RAIN-MAKING IN THE SOUTH

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2167, 24 August 1907, Page 2

RAIN-MAKING IN THE SOUTH

THE EXPERIMENTS ABANDONED. Press Association. „ ~ OAMARU, August 23. Recently what is known as the Ra 111-making Committee her© raised £2OO locally, which the Gove rnmeiit subsidised with £2OO, for the purpose of experimenting with explosives in rain-making. The Government sent the Rev. D. C. Bates, of the Meteoroligical Department, to report, and four members of Submarine' Corps to prepare tlie bombs of dynamite, guncotton. and powder. The experiments have now been abandoned, it having been demonstrated that the explosion of high or low explosives had no effect on clouds. O i Monday last a number of bombs were exploded on high land, about if miles from Oomaru, under favorable conditions, but there was less rain feU than m any part of the district, un lhursday the demonstration was Oil a larger scale, three points having been selected for the purpose. The conditions were again favorable, but the explosives had not the slightest effect on tlie clouds, which were la.d-> en with moisture, and the committee - decided to abandon the experiments, since the rain which is general over the greater part of the South Island came in from the east, and has been falling steadily since a" late hour last night, and apparently with every prospect of continuing.