Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-30

If was fiHoWhHrt nDtf1 m fnvEe 1aFs
that shouts and din Of a battle be-
tween the Greeks and an enemy
caused rain 10 fall. Ever since rain hsa
been sald 10 follow battles
This eventually started experiments
with concussion. n noise AMI exploN-
ions caused rain. n was argued. rhY
not produce rain whenever N vas
needed. 80. formulas for rsinnakinx
were evolved and patented
RaInmsking Patents.
One patent of 1891 reserved f0r fhe
inventor an original method ~ rain.
making which ne explained was sud
denly 70 chill the atmosphere by rapid
evaporation. and u Is also advisable
70 produce a heavy conclusion ln con
nection with the cooling ln order 20
set the different air currents In mo-.
ton. u Is obvious that sudden and
rapid evaporation IN the upper regions
~ the atmosphere could BE- accom-
piished IN various ways by tho egap0.
ration Of various highly cOmpfcfsef
gasses; but the evaporation c0nae-
aueBt upon the release ~ llqusheI
carbonic acid gas - though. % 81 fhs
most efficient"
Actual experiments were expensive.
Explosives. balloons. chemfals ang
htlpers were not within reach ~ uorf
Inventors ~ rain production syatems
and their work was IN c0nsequenes
mostly theory
One senator beinc Interested rs ias
project ...s. .etking. Congress v.s
IN 1891 persuaded 10 apjroDriafe
| 90 900 80 that the concusslon theory
4 s.,f.,isf 81 f,-4.f ftrees.f q - rr.r4..
| forth. q well known matCOr0iogiHi.
was gent ~ Texas a. Special nefH
worker Tor the Department ~ AQfi-
culture. BE worked with setter
rloding balloons dynamite attached
e. kites. and with gases But 5000
was BY no means an ADEQUATE sdsn.
The funds lasted long enough Tor oriy
three experiments.
| Dyrenforth reported thai when c0r-
dilions we're fsvorabIe-thst q. Whon
there was a moist cloud. which. u
bndistnrbod. would pass on withDll
precipi'ating he moisture lbe lar-
ring of this cloud by concussion wou'f
cause the drops % agglomerate AMI
fall, IN greater or lesser quantity ar
cording 20 the degree N the moisfnsss
OF the atmosphere When there D. 10
| cloud. he held that rain might b. in-
duced but that there was likely ~ D.
Ia wastefui expenditure ~ time ard
material IN getting results.
| This report was regarded ns rn.
couraring Rain did fall while uVrcn-
forth worked Congress appropriated
few more thousands. ard thon iost
Sc enthusiasm f0r the rzperimcufs
50 no conclusion was reached
The connection between battles and
rainfall IS generally explained 81
scientists ~ a natural 0ocurfpnre.
Troop movements and preparations
for battle are FOR c0nveuiencs PLAN
ned IN a clear spell whenever possible
/ Then when the tfie ocrurs = rain
might naturally ,peofed
1 The effect on clouds % such
| explosions az are caused bv cannon
has been - .far held BY The c0naerui-
1 tives 20 be negligible According ~
| %ewcomb the vapor drops lu mn
elouds-far from being jostied about
and turned into larger. heavier drops
are moved % ~ small q degree. and
| elasticity restores them - duNffe.
/ that steady shower could araFativ
b. connected with any eNpiueiun lu
the clouds any more than win fha
/ explosion ~ a pistol shot
Science has always adopted
SHOW me" attitude toward rslnmak-
| ing efforts So FAR lt considers thar
Il has not been shown. The Weather
Bureau finds no cause Tor excifenienf
In the fact that the farmers 90 Mcdl-
cine Hat have re-engaEed Charles
Hatfield, rainmaker. - make rain Or
| them next year.