THE ARTIFICIAL PRODUCTION OF RAIN.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2207, 28 May 1891, Page 4

THE ARTIFICIAL PRODUCTION OF RAIN.

AN INTERESTING- EXPERIMENT. The question as to whether ram can be produced by artificial means is to be tested by the United States Government. On thp.paotion of Senator C, B. Farwell, of Illinois, a clause was added to the Appropriation Bill, which provides that, under direction „,of the Forestry Division of the Department of Agriculture, 2000 dollars should be expended in experiments having for their object the artificial production of rainfall by the explosion of dynamite. In, a communication from Senator Farwell the following theories are advanced :—“ My theory in regard to producing rain is based partly upon the fact that after all the great battles fought during the century heavy rainfalls have occurred, 'ibis is historical and undisputed. Senator Stanford, one of the - builders -of the Central Pacific Railway, irfermed me lately that he was compelled to do a great deal of blasting ffirongha part of the country where rain has never been -known to fall in very useful quantities and where it has never rained since, and that during the period of the blasting, which was nearly a year, it rained every day. 1 feel almost convinced that rain can be produged/in this .way. The dynamite could be exploded on the ground or up in the air, and 1 think 1 would prefer the latter. The experiment should be made in Eastern lowa, Colorado, or Western Kansas, somewhere alongthe, rail way, and my own idea would be to commence early in the morning and explode continuously for seven or eight hours.” The subject of rain : production by means of concussion (says the Scientific American) has been frequently discussed during the last twenty-five year. A great number of instances were stated by Francis Power, C.E., in a , volume entitled “ War and the Weather; or, the Artificial Production of Rain,” iB7l. Many cases are cited in which great battles have been followed by speedy rain. Six occurred during the war of Mexico in 1846 and 1847; pine cases of battles or skir mishcs are given which occurred in 1861 in the war of the rebellion, ( and which were followed by rain at no great interval; forty cases are cited in 1862 ; thi.rty .for 1863; twenty-eight for 1864; and six for 1865. Eighteen .simifar cases are also cited from among the great battles which have occurred in Europe during the past century, making a total of 137 cases.

Some of the cases cited where the fall of rain seems to have been caused |>y the discharge ef cannon are very striking. At the Battle, of Dresden, August 27, 1813, the weather, which for some days had Jbeen serene end intensely hot, during the progress of the battle suddenly changed. Vast clouds filled the. skies, and soon the surcharged moisture poured itself in a torrent of rain. At Waterloo, according to.Siborne, the weather during the morning of the 17th of June, 1815, had been oppressively hot. It was now a dead calm; not a leaf -was Stirring, and the atmosphere was close to an intolerable degree, while a dark| heavy, dense cloud impended over the combatants. The 18th fully prepared, and awaited the .command to charge, when brigade guns pn the right commenced firing for the purpose of breaking the order of the enemy’s advance. The concussion seemed instantly to rebpund through the still atmosphere ,aud communicate like an, electric. spark, with the .heavily charged mass abave, A violene 1 thunderclap burst -forth, which wat immediately followed by a rain which has never probably been exceeded even in the tropics. In a few moments the ground became perfectly saturated.