The Washington times., 1906-01-14


commonplace occurrence 10 shoot
at the clouds with cannon or
| specially constructed apparatus TO
dispel threatened haiistorms. In almost
every country on the continent where
agriculture forms the mainstay of the
people there is a systematic use OF these
storm destroyers- In many parts OF
France, Italy. Germany and Austria the
custom has grown so extensively that
IL often forms part of an official DEPART
ment of tha municipality. In such cases
with the assistance Of the neighboring
land owners and farmers. tborougb
systems have been devised. till the eIe-
nlents nave become SO harnessed that
| II Is almost impossible for them to in
met any injury on the crops.
Public interest in the subject has be-
come so aroused that the leading agri-
cultural societies have taken up the
idea. with a view to contributing to
the means already employed the results
Of their minute Investigations. In Vienna
recently a congress Of The members Of
the Meteorological Institute was called
az which the various methods OF cloud
shooting were discussed and many ex-
periments we're inspired which cannot
Iail 10 be Of great benefit to the farm
eIs IN the districts susceptible 10 the
| raVages or hailstorms.
judging from the reports Of the Con-
sTess. the 'dea OF averting a storm by
mems OF cannon shot IS not a new one
IA austria. 1t was first introduced dur
ing the reign Of Empress Maria The
Fesa' VINO issued decree prohibiting the
Use or cannon by the peasantry shortly
I 90
time this decree was revoked, and In
lSso the method was Sgain introduced
4 INTO Austria, a new weapon being sub
| stltuted In place OF the cannon This
consisted OF a funnel shaped narrel of
iron with q broad muzzle- The idea of
! the broad muzzle was 10 distribute the
| dlscharse over greater space and thus
Increase the effect, So successful was
/ this experiment that in 1891 The NUM-
cipality in which this weapon was first
used had no less than thirty shooting
| stations. Since then there have been no
hailstorms iE that locality.
Cloud shooting has nowhere become
more generally used than in the vicinity
Of Venice. in Lombardy and Piedmont.
These districts formerly suffered great
II from the destruetiveness of nail
=
were at least two thousand stations.
built on the plan Of those constructed in
Austria. At congress held not long
ago in Casa!e Monferrato It was found
that IN numerous localities where shoot
ing stations had not been introduced
haiIstorms were OF frequent occurrence.
causing great damage to crops and prop
erty, while the districts provided with
vel
loss from such causes
Herr SJigeT. the originator of the Dres-
ent method. gave some interesting facts
regarding his experiments with the
cloud shooting cannon. He began his ex-
periments with the fundamental princi-
pie of disturbing tho intense stiffness
which prevails before a haiIstorm IN
view OF the established fact that there
is no physical reason why sound waves
should exercise an effect on the forma-
| ton Of hail. suger determined that il
would be necessary to conhne his opera
lions TO creating the form OF 4 whirl,
wind.
An official trial demonstrated the fact
that after the firing Of a shot a small
whirlwind arises, easily peTceptibIe in
the reflected sunshine. This whirlwind
/ ascends with "a piercing whistle, the
sound lasting for thirteen seconds in
day time and twenty seconds at night.
During this experiment II WAS noticed
that a swallow which flew within the ra-
dius of one of these whirlwinds in
stantiy dropped dead. Il had the APP
/ rearance. upon examination, Of having
! been shot. Stiger laid great stress upon
| the mechanical energy produced by the
wind thus created. but this idea found
few supporters till the congress in Ca
sale. Italy. A Professor Roberts report
ed that al d distance of 200 feet the wind
had destroyed a strong diaphragm