WATER FROM THE AIR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14048, 19 July 1916, Page 3

WATER FROM THE AIR.

AN AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENT. BRINGING DOWN THE DEW. An experiment of fai- -reaching importance to Australia has proved a success, says the Melbourne Herald. Man has discovered a means of artificially collect-, ing water from the atmosphere. The discoverer is 'Mr J- G. Balsillie. consulting engineer on wireless, telegraphs to the Commonwealth Government. j During the last month field trials of Mr Balsillie's invention have been carried out at Bookaloo, 54 miles from Port Augusta, on the East- West Railway, which is now m course of construction. The immediate object of the trials was to determine whether the Balsillie device would enable a supply of water for lhe railway to be collected from tlie atmosphere. Bookaloo has a rainfall of about . six inches a year, and it borders on the region which has been described as the dead heart of Australia. Information received shows that on dewy nights which are prevalent. in, most arid regions, the Balsillie de'Vics as I worked, is capable of collectine'somo thousands of gallons of water m Miight, | and the results are being steadily im--w_roved as the plant is re-adjusted. Tlie ■^solution of the railway water supply is, therefore, within measurable distance. Th application of the Balsillie device to pastoral needs will probably open up an immense field of development. Artificial dew precipitation promises to become a most valuable asset to Australia. It opens Up a wide field of investigation, m which Mr Balsillie has already obtained important results. In view of the encouraging results secured it has been decided- by Mr Balsillie that the trials shall be continued for several months before a definite pro- : nouncemient is made under his name as to the exact measure of success achieved. The operations have been locally described as "rain-making experiments." As a general description, that would hold J good, but m a stricter sense it is inaccurate. ..• No scientist of any standing has put forward a theory that rain could be produced if it did not already exist m some definite form, m the atmosphere. What Mr Balsillie set out to do was to intensify the natural precipitation froni rain clouds already m existence, to collect water from dews naturally con - densed on suitable surfaces, and to precipitate water particles into catchments. What was regarded as the first definite sign of success was gained on May 31, when an extremely heavy dew was present. After a 'trial run it was calculated that the device was collecting the moisture m practical quantities. The following night. misty conditions prevailed," and the wet and dry readings of the thermometer indicated • that water par-, tide, was present. The apparatus was again m operation all night. Next morning the water collected was meas--7 tired, and it was calculated that results were improved fourfold. While , these two instances were held to prove the correctness of the theory .operated,- Mi- Balsillie- was not by any y^kmeans satisfied that the best that could Y^fhS- done had been done. . Experience had suggested afterationg to the catchment to increase dew collection -'aud water particle precipitation. These are being carried out, and from, time to time further trials will be made. ' "SMALL PtUNNING STREAM." In' the meantime, dew precipitation is a success. The water comes down m the invisible way that dew falls. Ybut it is gathered m by the collectors and made visible m a small running stream. This great discovery is not the conception of a day. It is the result of patient study: extending over many years, and may be said to have been opened up by Mr Balsillie's original research into the elements associated , with wireless, telegraphy, which resilted m the wireless system that the Commonwealth Government is using today. Briefly, the plant consisted of Y-lec-trical apparatus associated with insul- . ated conductors.- Provision was made for neutralising possible lightning discharges. A more technical description. of the- plant is not permitted. The . device* has been patented throughout f he world, and thesecret of certain parts and how they operate is jealously guarded. RAIN PRODUCTION. ',i ".:.-. general theory can. he given m a 'popular.' way, without reservation, it is that when high tension static -electri-. city is discharged m an atmosphere containing, tiny particles of water, coalescence will be caused. The microscopic particles of moisture m the air will be drawn together until, they are large enough to fall to the earth by gravitation, or to be collected by electrical agency. The atmospheric conditions which bring about a fall of dew are closer to the earth than those which have to .exjst to cause general rainfall. Mr. . >_£»lsillie therefore decided to experiment- m the lower altitudes for dew collection and water particle precipitation first. % ■ ' Not only have settlers on the land to contend against the erratic i whims of Nature m the matter of rainfall, but they have to put up with the serious conditions arising from evaporation. In the region which comprises about onethird of the continent where the rainfall is lOin or less annually, the loss irom exposed water is as much as iOOin a year; At places inland evaporation has been, found to amount to threequarters of an inch daily. There is practically no settlement m this dry belt, and many years will probably elapse before even a successful water supply or rain-produoing scheme would make it habitable. But with the certainty of water, settlement would spread out' from the places which are now regarded as on the edge of the arid regions. Wheat growing is generally considered a safe proposition if ten inches or more of rain can be obtained from April to October. It has frequently been said that if a huge chain of mountains had been provided-; by Nature m the , centre of Australia,» the whole centra'te would have been altered. It is impossible to ieinedy this defect by creating mountains m mass, but Mr. Balsillie believes that his scheme to discharge -electricity at high altitudes will provide the means whereby the electrical effect of a mountain can be imposed on the clouds.

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