Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-07
WEATHER CHIEF
RAPS HATFIELD
SAYS RAlNMAKER DID NOT
BRING CLOUDS
AYERS CHEMICALS USELESS
AYERS CHEMICALS USELESS
Willis L. Moore, Head Of the Bureau
In Washington, Declares Heavy
Rains of Past Season Were
Not Caused by Local Man

Chief Willis l.. Moore of the United
States weather bureau, Washington, d.
c., has condescended to notice one
Charles Hatfield, rainmaker Of Los
Angeles.
But the method of the chief in deal
ing with Hatfield may not be entirely
to the latter's liking.
1t seems some one in Riverside sent
a dispatch to the Toledo (o.) Blade
stating that heavy rains had fallen
throughout Southern California as a
result of Hatfield's Vaccinations.
Chief Moore Of the weather bureau
takes rap at Hatfield, in letter to
the Blade as follows:
Hatfield Powerless
Editor Toledo Blade, Toledo, o.:
Dear Sir-In reference to dispatch
from Riverside, Cal, which appeared In
your issue of March 20 and which
stated that heavy rains had occurred
in Southern California during the past
winter as the result of single rain
making station established on the slope
of Mount Wilson, permit me to say that
the liberation of chemicals on Mount
Wilson had nothing to do with the
rainfall in Southern California. Your
dispatch stated that the heaviest rain
fell in the region of the rainmaker and
that the rainfall had not been large in
any Of the other regions of the SUBJ
arid west. This statement is erroneous,
as during the same period general and
excessive rains occurred throughout
Arizona and New Mexico. The cause
of the heavy rains was not local but
was associated with general abnormal
atmospheric conditions over the United
States that were in turn associated
with abnormal conditions that obtained
over a large part of the northern hem
isphere.
"It is known that when barometric
pressures for a month are low in the
northwest the period is one of frequent
and heavy rains in that region, and this
barometric condition prevailed over
New Mexico, Arizona and Southern
California during the three-month
period under consideration. The associa-
ton between low barometric pressure
and excessive rains in the southwest
and high barometric pressure and un
usual cold in the north and east has
also been established.
Cold Brings Wet
ut has been observed, in fact, that
during winters of excessive cold in the
northern and eastern districts of the
United States the seasons have been
unusually wet from western Texas to
Southern California.
During the past winter the asso-
ciated conditions referred to have pre-
vailed and they have resulted in fire.
quent and general rains, not alone in
Southern California but in all of the
immense territory that extends thence
eastward to Texas
"It is therefore apparent that the
rainfall which was supposed to have
been caused by the liberation of a few
chemicals of infnitesimal power was
simply the result of general atmos-
pheric conditions that prevailed over a
large area. 1t is hoped that the people
of Southern California will not be mis-
led in this matter and give undue inn
portance to experiments that doubt
less have no value. The processes
which operate to produce rain over
large areas are of such magnitude that
the effects upon them of the puny ef-
Sorts of man are inappreciable.
very truly yours,
WILLIS L. MOORE,
"Chief u. S. Weather Bureau"