The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1924-11-04
lean STOP LIGHTNING
AND REMOVE MISTS
DANES SHOOT" SILICA AT
CLOUDS, AND PROVES sue
CESS OF NEW PROCESS,
RAIN MAKING is NOW REALITY
Electrified Sand Invention Causes a
Four-Hour Downpour. Experiments
That Have Been Under Way Three
Years Will Be Continued.


Years Will Be Continued.
WASHINGTON, D. C.-Extensive
evoeriments in the destruction of fogs
and clouds by the use of electrified
land are to be carried out, under gov
srnment supervision, at Boiling field.
Army airplanes, equipped with the
device patented by DR.. L. Francis
IWarren. of Harvard university have
been detailed exclusively to that work
Ind daily flights are toebe made dur
Inc the next six weeks to determine
!. both the peace and war value in con-
rection with aviation.
The two aviators who conducted the
ktack today obtained fair bag" de-
spite the extreme height of the clouds
byer the field. A group of officers and
civilians from the ground could follow
without difficulty the cutting off OF a
eape or peninsular of cloud and its
ubsequent disintegration. Larger
masses we're criss-crossed with lanes
through which the suns rays shone
b accelerate evaporation.
DR.. Warren described the work at
Boiling field as a mere continuation
bf the invariably successful expert
nents of the past three years.
Charge Sands With Electricity.
"We have had nothing happen in
he past three years.. he asserted, ito
hakes us change our claims OF our
minds. We base our work on the as
tmption that visible forms of moist
Ire in the air, like mists, fog, clouds,
were a form of colloidal suspen-
hon in gases and that they should be
oyerned by the same general laws
at prevail in colloidal action in hq-
ids and solids.
1--WE fiji the sand tanks on the planes
Eth l20-mesh silica sand. The planes
ling equipped for charging the sand
ther positively or negatively by the
rn OF a lever; the sand impignlng
BON charging plates or falling
rough charging nozzles and being
altered by the air, driven back by
plane propeller. When cloud is
und to have positive charge we
after negatively charged particles at
extreme top; when it is found to
I've a negative charge we scatter pos
yely-charged articles at the top, and
hen it is found without any charge
first charge it with either one and
en bring it down by again scatter
the oppositely- charged particles,
Stop Lightning, Compel Rain.
These tests have resulted in some
ses in uncanny manifestations For
ample, on July 9Th at about O'Clock
the afternoon frightfully heavy
nnderstorm with almost continuous
htnng Law to the south of Philips
ID over Chesapeake bay. At ESQ we
acked small corner of this storm
III quantity of negatively charged
pd-less than 10 pounds-and com
ent with its application there was
more lightning and no more thun-
There followed a slow, gentle
b OF about four hours duration. NO
i'm, of course, is made that the ram
caused by us, because it would
Ee rained anyhow, but the rain
uld have been attended by constant
lnder and lightning and the sudden
fists OF downpour so familiar to us
This experiment was intended to
an opinion expressed by Mr.. Ed
in an interview in which he was
Ported to have stated that we should
able to upset the electric charge
tornado or a cyclone.
Celestial Epoch Reached.
This means that celestial epoch
been reached in the affairs OF man
commercial rain making now lies
pm the grasp of man, and he can
Poy to this end one of natures
Rpest commodities, namely com
or garden silica at cost OF
ut S. per ton, which, outside OF
ntaning the equipment and opef-
6 the planes, will be the only
fge
wo Of the larger planes would be
e sufficient to entirely squelch Z
Se log covering III square miles
more ian area equal to that OF the
OF London), or a fog covering the
and harbor of New York. The
don Chamber of Commerce ha;
mated the cost to the city of each
Tour dense fog at 100000 pound:
ling. or about $5,000,000.
ould Make 1t Rain Anywhere.
mould the government provide tht
ley and facilities to perfect, install
operate the process for large scale
\ with hundreds OF planes design
nj built to carry 5000 pounds O
to heights of from 10000 to Is,
leet 1t will have at its command
means of removing fogs over it
prs leading cities and elsewhere
'ne power further to cause rain
Is when and where needed, botf
4 east and in the dry and semi
sections of the -country-provided
purse, that there are rain cloud.
ny local or otherwise, and tina
aH between the earth and tn,
Is saturated to degree beyond
punt OF evaporation"