DROUGHT IN THE SOUTH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2163, 20 August 1907, Page 2

DROUGHT IN THE SOUTH.

BROKEN AT LAST. Press Association. _TIMARU, August 19. The long drought broke up this afternoon. Rain started lightly in the afternoon, but it was not tSI between 4 and 5 o’clock tkat.it set in steadily. From then on there was a heavy downpour, with a steady wind from the south-west. If the ram continues for a few hours longer it will do a vast amount of good to pastures and dairy operations generally, me autumn and winter were so dry that all creeks and all the smaller rivers ran dry, and water had to be carted ioi miles. n ,,riT>TT a in

. OAMARU, August 19. Heavy rains, the best. for the past two years, have fallen in this district, the ground being well saturated. Along the coast the ram started about 8 o’clock on Sunday nisht, and has continued more or loss heavily up till the present time. The back parts of the district were, however, not touched, and the rain-making detachment visited the stations where it was intended to explode the dynamite and guncotton when favorable opportunity occurred. Three or four shots were fired, and it is said that these wore followed by rain. It may be explained that the wind, which had previously been blowing from the northeast, veered to the south-east, carrying the coast rain-clouds over the dry country to the hills beyond. The experiments therefore determine nothing so far as the use of explosives for rain-making is concerned. About two inches of rain had fallen in a district about five miles from the locality of explosions before they tool: place. It is intended to make further experiments at the next favorable opportunity.