The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-01-21
AN UNCOMFORTABLE GIANT
SINCE PHARAOH'S TINE HAIL
HAS BEEN SOURCE OF TERROR.
Defying All Attempts to Control
Them the Frozen Pellets Yet De-
stroy the Labor of Months.
(By NJ. Louise Ford.)

mem Jn6 TFOAOH SiAets 1St bS-
stroy the Labor of Months.
(By NJ Louise FordD
Among the plaques that came up
on Egypt in the time of Moses, anG
one that struck terror to the heart Of
Pharaoh himself, was the plague oil
hail, when fire along the ground,
and down through the centuries since
that time hailstorms have been q
terror to mankind. 1t is estimated
that the damage done, the world
over. by hailstorms amounts tC
S2OO,O00,OOO each year.
For many years mankind has tried
to solve the problem and protect
crops from the sudden and uneX-
pected fall of the frozen pellets that
in a few minutes may destroy the Ia
Dor of months.
II liGen times : vas the custom
L 81, G, arrows or hurl javelins to-
wards the gathering clouds in the
hope of frightening them away, much
after the Chinese method of treating
an eclipse by beating drums and
making great din to frighten away
the big dog who was eating up the
moon.
In the middle ages hail crosses
were erected and some of these are
still relied upon in the Tyrolese re-
gion. The ringing of church bells
and the offering of special prayers
were considered a safeguard against
both hail and lightning, as were the
incantations of professional weather
wizards.
Long before the French revolution
the custom prevailed in northern TIA
ly and France of firing cannon at the
clouds to avert hail. Later on anoth-
er method was introduced which be-
came very popular all over Europe
This consisted in setting up tall poles
tipped with metal, much after the
style of lightning rods. 1t was sup
posed that these poles would draw
the electric discharge from the
clouds and prevent the formation of
hailstones though why this effect
should be expected nobody seemed
ready to explain.
By the year 1927 more than mil
lion of these paragreles had been in
troduced into Europe, but the device,
not proving effective, soon lost favor.
A revival of hail-shooting occurred
in Europe about Is years ago, which
is now giving place to a new method
of bombarding the clouds.
A special sort of cannon is used
with a sheet-iron funnel attached.
No cannon ball is used, but whirl-
ing. kissing ring of smoke is sent up
which widens as it ascends and is
violent enough to splinter sticks and
kin birds that may come in its way.
A hail rocket and hail bomb de-
signed to bust in the clouds have al
so been devised, but with little sue
cess, and, indeed, nobody has ever
tried clearly to explain why an ex-
plosion of the kind should have an
influence upon a full-fedged, ready
for business thunder storm. A scien-
entifc investigation few years ago
pronounced every such method
worthless, and proved the fact that
the expense of such would be heavy.
The form of paragrele now in use
in France is very large lightning
rod of pure copper; these are placed
on lofty church steeples and the Elf
fel Tower is equipped with one.
These are called electric Niagaras,
because of the belief that they draw
down torrents of electricity from the
clouds. If erected along the usual
path of hailstorm they are said
to act as barrier which renders the
storm coluds harmless.
Scientists do not seem to be enthu-
siatsic as to the results of this meth
cd, as it has no scientific basis.
The only solution of the problem
of conquering the giant which strides
over farms and gardens with ruthless
tread seems to lie in the protection
of the agriculturists, not by barri-
cades nor by assaults on his strong
holds, but by hailstorm insurance.
This has existed in Europe for
more than century. in some places
under the control of the government,
and in Baravia the state itself insures
the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES IN. "
Saturday Globe.