RAIN-MAKING EXPERIMENTS ABANDONED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 24 August 1907, Page 2

RAIN-MAKING EXPERIMENTS ABANDONED.

Per I'ress Association. Oamaru, August 23. Recently, what is known as the "rainmaking committee" here, raised £2OO locally, which the Government subsidised with £2OO, for the purpose of experimenting with explosives for rain-making. The Government sent the Rev D. C. Bates, of the Meteorological Department, to report, and four members of the submarine corps to prepare 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 upon the clouds. On Monday last a number of bombs, were exploded on high land about 18 mile 3 from Oamaru under favorable conditions, but there less rain fell than in any part of the district. On Thursday, the demonstration was on a large scale, three points having been selected for the purpose. The conditions were again favorable, but the explosives had not the slightest effects On tli3 clouds, which were laden witii moisture, and the committee decided to abandon the experiments. Since the experiments, the rain which is general over the greater part of the South Island, came in from the east, and has been falling steadily since and apparently with every prospect of continuing.