Swamp coolers are making a high tech comeback for use in arid climates, they do work, just not anywhere humid. They just make humid air more humid, it has to be arid to evaporate; it works due to evaporative cooling. Misters spraying mist on outdoor bars and dining areas in AZ are another example. Here, you’d just be wetter and hotter, lol.
Yeah, that would have been it. Ours was a ‘ram-air’ model.