The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-23
MOORE DISCUSSES
ARTIFICIAL RAIN
States Explosive Theory Is
FallaciOus
RAIN AFTER BATTLE
Says Plutarch's Theory Was Very
charlottesville Rain Making"
Experiments of c. w. Post.
at Battle Creek
RAIN AFTER BATTLE

weather Man" r. G. Horton of the To-
cal office of the weather bureau las,
night gave out the following statement
of Prof. Willis L. Moore, head of the
United States weather bureau, relative
to the proposed rain making expert
ments at Battle Creek, Mich, on July
"a. when 1t is intended to lombard
the skies with quantities of dynamite
Numerous reports have come to the
weather bureau Indicating that an cpl
demic of rain making has broken out
in various parts of the country, orig
mating In some experiments of this
character made by Mr.. C. w. Post near
Post City. Tex. last summer. The meth
cd adopted was the familiar one of
setting off powerful explosives until,
as is alleged, the Earring of the at
leads to the condensing and
of moisture. A descrip-
tion of his experiments published by
Mr.. Post in a magazine article has
been copied widely in the daily papers
and also circulated in pamphlet form.
Posts Experiments
MIR. Post claims that copious show
ers followed three of the four expert
however, ignores the fact that In each
case when rain occurred 1t was gem
eral over much of the state of Texas,
or at least over several hundreds of
square miles of territory surrounding
the place of experiment.; and, what Is
more significant, had been predicted by
the weather bureau on the basis of the
general meteorological conditions of the
country. Mr. Posts account of his re-
suits is therefore misleading, and is
especially unfortunate because coupled
with some very specious arguments in
favor of the general adoption of his
process as a cheap substitute for irri-
cation.
1T hardly seems necessary for the
weather bureau at this late date to
enter into elaborate arguments in order
to convince the public of the utter
futllty Of this and every other meth
cd so far proposed for artificially pro-
ducing rain. Almost exactly the same
experiments as those of Mr.. Post were
carried out some 20 years ago In near
ly the same part of the country by
the late j. G.. Dyrenforth, and although
the results obtained were regarded as
encouraging by the experimenters
themselves. they were pronounced a
complete flasco by the intelligent pub
lie, as well as by scientific men. More
over entirely regardless of whether
rain does or not follow a particular
experiment OF this kind the supposition
that there is relation of cause and eff
feet between the explosives and the rain
is one that cannot be entertained for
a moment by anyone familiar with the
physical processes involved.
Rain After Battle
That rain followed many of the bat
ties of our civil war was due, not to
the effect of the discharge of firearms,
but to the fact that the regions where
the battles occurred rain falls on an
one day out of three. and thai
commanders are more inclined to move
armies and begin engagements in fair
weather. In fact while rain is in prog
ress, such operations are commonly I'M
practicable on account of the condition
of the roads If. by the regular opera
lions of nature rain does not fall within
due to the fact that a drought prevails
The idea of rain following battles Is
expressed in the writings of Plutarch
tho states his opinion that the yapor
rising from tho hot breath, blood and
sweat of the struggling masses Is con-
densed into rain by the conclusion of
the weapons and the hoarse cries of the
victors In a form a little less crude
the belief that rain is caused by battles
has survived to the present day, but 1t
is absolutely unfounded.
Il have before me a clipping of an
editorial in the Evening Herald of AL
buquerque, N. NJ, dated June II, 1912.
which states:
Tho merchants of Wichita Falls,
Tex have expended $1,000 on dynamite,
sending to Dallas for the explosive, and
,yery able bodied citizen got out and set
off the white sticks, looking skyward.
times, to be the first to welcome
4 rain cloud
The experiment was a failure, but
had rain happened to occur just after
have been convinced of the efficiency
of their efforts. and many more thous-
ands of dollars would be expended be-
fore the fallacy of this opinion became
apparent.
Battle Creek Experiment
ION the gath OF this month the citi-
zens of Battle Creek, Mich, are to make
a public test of Mr.. Posts method, and
have advertised the fact so widely that
the ir flux of visitors on that occasion
will probably be large. This is an illus
tration of the only way in which rain
making can benefit a community. 1t
ecalls the fact that the so-called chem
ical rain-makers, who are chariatans
no fx4nn hnt- fra.
ured as attractions at country fairs and
have been financed for advertising pur.
poses by the railroad companies.
in Europe the advertising and ex-
plotting of certain guns and ammunition
by those interested in their manufacture
and sale has resulted in the expenditure
of millions of dollars by horticultural as
sociations, municipalities and other public
institutions in the effort to destroy hail
storms by firing popguns at them. In
fact expenditures for this purpose are
still being made to some extent, although
occasionally the cannoneers themselves
are forced to take refuge from the pelt-
ing of the hail whose coming they are
supposed to prevent Especial attention
is invited to the fact that IL these ex-
periments at Battle Creek should be
made at time when rain is about 10
occur through the regular operations OF
nature, the fallaclous theory that rain
can be produced by conclusion would be
accepted by many people and a further
unnecessary expenditure of money would
probably result. l am in favor of any
line of legitimate research that may
hold out the possibility of rain being
created artificially, but am opposed to
the exploitation of such methods as have
heretofore been employed by rain
makers and hail-shooters. -
Quina Gets Commission
Montgomery. July 22.-(Special) "A com