l:\IN, AUTIKK l.M, 



sions of volcanie eruptions or tho oomjwiratively 

 trifling disturbances tlmt on-m-on modi-rn imttle- 

 liel.l.-. li appears to !* established by autheiitie 

 hiMorv (lull great battles arc fiv^m-iiUy aeeom- 

 panietl or followed by rains, but a certain 

 amount of untrustworthy Matt-incut comes in 

 with tln-.-r records. For instance, it is said that 

 a- many of tin- buttles of antiquity, before tho 

 dNeovery of gunpowder, wore followed by rains 

 a- i> the CAM in more modern limes. Mr. Dyren- 

 lorth himself is responsible for the suggestion 

 that the inert \i\g of armies provided, as were 

 those of the Greeks and Romans, only with hand- 

 weapons, miirht have caused sufficient atmos- 

 pheric disturlwnces to produce rain. It re- 

 quires certainly a great deal of confidence to 

 place any faith in a theory of this kind. The 

 mere clash of arms and the united shouts of 

 thousands of enraged combatants could hardly 

 be heard at the distance of a mile, even under 

 very favorable conditions. The discharge of 

 fire-arms disturbs the atmosphere to a far greater 

 extent. It has fallen within the experience of 

 almost every one to notice, for instance, the jar- 

 ring of a window sash when a gun is discharged 

 at a considerable distance. While it is easy, 

 therefore, for the scientist to prove that a cubic 

 foot of air can only be expanded by the highest 

 explosive known to a comi>aratively moderate 

 extent, he can not prove, for it is beyond his ken, 

 what effect such expansion may have among tho 

 nice barometric and hygrometric adjustments 

 possible in Nature's secret places. It is probably 

 within the experience of most of us to nave no- 

 ticed the sudden fall of rain that often follows 

 the shock of a thunder-clap, and we must accept 

 the statements of travelers regarding the same 

 results which are said to follow the tremendous 

 discharge of volcanic eruptions. Violent and 

 extensive rainfalls followed such eruptions as 

 that of Krakatoa a few years ago in the Straits 

 of Java. In South America, according to Hum- 

 boldt and others, it is generally believed that 

 volcanic eruptions, even in a very dry season, 

 are apt to change the atmospheric conditions and 

 produce rain. It is claimed, moreover, that the 

 burning of woods, of the long, dry grassed prai- 

 ries, and of cane-brakes in southern savannas, are 

 so generally followed by heavy rain that there 

 is considerable ground for believing that either 

 the heat or the vast columns of smoke, or both 

 together, have some share in producing the neces- 

 sary conditions. Prof. Powers's book, referred 

 to above, is the most elaborate attempt that has 

 been made to collect in accessible shape all 

 known statistics regarding the supposed effect 

 of heavy artillery. Many of his conclusions 

 have been questioned with more or less justice, 

 but most of his facts are well authenticated. A 

 few of these may be mentioned : During the 

 sieere of Valenciennes by the allied armies in 

 l?ii:{ thf weather had been remarkably favorable 

 for military operations, save that it had been 

 peculiarly hot and dry. Two hundred pieces of 

 heavy artillery were used in the attack, and half 

 as many more in the defense of the city ; all 

 these were often in action at the same time, and 

 the weather became rainy very shortly after tho 

 cannonading began. At the battle of Dresden, 

 in 1813, after an excessively hot August, tho 

 weather abruptly changed almost as soon as fir- 



IM.I'nU.MKI) 



?C7 



ing was opened. Prior to the battle of Water- 



H -In in- 17. INI.'), tho weuthr had b 

 cessively hot. and a dense cloud hung o\, 

 waiting armies. The allied gunnou-ned Hr with 

 a view to breaking tin- Fn-neh advnncc; appar- 

 ently tht- diM-harge destroyed the elc. 

 equilibrium, for a thunder-clap burnt forth ai.<i 

 Immediately a tremendous shower of rain fell. 

 which, as one historian says, has probably never 

 been exceeded even in the tropic for violi-n.-, 

 This heavy rain, as is agreed by all the historian* 

 of that great battle, was largely influential on 

 the operations of tho main conflict which fol- 

 lowed on June 18. Among American 

 there is a widespread belief that the discharge of 

 fireworks on the Fourth of July is very certain 

 to induce rain and interfere with the enjoyment 

 of the national holiday. 



It will occur to any one who considers the con- 

 ditions indicated, that something more is re- 

 quired to produce rain than a mere explosion ; 

 apparently explosions have been delivered in the 

 most favorable location and at the most auspi- 

 cious moment, and yet no rain has followed. It 

 is held with good show of reason that dust of 

 some kind, either smoke or dust stirred up by a 

 whirlwind, is almost a necessary concomitant in 

 precipitating moisture. Whether this be so or 

 not, experiments are recorded in which moisture 

 is condensed in 'a glass receiver. It is found to 

 be quite possible to form mist in perfectly du>t- 

 free air, but this was effected by forcing air into 

 the jar and suddenly releasing the pressure. 

 thereby causing an explosion or its equivalent by 

 a sudden rush of atmospheric globules. It may 

 be unsafe to sav, with our present knowledge. 

 that particles of different temperature may al- 

 ways be made to combine by concussion, yet it is 

 very certain that sometimes they can be induced 

 so to combine, and possibly by artificial means. 



While, therefore, the experiments of last sum- 

 mer may not have been all that Science could 

 wish, may not even have been conducted in all 

 respects as she had a right to demand, it is hardly 

 fair to pronounce them an utter failure. 



That the impression made upon the public 

 was on the whole favorable, appears from the 

 formation of sundry rain-making companies, 

 and the announcements of individuals to the ef- 

 fect that rain may be had for the asking, on pay- 

 ment of a suitable consideration. But for the 

 readiness of people to be swindled, it were need- 

 less to caution the public against these organiza- 

 tions. Many years may elapse before the rain 

 conditions are well enough understood to grati- 

 fy trustworthy conclusions, but it is not outside 

 the pale of probability that some time our conn- 

 try may be very proud that she was the fir>t t. 

 institute experiments in this direction. 



REFORMED ( HIHCIIES. I. Reformed 

 Church in America. The Committee on the 

 State of the Church reported to the General 

 Synod, in June. 1S91, that the number of 

 churches was 570; of ministers. "iS-J : of liccnti- 

 ^ ; of communicant member-. 04.323; of 

 Sunday schools, 815, with lOS.UlM teachers and 

 pupils; of admissions during tho year on con- 

 fe-sion of faith, 6,114; amount of cont ributioM 

 to home missions, $61.045; to foreign mi- 

 $116,265; to other benevolent objects, |18M4> 5 

 for congregational purposes, f 1,013,825. 



