RAIN-MAKING EXPERIMENTS.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 7270, 19 October 1891, Page 3

RAIN-MAKING EXPERIMENTS.

The San Francisco correspondent of tho Auckland Herald, writing in Soptomber, says : No scientific cxperimonta which have been undertaken during tho past fivo years have excited so much discussion and interest, as those now being conducted in Western Texas by tho United States Department of Agriculture, with a view of making rain. Tho Government is carrying out the system of Edward Powers, who Grut noticed that after a sever battle, in which tho cannonading had been heavy, rain fell in many instances. From this idea he evolred the plan which has np to tho present given fair results. Powers haß been seconded by Goneral Dyronforth in giving the ayatom » fair chance, and, that there might be no mistakes between causo and eflect, a very dry arid region in Western Texas was chosen for the experimentc — a place in which rain rarely falls at this season, Thus far they have succeeded in making many showers fall Powers' plan is to send up balloons filled with hydrogen and one of oxygen, and to explode thorn at a considerable »ltitude by means of elec-

tricity. Tho resultant of the explosion of thoHo pusses is water, which forms the nuolous of the expected rains. It must bo fluid tlmt the experiments have .succeeded so well as to place I lie priuciplo above BCOfling, Another rain maker is Frank Mel - bourne, whoso syfttom is nob known. After eoveral severo tests in Ohio ho went to Cheyenno, VVyo., in tho high, dry regions of the Rooky Mountains. II i« success is told in tho following despatch from Cheyenno, dated Septembor 1 : " A fair and successful, if not conclusive test of the Fr.ink Molbourno method of producing rain, was hud here this afternoon, and the demonstration has created a profound sensation. Tho people are filled with amazement. Tho most violent sceptics capitulate, whilo Melbourne is selfoßUstaiued, pMoid, and confident as over, At eight o'clock lust night a careful compilation was made of the records of tho locul signal office and telographio reports from other bureaus. At that hour tho Oheyonno Signal Servico obBervor said a rainstorm was approaching from tho northwest. This morning it was learned that tho Montana and Dakota visitation had been carried east to spend itsolf in Wisconsin, whilo every local condition presaged fair and diy weather. There might bo n mist, tho prophet of tho Agricultural Department ventured, but thero could bo no considomblo precipitation. In tho meantime Melbourne was at work. He was engaged in active labor, and behaved to tho interviewer as usual, looking wise, and only saying that ho would make tho rain come. At two o'clock this afternoon only light fleecy clouds skirted tho horizon. In half an hour black heavy clouds began to collect near the laboratory, tho rest of Hie sky being clonr. At 245 a shower started, and in twenty minutes, when tho rain subsided, there hid boon a full of elovon-hundrecltha <f AM inch. This was generally regarded n» ncci lental. Melbourne claimed it was not, mid said thcro would be more. Captain Rivonscroft, tho observer, had been studying his, instruments, and admitted unwillingly that ho was completely mystified, and said tho shower wns certainly in part due to artiGoial causos. Ho predicted, and every nppearance indicated, that the romainder of the day would bo clear. At 4.30 tho severest showor of tho season sent every one indoors. Thorp was a driving downpour for half an hour. It was preceded by sharp lightning and thunder, tho latter being a clear but unevon roport. This fall made the total *47 of an inch, nearly tho half inch promised by tho wizard. The wind was against Melbourno till tho rain started. Cheyenne was a storm centre for an area extending twenty-live miles in ovory direction. During the experiment tho wind veerpd clear round, almost describing a circle. Melbourne says there will be much moro rain. He has a hole in the roof of his chop, but nothing has boon seen to come from tho oponing. Captain Ravenscroft and the gontlomen who brought Melbourne horo are well satisfied, and if to-day's experiment is to bo h criterion, the man must bo granted mastery of tho elements. Further trials will follow, and in case of success arrangements will bo mado for stato service by owners of largo tracts of land. Artificial frost prevention is now suggested as an outgrowth of the scheme for artificial rain production. L. G. Kniften, of Chicago, has written a lottor to (Secretary Rusk on the subject. His theory is that clouds or artificial mists prevent the radiation of the heat from tho earth. He suggests that the machinery and materials used by Colonel Dyrenforth in causing rain be tested as a means of bringing tho clouds olosor to tho eartli and of creating a sort of fog, which will bo a provontativo against tho ravages of frost.