The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1901-07-12
CONTROL WEATHER.
MANY MEN ARE WORKING TO
ATTAIN THAT END.
sOnns AtteEpts Recently Made - In
fiuezcinz the Elements Have Been
successsul = Large coasumDtisn OF
Coal 3fay Produce More Showers

Involuntary influence exists without
doubt; 1t Is exercised. for instance, BY
deforestation and by The resulting al
iteration Of conditions OF soil. which
mobiles the flowing Of streams and in
ereases foundations; and also BY the
development Of industrial activity, as
Russell has shown in the case Of Lon
don fOgs. which augment considerably
with Increased consumption Of coal
The considerable increase OF the num-
Der OF thunderstOrns. which has dou-
bled since 1870. leads Us 10 believe that
in this case also there is an effect due.
In part. at least, to Industrial activity;
for il is difficult 10 attribute an increase
F 50 considerable TO the sole action OF
sun spots. An attempt has been made
to explain the increase in the number
OF storms by the abundant production
Of steam by industrial engines DR.
f Trabert cannot accept this explanation.
for he calculates that the quantity Of
steam thus produced in the whole Of
I Germany would scarcely represent an
evaporation Of O.OO2j milIImeter Of
water to the square kilometer q-40OO
inch to the square mlIel- But IL IL quite
different with particles OF dust scatter
ed ia great abundance throughout the
air BY the incomplete combustion Of a
quantity OF coal equal 10 20O kilograms
to the square kflOmeter (1.140 pounds 10
the square inlet This considerable in
+ crease OF atmospheric dust should exer-
else an action on the production OF
rain. When moist air passes the state
Of saturation. condensation takes place
on particles Of dust The more there
are Of these. the more drops are form
ed: thus, for a given quantity OF yapor
condensed. the drops are necessarily
smaller. Now the tension OF saturation
on convex surface increases with the
curvature Of the surface. that is 10 say.
with the smallness Of the drops An
increase OF the quantity Of dust in the
air viii therefore tend 10 favor the
approximation OF the air. and eonse-
quently 10 produce thunderstOrms and
abundant rains
It is much more interesting. however.
10 know whether we may voluntarily
act upon the weather. To this kind Of
action belong the attempts made sue
cessfully in France. on a large scale,
10 prevent nocturnal frosts by the pro
duction OF artificial clouds But when
we come TO the artificial production Of
rain. success is much more doubtful
= as all attempts. 50 far. have proved In
the production OF any phenomenon il
is always a question Of the equivalent
/ transformation OF one kind OF energy
into another, and we must inquire
whether the necessary amount OF ener
A., " is at our disposal Now Trabert cal
culates that 10 bring TO saturation 8
cubic kilOmeter lone quarter cubii
mile Of air al 70 per cent relative hu
Nudity requires no less than 400 kiIO
grammeters OF work 10000 foo
poundsl. This scarcely allows US L.
think Of the possibility Of artificial con
densation. Such a thing would appeal
TO be possible only if the condition.
necessary TO condensation already ex
isted. and II we had only 70 put laten
forces into action. Finally. 10 thl
voluntary action on the weather be
longs the method. used in the Austrian
Alps since the time OF the Empero
Joseph H.. OF making numerous explo
sions 10 ward or a hailstorm. a process
that. as IS well known. has been devel
oped and systematized by NJ. Siege
at Wandisch- Feistritz, In Southern
Syria. with great. success.-Cosmo
Paris.