766 



RAIN, ARTIFICIAL. 



as they could command. Without entering into 

 the discussion of questions that at best must be 

 regarded as undetermined, a brief account of the 

 undertaking is here given. 



On motion of the Hon. Charles B. Farwell, 

 Senator for Illinois, a resolution was introduced 

 in the United States Senate appending a clause 

 to the general appropriation bill for 1891 which 

 provided that under the direction of the forestry 

 division of the Department of Agriculture $2,000 

 should be expended in experiments having for 

 their object the artificial production of rainfall 

 by means of explosives. Subsequently this sum 

 was increased to $10,000. There was some dis- 

 cussion in both Houses of Congress concerning 

 the appropriation, but it appealed so strongly to 

 that native sense of humor, which is so powerful 

 an element in the conduct of American affairs, 

 that it passed by a handsome majority, and R. 

 G. Dyrenforth, of Washington, was appointed to 

 superintend the expenditures. A corps of rain- 

 makers was organized, including two balloonists 

 (Carl Meyers and George E. Casler), E. Powers 

 (author of "War and the Weather"), John T. El- 

 lis, and other assistants. Mr. Dyrenforth elabo- 

 rated a system of apparatus for firing heavy 

 charges of high explosives, as well as ordinary 

 gunpowder, at high elevations. The party left 

 Washington in July, and on Aug. 5 reached the 

 ranch of Nelson Morris, a few miles from Mid- 

 land, Texas, a retired place where the intended 

 explosions would not be attended by disaster, ex- 

 cept, perchance, to the operators themselves. It 

 was alleged that this was a particularly dry re- 

 gion, where little or no rain had fallen for several 

 years. The party reached the ranch on Aug. 5, 

 and were occupied for several days in preparing 

 their complicated outfit, consisting of several 

 dozen balloons, kites, retorts, and various chemi- 

 cals. The apparatus likewise included an elec- 

 trical outfit, which it was intended to use in firing 

 the charges sent aloft or placed upon the ground. 

 The official reports of the experiments, which ex- 

 tended over a period of nearly three weeks, rep- 

 resent them as resulting in complete success ; but 

 unofficial reports, emanating for the most part 

 from spectators attracted by the unusual specta- 

 cle, and from newspaper reporters, do not alto- 

 gether agree. The first explosions were on Aug. 

 9, and were of minor importance as regards 

 strength. It is certain that a rain occurred on 

 the next day ; but as a natural and unprovoked 

 rain had occurred on the day before, the experi- 

 menters did not claim any credit for the second 

 downfall. Again, on the 18th, there were explo- 

 sions, also followed by rain ; these, however, were 

 considered as merely preliminary, and it was not 

 until the 20th that all the arrangements were 

 completed for the final, and. as it was claimed, 

 decisive test. The results appear to have been 

 unsatisfactory for several days, even to Mr. Dy- 

 renforth, but on Aug. 26 the conditions became 

 favorable. According to a correspondent of the 

 New York " World," " the night was beautifully 

 clear, and not a cloud could be seen. The heav- 

 ens were dotted with stars, and from all indica- 

 tions it was safe to predict that no rain would 

 fall within forty-eight hours at the least. A 

 strong gale was blowing toward the west. Five 

 balloons were sent up and exploded and 200 

 pounds of rackarock powder and 150 pounds of 



dynamite set off on the ground. There was, of 

 course, no immediate result. The barometer was 

 rising, and the needle was pointed at fair. By 

 three o'clock in the morning a bank of clouds ap- 

 peared on the western horizon at the point to- 

 ward which the smoke and noise had blown. The 

 sky rapidly became overcast, and by four o'clock 

 there was rain, accompanied by thunder and light- 

 ning. When the sun rose, it was seen that the 

 storm had come directly out of the west, and on 

 the horizon the clouds rose in a funnel-shape, like 

 the smoke from a volcano. There was a beauti- 

 ful rainbow visible at sunrise. It ceased raining 

 at about eight o'clock." The substance of the of- 

 ficial report is to the effect that rain followed 

 wherever there chanced to be moisture and the 

 explosion was delivered at the proper altitude. 



After the experiments were concluded there 

 was a vast deal of discussion as to the scientific 

 aspects of the case. Eminent scientific authori- 

 ties were averse to acknowledging that any real- 

 ly beneficial results had been obtained or that 

 any really valuable scientific conclusions had been 

 reached. A great deal of fun was made in the 

 newspapers about the whole proceeding, but the 

 fact remains that the whole civilized world was 

 intensely interested in the experiments, and those 

 who had no individual hobbies to prove were dis- 

 posed to view them with every possible allowance 

 for imperfection of equipment and the lack of 

 experience inseparable from a first attempt. 



There are widely different theories as regards 

 the possibility of inducing the conditions neces- 

 sary to the precipitation of moisture which we 

 popularly call rain. It is agreed in general that 

 rain, under natural conditions, results from the 

 mingling of air strata of different temperatures. 

 The great level plains of the world, whether of 

 earth or water, appear to be largely the birth- 

 places of storms. Over such plains the air can 

 most easily adjust itself in extended layers of dif- 

 ferent temperatures. The simplest condition pre- 

 liminary to a rainfall is perhaps one in which a 

 stratum of warm air underlies a similar stratum 

 of cold air ; between these two there may be a 

 space of intermediate temperature separating the 

 two hostile elements. It is admitted by students 

 of meteorology that disturbances at or near the 

 dividing line between these different strata may 

 open a way for the cold air, which is heavier, to 

 rush downward, and for the lighter warm air to 

 rush upward. ' The mingling of the two under 

 certain conditions, as yet not well understood, 

 undoubtedly causes rain. So far science is agreed, 

 but when we come to the details, opinions di- 

 verge. Thus, it is generally believed that at a 

 considerable distance above the earth, or at least 

 above the territory of the United States, there is 

 a current of air almost perpetually moving east- 

 ward ; that, therefore, if a local explosion could 

 cause precipitation at a given place, the moisture 

 would be carried perhaps one or two hundred 

 miles before it could reach the earth. This, how- 

 ever, is mere speculation. The theory that rain 

 can be precipitated by explosions certainly needs 

 proof, but it needs proof no more than do the 

 theories of those who scoff at the possibility of 

 such a result. 



The attention of observers from time imme- 

 morial ha? been drawn to the frequent occur- 

 rence of ruins accompanying the heavy explo- 



