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“County rain records smashed" read the drowned approximately 20 people and Honduras, where he doused a raging forest headlines. By the time The Rainmaker scoured the Otay Valley on its 7-mile jour- fire in 10 days and produced a total of 15 telephoned city hall on 17th, 12.73 inches _ ney to the San Diego Bay. inches of rain in two months. of rain had fallen at Morena. With a "loud, At Morena the Hatficlds were oblivious David Hatfield, Paul's son, claimed the clear and confident" voice he explained, to the destruction the rain had wreaked _ brothers’ greatest achievement occurred in “Within the next few days I expect to make upon the rest of the county. When a band 1922 on the California desert in unpopulat- it rain right. Just hold your horses until 1 of farmers gathered at the base of their ed Sand Canyon, when they decided to show you a real rain." tower and yelled up at them to stop the "shoot the works". They hauled in barrels The sky cleared on 20 January, but rain, the brothers thought they were joking of chemicals, set up a tower and waited two another six-day storm rolled in four days and continued their efforts to fill the reser- days for the rain. “It rained for about a later and brought 2.85 inches of rain to add voir. Charles explained, "I hada yeartodo day, but in one hour the weather bureau to "Hatfield's hatful". Since the ground the job, but I thought I'd might as well recorded 250 inches of rain," David report- was still saturated from the previous rains, wind it up right away." By the end of ed. (The current Guinness record is 73.62 disaster was inevitable. The San Diego January, 44 inches of rain had fallen at inches in 24 hours.) The canyon was River jumped its banks and several houses Morena, and the water flowing over the top _ destroyed, the Southem Pacific tracks were floated out into San Diego Bay. Police in of the dam was 4 fect deep. Only when the ‘washed out for 30 miles, and a man living rowboats rescued stranded home owners brothers started into San Diego to claim 20 miles away was “running for his very and motorists, and one man, wiping the _ their fee did they realise the magnitude of _ life". water from his eyes as he was hauled on the storm damages. Since the road was After 503 successful rainmaking board, suggested, "Let's pay Hatfield gone, they had to walk and they posed as attempts, Charles retired from the business $100,000 to stop." Ironically, the rain cut the "Benson boys" to avoid being lynched and settled in Eagle Rock, a suburb of Los off the city's water supply, forcing people _ by angry ranchers. Angeles, where he sold sewing machines. to seek out water holes. A varicty of ani- © When Hatfield arrived in the city after Although rain aggravated his varicose mals, including hundreds of snakes, four days of hiking, the city council refused veins in his later years, he was ready to appeared in the city's streets. The coastal to pay him. The Rainmaker had been so return to San Diego to fill the reservoirs highway to Los Angeles was impassable, eager to start to work that he had left San once again. In 1956 the 81-year-old boats were swept from their moorings in Diego before the contract was signed. Hatfield attended the Hollywood premicre the bay, telegraph and telephone lines were When he threatened to sue the city for his of The Rainmaker, a film that had been felled, rail service to the area was discon- fee, the council agreed to pay him only if _ inspired by his career. tinued because stretches of track had van- he would assume responsibility for the $3.5. The Hatfields were offered large sums ished, and 110 of the county's 112 bridges million in damage suits that had been filed for their rainmaking process on several were washed away. Except for the arrival against the city for hiring a rainmaker. occasions, After Sand Canyon, Charles of an occasional relicf steamer loaded with (The rains were later judged to be "an act and Paul decided their formula was "too food, the city was completely isolated fora of God, not of Hatfield", and the city set- devastating a force to unleash to any one week. ded for 5 cents on the dollar.) Hatfield was individual or to a group of bureaucrats who Winds blowing up to 62 mph were philosophical about the loss and said, "It might misuse it,” David reported. "They clocked on the morning of the 26th, and the was worth the publicity, anyhow.” looked around and they saw very few pco- north abutment of the Sweetwater Dam The Rainmaker's reputation spread ple of integrity, men who stood by their collapsed 24 hours later. On the evening of around the world after his feat in San words at all costs, and they said, 'Well,. the the 27th, the Lower Otay Dam burst “like Diego. In 1922 he was called to Naples by _ secret will die with us.’ And that's what the crack of doom", releasing 13 billion the Italian government to end a drought, happened.” gallons of water. A 50-ft wall of water and his last contract took him in 1930 to (Source: Stranger Than Fiction) (Source: Stranger Than Fiction) ANCIENT SPACESHIP? This object was exca- vated in the town of Toprakkale (known in ancient times as Tuspa). It is 22 cm long, 7.5 cm wide and 8 cm high, with an estimated age of 3,000 years. To the modern eye it appears to represent a space vehicle for one, with the pilot's head missing. Some scientists have cast doubt on its age. It is kept in the Museum of Archaeology in Istanbul but not exhibited. (Source: Bilinmeyen, vol. 3, Fortean Times #71, 1993) NEXUS*61 nn ee FEBRUARY - MARCH 1994