Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-12-26
MAN RULES CLOUDS.
tMPlO ING ARTILLERY AGAINST
THUNDER AND HAIL STORMS.

gagged IN This New Warfare Along the
70 and Its bordering Plains-T .
Battles Take Place at Night.
travellers in the valleys of the Po
ana the khone during the past season
have had an opportunity to witness a
new and thoroughly scientific use of
cannon in battles foughtwithout blood
shed, yet ending with rou- on one side
and victory on the other The Vine
growers of Northern Italy and of
Southeastern France have begun to en-
ploy artillery against thunder and hail
storms. In many cases the women
nave been the cannoneers and the roar
OF the contest has frequently recalled
that of an actual battle field. AS many
as loOO0 guns have been engaged in
this new warfare along the great val
ley OF the Po and its bordering plains,
and government assistance has been
given to the combatants in both France
and Italy. The enthusiastic reports
Of those who have taken part in the
novel defence of the vineyards are
filled with stories of constant success
against the enemy.
These battles with storms have thus
assumed great practical and scientific
interest and Importance. 1t seems to
have been demonstrated that it is per-
fectly feasible by shooting at the
clouds of an advancing and gathering
shunder storm to break up their array
and to Introduce so much confusion in
their ranks as to prevent entirely the
formation of hail, the fall of which
during such storms often results in the
ruin of many acres of costly vines. A
single cannon on a commanding emf
nence sufiices to protect about 60 acres
of surrounding land. But isolated guns
are not efficient. They must be ar
ranged in batteries covering many sail
ent points suitably chosen with refer
ence to one another, and the system of
pickets connected with the guns needs
to be as carefully organized as in the
case of an army. Many times these
battles take place at dead of night.
The sentinels seeing suspicious clouds
gathering, give the alarm, and imme-
diately at all the stations within the
threatened district the guns are
manned and, at signal, are fired in
concert at the clouds. Twice q minute
the volleys roar at first and after that
more slowly until the danger is past.
Blank charges are used, and annular
whirls of air, like smoke rings, dart
from the muZzles of the guns to
a height of a mile or more, tearing as
sunder the gathering clouds and caus-
ing SO much commotion in the electri-
cally charged vapors that the condi-
tions which lead to the formation Of
hail are prevented, and only gentle and
refreshing rain falls instead of the
dreaded bombardment of icy projec-
tiles.
The best reply, perhaps, to those who
doubt the efficiency of this system of
defence against storms is that the in
surance companies have reduced their
rates to the vine growres in the protect
ed regions 33 per cent. since the guns
have been in use. What works so well
iii France and Italy would doubtless
work equally well in this country and
Professor Il. W. Hilgard has already
suggested that the system should be
introduced in our middle west, where
great damage is caused by thunder
storms.
When a beginning like this is once
made nobody is ever able to predict
what the end will be. 1t has long been
Of OF af th,%
man would eventually attain to a suffi-
cient command over the elements to
enable him, if not absolutely to rule the
clouds, at least to interfere successful
ly with their movements and forma-
ton. 1t is an old superstition among
many races that magicians and wizards
can make and prevent rain and direct
the wind in its course. Whether this is
half-conscious memory of some past
age of human mastery over atmospher-
ic phenomena or a prophetic tendency
forecasting the direction of scientific
progress, at any rate the success of the
vine growers protective artillery
proves that mans control over the
powers of the air is not all a dream.
few years ago the failure to pro-
duce rain in a season of drought by
firing dynamite bombs from balloons
discouraged efforts in the direction
of the artificial production of desirable
states and conditions of the weather,
but now it seems that the problem only
needed to be attacked from different
side in order to give promise of at
least n partial solution. There would
be no cause for wonder If in q few
years it should be found practicable
by means similar to those employed In
Italy and France, not only to protect
vineyards from hailstorms, but to dis
sipate the destructive power of many
local tempests and even of the dreaded
Western tornadoes themselves.
That the immense atmospheric dis
turbances, hundreds and thousands Of
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