Howell Rainmaking Brings Suits Of 2 Million Dollars Against. NYC

Dr. Wallace E. Howell, Research Fellow in the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory, came to the rescue last year when New York suffered a drought. He experimented with the burning of silver oxide on the ground and the sprinkling of dry ice into clouds by airplane. The results were so successful that certain areas in New York State were under water for days. People expressed their gratitude to Howell and were intrigued by the whole operation.

As time passed, however, New York City stopped spending money to end the drought and instead used municipal funds to show that the experiment was a failure. It appeared that rain had fallen abundantly in the wrong places. At present, 169 claims have been filed against the city by Catskill communities and citizens. Other communities complained that Howell's experiments had cause $2,138,510 storm damages in their areas.

One claimant reported that the November 25th storm caused him and his wife to rescue 120 mink worth $10,000, who were drowning. The town of Shandaken reported that the cloud insemination experiments brought severe floods and property damage.

The Bureau of Law and Adjustment in the New York Controller's office has stated that claimants could join together and form a test case or sue separately to get an opinion as to the city's responsibility. Dr. Howell, who worked with the University Geographical Institute, is now travelling in Canada and therefore could not be contacted for comment.