The sun., 1912-08-04

homa City that Prof. Jamieson OF the
state Normal School system had been
experimenting in rainmakiny. Prof
Jameson made his tests one foerv
morning from high platform and under
the influence Of liberated liquid air hs
chilled the fog sufficiently TO cause a
trihing rainfall Immediately within that
narrow zone. II 10 said that Prof. Jamie.
son will later Use son,e type OF aorraft
80 that he can ascend to the region oS
clouds and there let loose enough LIQUID
air to cause condensation and rainfall.
Of course before this project puts a
premium on umbrellas and mackintoshes
1t will he necessary to figure on a very
large feet Of airships and no end of ton.
of liquid air. When this thing is put to
practical service it must be able to do more
than wet one mans coat. But the hone
full sign Of Prof Janieson's invention
lies in the fact that he l.. quite up to date
in availing himself OF tie latest develop.
ments in aeronautics.
Now what Is II that has inspired some ~
these serious minded men in their bro.
posals to cause by artificial means down.
fall OF rain? Is there anything broadlv
rational back Of their Inventions And
the answer comes. Yes. there is, Just a.
We may make ripples in niillpond. but
cannot create W .ves upon the ocean,
These men are trying to do. by means OF
the puny resources at their command.
what nature accomplishes by drawing
upon her vast aerial dominions.
Some years ago Prof. l.. Errera OF Brus.
sells described in -Ciel ct Terre" NINA.
ture apparatus for rainmaking. He used
a glass cylinder about twenty centimeters
high and twelve centimeters in diameter.
which hs half filled with strong alcohol
and covered with . porcelain saucer.
The cylinder VS. put in water bath and
warmed to oint severa' degrees below
that OF boiling. Then the apparatus vas
remov I'd from the va or bath and placed
upon a wooden table.
The cylinder was full OF the hot vspors
Of alcohol. As soon as the covering sauosr
OF porcelain began to cool the vapor in
contact with It's under side became chilled
and a cloud formed. As the moisture
laden fumes grew colder they finally con-
dsnsed and caused precipitation Of tiny
drops. This continued for considerable
period. In that apparatus Of Prof. Errera
We have natures rainmaking on Q tiny
scale. but We have q suggestive Idea Of
the tremendous proportions upon which
nature must work In order to produce
this phenomenon.
James II. Scarr. local weather expert
and district forecaster. is distinctly sosp.
tical though kindly In bis criticism Of aTl
efforts TO induce rain BY artificial dis
turbances OF the atmosphere. Both ia
fact and In the hGurative language Of
the sea rainmakers don't draw much
water with Mr.. Scarr. and tho reason
for his attitude is sound. To the mo.
teorologist It 10 q matter Of common
knowledge that rainfalls covering even
modest areas draw for their sustenanoe
upon atmospheric fields OF Immense ex.
panse.
The analogy is that OF a wide mouthsd
funnel with very small outlet-the ares
OF the outlet typifying the region favored
with the rainfall. Now to carry this
figure further picture to yourself the
amount Of disturbance which q few enter.
prising citizens. doing whatever they
might. could produce oven within the i'm
mediate zone OF their activities and then
compare this limited scope with the i'm
mense reach Of expanse Of the circle OF
the tunnels mouth.
1t is not that the scjentifc rainmaker-
II the term be pardoned-is ut fault in
his principles. but rather that the biggest
commot,on he can possibly mako is utterly
unequal to that which nature sets in
operation when she gives us rain. II the
rdinmaker could vie with nature precious
few OF US would ever have presoience
enough to mako sure OF keeping in out q
the wet. Just the same the genus rain.
maker is not extinct. and after all he is a
source OF entertainment,