every explosion by the friction and other
effects Of the disturbances. and that this
may be the factor in generation of storm
conditions by producing polarization of the
earth and sky in the vicinity of the explo-
sion, and consequent magnetic field with
force tending TO the gathering of moist
ure and inducing other conditions necessa-
ry for storm formation, electrical manifes-
tation being a consequent forerunner and
concomitant OF storms.
Moisture-Laden Currents.
Fifth.-That considering the distance be-
tween the place whence q moisture-laden
air current starts. or is finally launched.
and the place where it parts with its moist
ure. as a straight line of collimation, the
actual track OF the current or the path of
the moisture will be curvilinear--just as
the trajectory for projectile is a para
bola-that, as a very light obstruction op-
! posed TO a projectiIe under even very
1 great velocity viii greatly aid the force
| Of gravity in DETECTING the projectile to-
ward the earth, that is, shortening the
I curve, so, opposing waves in the atmos-
| phere, produced by explosions will tend
TO shorten the path of the current, and
that If this moisture-laden current then
meets & cold current. precipitation of the
moisture Of the earth will be immediate;
that the moisture-laden current passing
/ from the Pacific Ocean eastward is de-
fected upward by the Rocky Mountains to
such an extent that its trajectory from
that place-the place whence the current
ia launched is very long, so that the cur
rent does not get within reaching distance
OF the earth until il has passed over what
are called the arid regions; that the cause
/ OF the precipitation OF moisture toward the
/ end OF the trajectory is by reason of con-
| tact Of the moisture-laden current with
| the north, that IL the moisture-laden cur
| rent can be brought down sooner precipi-
tation Will take place at a shorter dis
ance from the upward DETECTING surface. or
the mountains. The objection that the
moisture-laden current will be at least
as liable to meet a cold current or con-
ditions OF low temperature at high alti-
! tudes. and SO have its moisture condensed
J there. is met by the statement that if the
moisture be condensed, even CONCEALED to
frost or ice, particles so high above the
earth surface IL may still be carried on
| ward to q great distance by It's vehicles,
namely, the current of air. before II gets
below this vehicle and, even after having
dropped therefrom, may be completely alb
L.