The suburban citizen., 1901-11-16
ELECTRICITY AND RAIN
EXPERIMENTS SHOW THAT IT
CAUSES DROUGHT

Even the Dreaded Waterspouts and
TOrnadoes.
Professor Elmer Gates Of Chevy
Chase, Md, has conducted a series Of
experiments which las led him to
conclude that our varying conditions
Of weather are cue to electricity
says Frederick A. Talbot in the
Scientific American According to
the professor this subtle force produces
rain and drought, the changes of air
pressure and the various meteorOlog-
ical disturbances, such as tornadoes
and waterspouts, which visit us from
time to time
That electricity eXerts a powerful
influence upon the air pressure is
proved by means of a simple expert
ment A large fluffy ball Of cotton
suspended from the ceiling by means
Of a silken cord and charged with
electricity Immediately increases in
size very apprccably. This expan-
sion Professor Gates explains as inGi-
cative of n low barometer, arguing
that the expanding of the ball by
charging It with electricity proves
that the fibers of the cotton are re-
polling one another, so that the ball
possesses less density. The same re-
suit attends the charging Of the at
mosphere with electricity. The dens-
ity Of the air IS diminished, with the
result that the pressure is decreased,
and the barometer consequently falls.
The presence OF electricity, however,
in the atmosphere produces not only
low pressure, but high pressure as
well. When two opposite masses Of
air charged with clectricity-positivo
and negative rcspectivcly-approach
one another they become denser, with
the result that the barometer rises.
To prove this Professor Gates uses
another ball of cotton, suspending it
from the ceiling also by means Of
silken cord about two feet distant
from the first ball. In a few minutes
the two balls approach each other,
both decreasing in size. From this
experiment Professor Gates infers
that when one mass of air becomes
charged with electricity, neighhor-
ing mass of air becomes electrified
with an opposite charge by induction
Thereupon the masses OF cir gradually
approach one another slowly, and de-
crease the density Of the air.
One outcome Of these investigations
has been the construction OF an ap-
pliance which Professor Gates intends
to use in forecasting the weather. 1t
is impossible, with the present ap-
pliances employed to predict the ba-
rOmetric pressure until a change has
actually occurred; that is to say, un-
til the barometer has either risen or
fallen meteorOlogists cannot tell us
what weather TO expect IF the va
riations Of the barometer are the re-
suit of electrical influences, Professor
Gates suggests that the electric con-
ditions Of the atmosphere should be
observed, and by this means foretell
at what places and at what time the
barometer will be either high or low
The primary object of his cOntrivance
is to measure and to record the
amount of electricity in different re-
gions of the atmosphere. The device
is to be attached to a small aerial ap-
paratus which scars to the upper
strata Of air, makes automatic rec
ords at various heights, and then re-
turns to the earth. BY means of the
appliance the professor hopes to CLEAN
information of those regions Of air
about which little at present is known,
The rain is produced by the ming
ling together Of masses Of air oppO-
sitely charged with electricity, Pro
fessor Gates explains by another sim
pie operation. Two windows on either
side of his laboratory were opened.
An electrical fan was placed in one
window and set in motion for the
purpose Of Withdrawing the air from
the apartment. Thus the only air
within the room was that which en-
tered through the windows. The
weather outside was clear and bright,
though the air was charged with
certain amount Of humidity. The two
currents of air entered the apartment
by either window and mingled in the
usual way, without causing any un-
toward circumstances. A current o.,
negative electricity was induced into
the air entering through one window,
and a similar current Of positive elec-
triclty induced into the stream Of air
proceeding through the other window.
A most remarkable phenomenon in
stantly occurred. The two Oppositely
electrified currents OF air came into
contact, formed a slight mist, and In
a few seconds the floor Of the labora-
tory was quite wet. Directly the cleo
tricity was switched off the air
cleared, only to become misty again
whenever the currents We're switched
on This experiment was intended to
prove that the electrified masses Of
molsture-laden air. generally termed
clouds, when they meet produce show
ers. When they are abnormally laden
with electricity, lightning and thun-
derstorms result. II, for example,
reyerting, the two cotton balls are
charged very highly with electricity
they jump together with n spark and