The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-11-14
ELECTRICITY AND RAIN
EXPERIMENTS SHOW THAT 1T
CAUSES DROUGHT.

Tornsdoes.
Professor Elmer Gates. of Chevy
Chase, Nd. has conducted series Of
experiments which has led him to
conclude that our varying conditions
of weather are due 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 silken cord and charged with
electricity Immediately increases in
size very appreciably. This expan-
sion Professor Gates explains as indl-
cative of a low barometer, arguing
that the expanding Of the ball by
charging it with electricity proves
that the fibers of the cotton are re-
pelling 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 electricity-positive
and negative respectively-approa
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 a
silken cord about two feet distant
from the first ball. In 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, neighbor-
ing mass OF air becomes electrified
with an opposite charge by induction.
Thereupon the masses of air 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
rlatlons 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
Mt what places and at what time the
barometer viii 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 APP
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 of
negative electricity was induced into
the air entering through one window,
and a similar current of positive elec-
tricity 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 ths labora-
tory was quite wet. Directly the elec-
tricity was switched off the air
cleared, only to become misty again
whenever the currents were switched
on. This experiment was intended to
prove that the electrified masses of
moisture-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,
reverting, the two cotton balls are
charged very highly with electricity
they jump together with spark and
a snap, then spring apart and come to-
gether again with another spark and
snap, separate once more, while the
charge is maintained. This Is practi-
cally an illustration OF thunder and
lightning upon miniature scale. The
spark represents the lightning and
the snap the thunder.
Professor Gates in the course of