cd 
ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 15 
of the success of Mr. Powers’ work is very valuable, because it comes 
from a very competent authority in America, where the majority of 
the cases are said to have occurred, and was within four or five 
years of the termination of the war, when the means of testing the 
facts would be within reach. 
The editor of Silliman’s Journal evidently believes that there 
are so many facts in favour of the theory that it deserves careful 
investigation; and another leading writer on meteorological 
subjects in America, whose opinions on many such matters have 
had great weight, was firmly convinced, not only that it was 
possible to produce rain, but that it might be done economically 
whenever it was wanted. He doubtless had what appeared to him 
to be sufficient reason for this opinion; but Professor Henry, 
Secretary to the Smithsonian Institute, and perhaps at the time 
the most competent man in the world to express an opinion upon 
this subject, said, in reference to Espy’s idea :—“I have great 
respect for Mr. Espy’s scientific character, notwithstanding his 
aberration, in a practical point of view, as to the economical produc- 
tion of rain. The fact has been abundantly proved by observation 
that a large fire sometimes produces an overturn in the unstable 
equilibrium of the atmosphere, and gives rise to the beginning of 
@ violent storm; but it was not wise in him to met, on the 
possibility of turning this principle to an economical use.” 
In 1874 this subject was taken up by Mr. R. D. Belcher, who 
read a paper before the British Association on “The disturbances 
of the weather by artificial influences, especially battles, great 
explosions, and conflagrations.” In it he gives many instances, 
_ from the siege of Valenci in 1793 to the Ashantee and Carlist 
wars of 1874, to prove that storms follow immediately upon 
battles. It is said Solferino was lost through a heavy thunder- 
‘Storm which came on and prevented the officers from seeing the 
_ Movements of the troops, and a similar storm occurred at Sadowa. 
Further, the sham fights at Aldershot on May 19, June 19 and 20, 
oo aly 8, 20, 21, 27, and 29, 1874, were in every case followed bya 
thunder-storm. 
