The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-12
(Harper's Weekly

Plutarch comments upon the be
lief cherished by the ancients that the
battle cries OF the Greeks and Per-
slams assembled so violently 10 the
heavens that the elements were shak-
ea and rain fell. as if the arts
ing from the battle field had shattered
the clouds and preciritated the mois-
ture.
Napoleon is credited with having
observed that rain followed battles in
which the play OF musketry and can
nonading Vas heavy. and it is said
that he took advantage OF this phe-
nomcnon 10 turning the movements
of his armies upon the eve Of any en-
gagemer,.
The battles of the campaign which
terminated the capture OF the City OF
Mexico by the United States troops
are said TO have resulted in che ter
minaticn Of 4 Very severe drought in
Mexico.
II IS a fact frequently referred to by
writer's that the principal battles OF
the late civil war We're followed by
rains. the precipitation in practically
every instance VARYING II proportion
10 the volume Of the engagement. y
statistician, after extensive research.
announced g few years age thai 1876
battles % the civi, val We're followed
ny rain ana II" stated tAat tHe !u-
perfection o. the military records
alone precluded the addition of many
NOR engagements to this long list.
Newspaper records kept by g Chi
cage publication, covering a period of
tWenty-three years show that eighteen
Fourth Of July celebrations during
that period were followed by rain, in
duced. il is aTerred. lay the atmos-
pheric agitation caused by the eX-
ploSion Of fireworks. This theory IS
given strength hr tn further observa-
ton Mat fer three ears during which
ti.e safe and sane Fourth idea has
prevailed there have been no fire.
works celebrations. and no rains have
followed the quiet observance OF Inde-
pendence day.
An exhaustive study of these facts
n Years of research convinced me
that the theory of artificial rain maxi
ing Is not the mere chimers that some
scientifically" inclined men would have
Several decades ago a New Zealander
evolved a theory OF producing rani
and his process vas patented. In the
early seventies q Nirsinian promulgat.
ed a similar process of rain making
which was patented IN the United
States. His plan was to produce rain
By repeated discharges of heavy ar
t!i!erN. ana ne spent many ear try
ing 10 secure federal support for his
scheme. but the cost OF the project
was so great that congress declined
10 undertake lis financing. a little
later another scheme was devised.
This was to initiate balloons with ex-
plosive gases and allow them 10 fioa.
upward into the strata of saturated
cloud. where they were 20 be ex-
ploded.
In 1890 congress appropriated So
900 for the purpose of financing ex-
periments in rain making. General
j. g. Dyrenforth, a we'll known scien-
tiSt and nleteorologist. was chosen to
conduct these experiments. General
DNrenfortn n a number of assist
ants and Helpers vent to a ranch near
Midland. Ten. in the sunme of 1891.
and there. in a scmi-arid region. dur
ing the period of drouth. conducted
three formal experiments. Three
kinds of explosives were used in these
tests: ground charges OF dynamite and
powder: d line Of dynamite cartridges
attached 70 captive kites: and. in an
altitude still higher, a line of self-ex-
ploidins balloons. charged With a COM
hination of oxygen n hydrogen
gases.