Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1924-11-07
Rain BY
SHOOTING CLOUDS
United States Army Fliers. Dis
charging Electrified Sand, Dis
integrate Air Formations.
CAUSE LIGHTNING TO CEASE
Fog Can BE 6anishsd and Rain o.
Made to Fall, Asserts Or. Warren
Of Harvard--lnvento Of Device
Prophesies Great Things.

Washington.-Us an electrified
sand process devised by DR.. L. Fran
els Warren. Of Harvard, two army
aviators successfully "shot down" a
series OF clouds which overshadowsd
Boiling Field. Smaller groups dIsap-
peared entirely under the attack.
while heavier masses we're criss
crossed with artificial chasms through
which the suns rays pierced brightly
TO the earth.
Army airplanes have been detailed
exclusively to that work. and daily
flights are to be made during the next
six weeks to determine both the peace
and war value in connection with
aviation.
Two planes, piloted by Captain A.
I Eagle and Lieutenant W. E. Mel
vile, were plainly apparent to ths
spectators at the field. The planes
were forced to climb 10000 feet be-
fore the. reached the main stratum
Of cumulus clouds which was their
ObJcNtAfCs AAfOhhh 6pcNhai pthVSN7
lars they were seen to disappear be-
hind a fragment and then suddenly
to break through again as the cloud
disintegrated under the shower Of
electrified sand thrown by centrifugal
force through muzzles set in the un-
der portion of the fuselages.
The ayiators described a circle
above the cloud bank and the circle
was duplicated in a clean-eut pathway
through the mist. From the ground
II appeared that the cloud perceptibly
lessened as the planes proceeded.
Both aviators declared the expert
ment success.
Undoubtedly 1t would serve to
clear the field of a dense fog bank"
Captain Eagle. said. III we were ad
vised that a squadron was approach
ing the field, for instance, and could
not locate the landing because OF the
low clouds or fog we could send up
two or three ships and clear Lata
for them. suppose the same effect
could be had over fog-wrapped har-
bors."
Il circled in the cloud" he said.
"and the sand cut perfect well. On
every side rose the white walls and
far above was the blue sky
"We fill the sand tanks on the planes
with 120-mesh silica sand" DR.. War.
ren said. "the planes being equipped
for charging the sanding either posi-
lively or negatively by the turn OF
lever; the sand impInging upon charg-
ing plates or falling through charging
nozzles and being scattered by the air
driven back by the plane propeller.
When a cloud is found to have a posi-
tive charge we scatter negatively
charged particles at the extreme top;
when it is found to have a negative
charge we scatter positively charged
particles at the top: and when ii IS
found without any charge we first
charge Il as we like ana then bring II
down by again scattering the opposite
charged particles, etc.
These tests have resulted in some
cases in uncanny manifestations. For
example. on July s. at about 2 o'clock
OF the afternoon, frightfully 1eayy
thunderstorm with almost continuous
lightning lay TO the south OF Phillips
Field over Chesapeake Bay At $3.50
we attacked small corner Of this
storm with a quantity OF negatively
charged sand-less than ten pounds
and coincident with its application
there was no more lightning and no
more thunder There followed a slow.
gentle rain Of about four hours dura-
tion.
mo claim is. OF course, made that
the rain was caused by us. because Il
would have rained anyhow. but the
rain would have been attended by
constant thunder and lightning and
the sudden bursts OF downpour so IA
miliar to MS This experiment was
Intended to test an opinion expressed
by Mr.. Edison in an interview In which
be was reported to have stated that
we should be able to upset the cleo
trio charge Of tornado or a cyclone"