The Washington herald., 1909-05-30
THE CHANGES IN CLIMATE
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

dUce an inch Of rainfall on q square mile
Of territory II shows how unlikely II Is
that man can produce rain. The water
that falls on the square mile OF territory
70 the depth Of one inch weights s.. $50
tons. The heat developed OF released by
the condensation from vapor 20 water OF
this amount Of rain IS equivalent 10 the
energy developed by 100000 horsepower
working thirty minutes. IN comparison
with this the most gigantic explosions
man can make amount 70 nothing
But the rainmakers have not claimed
they could make rain at any time. They
simply declared that when every other
condition was favorable 10 the fall Of
rain, and only the straw that broke the
eameFs back was needed 10 accomplish
results. they could supply the straw.
Their view was that al times there is a
Ierfect balance between the elements
and that only the hair that turns the
scales is needed 10 throw the balance 70
rain In other words. the weather is on
hair trigger. and they believed their
explosions had force enough 10 pull that
trigger. But II their premises were right.
their conclusions were not. and rain
making viii probably never be attempted
again By scientific men.
The Idea OF having rain fall 20 order is
by no means a new one. The Indians OF
every part OF North America thought
they had men who could produce rain at
viii. TIE IroQuois the Muskingums. the
ChOctaws. the Natchez. the Algonoulns.
and the Cherokees az had their weather
makers The smoking OF pipes mean
tatiOns and dances, and the burning OF
tobacco were among the means they took
70 coax the rain. Then they had others
who undertook 70 stop It at the proper
time. Il IS related Of the Iroquois that
they had a crowd OF braves who would
ight the thunderstorms. Of course, they
always ceased IN due course anyway. but
the Indians thought their fighters had
vanQuishsd the thunderbOlts. one dav a
bolt OF lightning struck half dozen OF
these warriors. killing the whole group
There after the thunderstorms were not
chsllenged
Il IS said that no one who survived be
Ing struck by lightning was able 20 re-
member thing about having been hit
Il VIII be recalled that many victims OF
lightning have their clothes torn com
pletely from their bodies. This Is Be
heved 70 be due 10 the rush OF the wind
that causes the thunder. stripping the
clothes from the body BY sheer suction.
Usually the person struck BY lightning
falls TO the ground instantly. Sometimes.
however. they remain IN the identical
position in which5'thsy were struck. Med
ical science records an instazcs OF a half
dozen farm lshorers sitting suder a tree
eating the Id p meal. A bolt OF
lightning ste4ck tide tree ana killed the
group. Each man maintained the pos
ture ne had when - One vas lift
ing piece OF food sIouth and an
other was 6rinzin:
Experts from con.sanges
ead elsewhere (Ins of the
work OF the " 90 ooo
g year Even Il eA rras.
benefits. When tbo,-
need 70 know tke So
niust prepare TO When
building a bridge fbe
food stages of "A s>N - T.,
span The saipp So aA8s
the work v3lus ~ t3e
weather service El ,SoSS 1,set
~ ways bCtN even .zsse best nan
does not think ne hssa q Las fogcI,ed
the possibilities or ths\vef sozbcast-
ing He believes ia tzs sxxD.rifre6tsI
work now going on Wy Siye, uaa 1 kivast-
" better undeNstandiTla OF the> Egather
and enable him to plan lkis affairs ti1h a
fuller foresight than dyer befer&. Sup
POse, for instance. that the ts-cte taeory
is properly established byElanothAr esner-
- - y
after We may know IN advance the years
of drought and the years OF Wet weather.
Sowing crops to suit those years might
eI'tirely revolutionize the sGrluirE Indus
Try OF the world.
tOoTgnsht, 1873. b. Frederic J. Haskin.l
To morrow Twentieth Century
Egypt.