RAIN TO ORDER.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4900, 6 November 1925, Page 4

RAIN TO ORDER.

CONTROLLING THE WFATHER. VIEWS OF A SCIENTIST. Professor A. M. Low, the eminent scientist, writes :— Krom the dawn of humanity ■there has, been a. universal desire to alter the weather and make rain when and where it was wanted. The desire is never more evident than during a week-end, when millions of city workers are on holiday. Fromi the time when our ancestors lived or died by the result of local irrigation, rain at the proper time has made all the difference between a plentiful ahrvest and starvation. Even in recent years, before the British rule in Jindia, a drought meant famine and death in villages only a few miles from districts where food and drink were plentiful. Nature does not usually produce a miracle to meet such widespread needs in this world. Rather is it left to men to develop their brains and use them in wrestling with the problems. This has been demonstrated in many scientific developments of the past, and the making of rain may be yet another example. 1 believe ,tha,t in “the future man will obtain aprpeciable control over the local weather, though I do not for one moment suggest absolute mastery of the elements to the extent of control by a Government department who would arrange a wet day at regular intervals, .when we should have official warning to carry umbrellas. Partial, control, however, would be sufficient to make this world more comfortable.

There are many good reasons; for wishing to alter the weather, even at the present day. Fogs cost our large cities millions of pounds every year. Another of their evils is the terrible danger of shipjs at sea and .to traffic in general.

Every big shopping centre suffers enormous losses directly due to bad weather conditions,, the risk may be partially eliminated in the future by building all main streets, on the principle, of arcades. The loss to agricultural industries m every country is also enormous in times of flood and drought. It is logical, therefore, to expect some development in' the (scientific control of weather. It is a matter of world-wide\ importance, and justly merits l concerted international action. What'an opportunity for Geneva!

Admittedly, we arc still very ignorant, but the time is approaching when the ancient, dream of “making rain” will be a reality. Scientific development will be the logical outcome of our mos* ancient prayer. There is no doubt about the age* of tliis particular form of supplication. It is recorded that four thousand years ago, in ancient Greece, the priests of Zeus had the custom of spraying the air with water shaken from the foliage of a sacred plant in an effort to propitiate the rain-god. .In the history of every race is found reference to ancient rites and sacrifices connected with appeals to some god of the elements .to save their parched crops. The prophets of Baal, thousands of years ago., used to. slash themselves with swords as a blood sacrifice, and, in quite recent years, the Mitwaris of Southern Rhodd’sia practised human sacrifice to Mwari, the rain-spirit.

When pain was needed in China huge paper dragon representing the rain-god was paraded in the streets, while .the Red Indians shot arrows in the hope of piercing the clouds. In olden times the Peruvians made kites with pockets which were filled with dust; these, were down at a great height in the belief .that the dust escaping would form tiny carriers on which the raindrops cou!|d travel to earth., Thus have men of every race, colour, ap'd creed attempted to solve the question of making rain, and much -more recent .times have produced “rain-wizards” using vapouiß and cannons.

At the present time ’if a. room is full, of fog and it is charged by electrical oscillations, tiie. composition of the atmosphere will clear by coagulation, and not to remodel the universe, possible to affect the atmosphere in a room, the next step should be to develop the scheme upon a vast Suale. The - cost of fogs and'other bad-weather conditions is so enormous that prevention would be economical at almost any expense.

It should be understood that “weather” is not a vast atmospherical -mass .through which ‘■he earth travels. It is a local effect, a cloak which envelops the world and travels with it. We therefore will merely attempt to alter what is actually a local condition, nad not to remodel the universe. The aerpplane will be a useful, factor in research connected with ' the elements in the near "future, for pilots can fly above rainstorms and study them, taking observations and the spot. We must not expect ot produce rain in districts where there is a clear sky, but we may hope to tap .the rain clouds wherever they may be when rain is needed.

We may even And it possible to move patches of water-bearing clouds from one place to another. When Scotland has an over-abundance of moisture some of the rain clouds in

that region might be dispersed, however small may» be the possibility of collecting them near the Sahara. In effect water would be “broadcast,” and this would enable greater tracts of the world’s surface to be inhabited. There have been many scientists engaged on the problem of making rain fall, and in the past few years there have been many successful experiments. Tests were made at Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A., ‘Torn an aeroplane which flew above a rain cloud and scattered electrically-charged sand. This caused immediate condensation, and a shower of rain was the direct result. A (similar process might well be used to .disperse heavy fogs, and closer ptudy will, probably be given to methods of eletcrifying the atmosphere without the use of sand. Wireless wiljl be of use in future experiments. It is said now that broadacsting affects the weather. This is actually a fact, but normally the effect is so infinitesimal-.that it can well be disregarded. When beam methods and concentrated rays are developed, however, they might be of some use in diverting rain cipuds. Another increase of the habitable surface of the earth may be effected by broadcasting to, say, the North. Pole. I believe this will, be a possibility by the .time the needs of a growing population render some control of the racial problem, essential.

To an observer from Mars our weather would appear as local to the earth as the houses on its isurface, and in dealing with control of the eleipcnts it is necessary to adopt a very broad point of view. What wte really want is the means of spreading patches of water evenly over the entire surface of .the earth, to benefit equally all districts.

There is no doubt that weather can eventually be "persuaded,” and by compelling the elements to ‘conform to a. certain extent ,to the human will yie oldest dream of mankind will be realised. Twentieth-century science might well, succeed where thousands of "magicians” throughout the ages have dismally failed. —Sunday Pictorial.