Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Monday 29 May 1882, page 3


CLOUD COMPELLING.

to Tim iiniTOit oi' the brisbane courier.

tjiH -I have lead join ndmnnblc leadei to day which lcfcis to "the possibility of pro- ducîng 'rain by aitificml means," and I desne to cofrect coi tam misapprehensions ivith io ".aid to the method by which I pioposed to hiiii" about that dcsnablo end

IiAhe hist place, whilst allowing the leghtof full discussion to Mi Russell, tho usti onomer of Si dncj 01 any othei scientific man, it may bo conceded that ive aie entitled to know what/ii« lK-«l ovpcileuce that gentleman lins acquired bj actual tuals Even astionomeis stait theones which aie iciy entoitaming, but often pi ove to bo like tho light fiom the moon -only moonshine The distance of the cm til fiola the sun, «Inch wo wcie told would bo dually settled by the obseivations of the last tnnsit of Arcnus, is still an open question, and i million oi two of miles eithei wa> maj seem lo be of no consequence Astionomeis uo so acciiatomc 1 to thcoiisc that Mi Russell nnv be c\cii->ed foi indicating but not ti ymg coi tun foi ces vi Inch he states might be ipphed In the second place, I nciei titcd oi suggested that it was possible bj cannonading the sky, oi using the tom toining of Mi Russel], or by ti ymg a i opetition of the ci eat Di Pi aiikhn s expci liuent, to pei suade the um to como fiom the open clem sky, but this I did ?. ij, and still maintain, that uudei fai oin able conditions, when the clouds aie thick and lou, and befoic a chango in the vi nul take- place to sweep them away, tho ^lcctoi oi squattei oiei whose lands the welcome clouds may be hanging should sei?e tlie fav om ible oppoi tunity and send up half a lloren Fiiinkiin kites oi tiy even Russells tom tomín.,' oi any othei method which his inveitive ficiiltics can suggest to bung down h-rjO am

\ me ulei of steaming acioss the Atlantic (hcQin fiom Lnglind to Aineuca was liughed toscoin bv the lite Di Ludnei, but it has been done long ago Mi Russell maj theousc about mj eipeuments , but until ho follows mj le id ind ti ios some expel lmcnts of his omi I n" lot accept Ins dictum I should hive thought i ti ne plnlosophei would baie

ud, "Avon i mind hi st faihu os , ti j igain, is it is all foi ihc public good " Mj experiment m Qiieeiial nid vins îeceived with such dciision md insults that in the face of those liai d steel j i uhiigs I sliall leave to othei s the lionoui and expense of ti ymg to do good by gently pei

«Hiding the clouds to chop fatness-I am sn,

Í\C.,

JOHN HENRY PEPPER.

Laboratoiy, 20G Qiieen-stieet, 27th Ma).