The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940 Page: 428
576 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern tHistorical Quarterly
Upon receiving a report of some rain-battles staged early in
the month of July, he wrote: "These experiments are exceedingly
important to me-and I infer that you do not quite appreciate
their importance." Following one of these battles, fourteen hours
of rain fell, but "only sprinkles resulted" from another. Post
attributed the latter result to the use of only 550 pounds instead
of 3000 as he had wished. IHe wrote his managers:
In these experiments, we are following a practice that
absolutely and unfailingly did produce rain during the Civil
War. Every man who was in a battle knows that rain
invariably followed the heavy concussions, and an old soldier
told me the other day that during a twenty-one day bombard-
ment, the rain began after the first day and continued, more
or less, during the total twenty days following.
In about two or three weeks, when you think rain would
ble advantageous, you can watch for some cloudy weather,
and then get busy with your three thousand pounds of dyna-
mite and shoot it off.
I want extraordinary attention given to this subject, for
it means a very great deal to the country at large, and all
of us are included."
If the rain-valve could be turned off and on at will, the economy
of the whole world might be completely revolutionized. Deserts
could be made to blossom as the proverbial rose. No longer need
there be a food shortage in any part of the world. Post believed
that some positive gains were being achieved with the progress
of his experiments. In the letter just quoted he gave still more
specific directions:
Let these firing stations be separated one-eighth of a mile
apart-in other words, sixteen stations in the two miles. I
expect better results from firing over a rock foundation than
would be had from kites, for the reason that the first com-
pression of the air will be upward, almost instantly fol-
lowed by a rebound of the downward force,-in that way
getting the double pressure of the air, which I expect to
precipitate the moisture of the air.0
Toward the end of August, the Rainmaker wrote that he was
quite satisfied with the reports of previous battles, and unshaken
9P. R., Minutes II, 175k. Post to Double U Company, July 17, 1911.
lolbid.428
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940, periodical, 1940; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101111/m1/464/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.