Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-05-28
Charles Hatfield, Of California
Claims to Have Solved Prob.
q. lem Of Ralamaking.
HIS METHOD is EXPLAINED
Generates Gases and Discharges
Them From Chimney Into the At.
mosphere Compelling the Gathering
otipHIdturs and lite Precipitation in
Form of Raln-Wlns Prize.

Charles Hatfield, rainmaker, who
has been working since December Is
last TO produce Is inches of rain for
Southern California by May 1 on a
pledge by number Of Los Angeles
merchants to pay him 81 900 If he sue
ceeded, has completed his demonstra.
ton, and has been paid a large pnrt of
the amount promised. The remainder
will be paid soon, 1t is said. The fall
of rain In Los Anegele during the sea-
son ended May was 1886 inches.
which far exceeded that of last season
and is above the normal annual pre.
cipithtion for this section.
Hatfield established his rainmaking
plant at Altadena, In the foothills Of the
mountains, about 20 miles from Los
angeles. His method is a generation
OF gases and their discharge into the
atmosphere from chimney, which has
the result, he says, of attracting forces
or nature which compel moisture to
form and be precipitated in the form
Of rain, -
Mr.. Hatfield has explained his sys.
TEN tofa representative of the Chroni-
Gle. To the interviewer the first i'm.
preston of the character of the man
were as favorable as the last. There
is nothing about Hatfield to suggest
the eccentric, the. fanatic or the ego.
fist. He bears not the earmarks of
genius eccentrlcity in his countenunce
or In his dress. The student OF human
natuEe Will find in his face pair of
SINCERE 3eyesSthat look you straight IN
the lace. rather sharp nose, though
not particularly acquiline in this fen.
ture, and determined chin. In attire
ne was neatly clad in q gray business
suit and spotless linen. One would moi
expect to find this neatness in the gen
1eral. camper, or the man of science.
3 As sto aye. Hatfield confesses to 25
years. When he talks the enthusiasm
or the inventor Is observable. but his
speech never verged on the egotistical
he claimed no personal credit for his
! %9rk. but laid particular stress ON the
. me merits OF his system to which he refer.
req when the lencomiums were placed
Upon his-resuits.
first began my demonstration In
April, l902, on my fathers ranch at
: pune and July of that year continued
I'd hdvee faith-in my theory, and It was
In the last month that secured a rain
fall lasting two and one-half DAYS,
which proved to be the heaviest pre-.
cipitation that the vicinity had expert
enced in 81 years for. July in fact the
only known record in the past So years
showed but one fall to surpass It. and
( and that occurred in 1865.
NO, as to my theory 1t Is a beautl.
tiful one When 1t comes to my knowl-
edge that there is moisture.lnden at.
y mosphere lowering, say, over the Pm.
cihc. Immediately begin to attract
that atmosphere with the assistance of
my chemicals, basIng my efforts on the
4 scientific principle OF cohesion. II do
not hight nntuer as Dryeflforth, Jewell
and several others have done. by
means of. dynamite, bombs and other
; explosive lcJ WOO her by means of
! this subtle attraction I, &
Near Reno, New, on: the eastern
side of the Sierra NeYadas. there rs an
arid region about 100 miles square. It
IS nothing more than desert. Rain
has never fallen there. The rain that
comes from the. coast! is i precipitated
before reaching this area. therefore
making 1t dry and BARREN locality.
( iNevada Is dry because Of the interview
lion OF these mountains. Now I would
Hike nothing better than to 20 to this
region or anywhere on the globe for
= hatymatter, and conduct a series of
demonstrations, for Ilfeel confident
that could produce rain.
Several marvellous things have M.
Cured since my occupancy Of this hill.
Heretofore the storms came down the
coast. NOW they come also from the
East and from the Southeast. Hereto.
fore Southern California was free from
thunder and lightning. Now we are
visited by the elements. Rain has fall
en- heavily In Pasadena when not n
drop has been precipitated in Los An.
geles or elsewhere. This surely is n
local condition. S Are mot these facts
greatly I'm favor OF my system p,
AS3AthAt do. you thing OF the planet
thebry?" tHatfleld was asked.
The United States government
weather bureau thoroughly Investigate
ed this contention by sono meteorolo.
gists' ana fSind that 1T did not amount
3 to a snap. There Is nothing in it. On
the other hand I have received letters
!. TON many scientific men telling me
sad saa tsJ tke99fy Is an excellent one and
encouraging me in tile continuance Of
nay work. II 4 J y = q
s; Hatfield then led the way to the
tower, which is situated on the slone
Of the hill ,pbout O5feet from the tent.
sN issenllt OF wood and sheltered on the
Z outside with tar paper. The Inventor
eyinced no desire to shoWithe interior
! and the apparent oversight. being
brought to his attention he lauehingiy
remarked that It would be injudiciois
on his part to dlviilge the secrets Of
the box. s. ;s,.i ~ d.
Eel will tell you what IS y Inside.
though, !" Hatfield continued. .Thelre
are 104 galvanized iron evaporation
pans, switch contain the chemicals; and