The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-11-02
WARFARE AGAINST The CLOUDS,
Scientific Methods Adopted In Eu-
rope for DlVertIne Storms.

thC NlOuho WIN SbihOh VI pPNNAe14iJ
constructed apparatus to dispel threat
ened hailstorms. In almost every
country on the Continent where agri-
culture forms the mainstay of the peo-
pie there is a systematic use of these
storm destroyeTs In many parts Of
France, Italy, Germany and Austria
the custom has grown SO extensively
that it often forms part of an official
department OF the municipality. In
such cases, with the assistance of the
neighboring land owners and farmers
thorough systems have been Ievised,
till the elements have becouo so har-
messed that II is almost impossible for
them to infiict any injury on the
crops
Public interest in the subject has
become SO aroused that the leading
agricultural societies have taken up
the idea, with a view to contributing
to the means already employed the re-
suits of their minute Investigations In
Vienna a congress of the members of
the Meteorological Institute was called
at which the various methods Of cloud
shooting were discussed and many ex-
periments we're inspired, which cannot
fail to be of great benefit to the raw
ages or hailstorms
Judging from the reports of the
congress the idea of averting a storm
by means of cannon shot is not a new
one in Austria. 1t was first introduced
during the reign Of Empress Maria
Theresa, who issued decree prohibit
ing the use of cannon by the peasantry
shortly after adoption of the practice.
In time the decree was revoked, and
in 1896 the method was again intro
duced into Austria, a new weapon be-
ing substituted In place OF the cannon.
This consisted of a funnel shaped bar
rel of iron with a broad muzzle The
idea of the broad muzzle was to dis
tribute the discharge over greater
space and thus increase the effect So
successful was this experiment that in
1897 the municipality In which this
weapon was first used had no less than
80 shooting stations. Since then there
have been no hailstorms in that local
fly.
Cloud shooting has nowhere be-
come more generally used than in the
vicinity of Venice, in Lombardy and
Piedmont. These districts formerly
suffered greatly from the destructive
ness of hailstor1ns. During the sum-
mer of 1900 there were at least two
thousand stations built on the plan of
those constructed in Austria. At con-
gress held not long ago in Casale Mon
ferrato 1t was found that in numerous
localities where shooting stations had
not been introduced hailstorms were
of frequent occurrence, causing great
damage. to crops and property, while
the districts provided with artificial
means were entirely free from loss
from such causes.
Herr Stiger, the originator of the
present method, gave some interesting
facts regarding his experiments with
the cloud shooting cannon. He be-
gan his experiments with the funda-
mental principle of disturbing the In
tense stiffness which prevails before a
hailstorm. In view of the established
fact that there is no physical reason
why sound waves should exercise an
effect on the formation of hail, Stiger
determined that it would be necessary
to conflne his operations to creating
the form of whirlwind. An official
trial demonstrated the fact that after
the firing of shot small whirlwind
arises, easily perceptible in the reflect
Cd Thic uyh ri luJin ocannhc q
with piercing whistle, the sound last
ing for fifteen seconds in day time and
twenty seconds at night. During this
experiment it was noticed that swal
low which few within the radius Of
one of these whirlwinds instantly
dropped dead. 1t had the appearance.
upon examination, of having been shot.
Stiger laid great stress upon the me-
chanical energy produced by the wind
thus created, but this idea found few
supporters till the Congress in Casale,
Italy. A professor Roberts reported
that at distance of two hundred feet
the wind had destroyed a strong d.
aphragm. Thereafter several expert
ments at st. Catherine demonstrated
LHhL the WHlIlWlhu was Cue LuSilu IL hOb
the sole agent in dlverting hail.
Some careful experiments we're car,
ried on in Austria which are of great
interest. The experts who attended
the exhibition could plainly see the
wind rise from the mouth of the fun
nels with lightning rapidity, possessing
all the aspects of shot. When large
cannon were used, whistling could be
heard from twenty to twenty-eight
seconds. The most marked effects were
produced by horizontal shots. For the
experiments, shields built of thick pa
per and linen we're placed at intervals
of 40, 80, go, and 100 yards from the
mouth of the cannon. When the cir
Gle of wind EMBODIED these shields they
were torn from the frames, the solid
posts and frame work snapped in two
ana aoof fI.or, 40 % rds