The Dickinson press., 1912-08-24
TESTING HAIL DESTROYER
FRANCE

With the recent local hail losses fresh
in mind, it will interest our readers to
know what is being done in France to
escape the immense annual loss from
the dread source. A test is being
made on a large scale Of a e type of
hail destroyer. The experiments, which
are t y extend over a series of years.
will be carefully watched from all parts
of the civilized world. The device is
essentially a large lightning rod. of pure
copper, grounded by ear of a copper
conductor. and according to the theory
of the inventors. in whom the French
government takes a good deal of stock.
these instruments. by their effect upon
currents of atmospheric electricity, are
capable of preventing the formation of
hail stones.
The French government has given
official sanction to these tests, and
through a special committee of the ma
tional legislative body, it is making a
careful study of the question. A chain
of hail d%estroyers Of this new type is
being established in all the imports ant
vineyard districts of France. which
heretofore have suffered severely from
h%ailstones, notably in the departments
of the Gironde. the Beaujolais, the Loire
Inferieure. and the Charente. in Psris
an electric Niagara is to be installed
in the Eiffel tower and there will be
supplementary posts on the dome of the
Pantheon. and in the northern portion
of the city.
1t is estimated the damage to grow
ing crops by hail and lightning in
France will aggregate $40, 900, 900 to
$50, 600. 900 a year. In the: United
States the loss from these causes is a
number of times that aggregate. In Or
der to determine the efficacy of the new
device with accuracy, it is realized a
systematic test during a series of years
will be necessary, and to supervise the
work, a committee of defense has been
appointed, some of whose members are
officers of the government.
The belief that electricity is largely
responsible for the formation of and the
precipitation to the earth of hailstones,
has long been held by French scientists,
and efforts to utilize lightning rods for
purposes of protection have been pre-
viously made. but it is now believed
the instruments heretofore employed
were Of an imperfect type. 1t is claim
ed the new ~''paragrele'' with its multi
pie points and perfected apparatus is
capable of drawing down such quanti-
ties of electricity from the clouds as to
render them inocuous as to hail and
lightning. Although this is not a gener-
ally accepted theory as to hail. and
will find many opponents in the United
States, it can at least be said that
experiments along the lines indicated
will be of interest for scientific purpos-
es.
The new device is comparatively in
expensive to construct. In a gener al
way it is described by American consul
lar officers as a rod Of copper at least
1870 feet high. terminating in a crown
or aiRrette of copper blades. The base
terminates in a large pool of water.
preferably flowing water. Church
steeples, factory chimneys or structures
especially built may be utilized for OBJ
tanning sufficient elevation but care is
necessary in fulfilling all the require
ments as to conductivity. According to
the plan being follow ed in France the
rods are being erected at intervals Of
about six miles along a line transverse
to the usual path of :hailstorms. 1t is
said highly encouraging results. have
been obtained thus far wherever the in.
struments have been placed.