Charles Hatfield: One More Reason To Not Trust The Government

Back near this day in 1916, rainmaker Charles Mallory Hatfield, who claimed to successfully produce rain 500 times, was approached by the drought-plagued San Diego city council to fill the Morena Dam reservoir.

Hatfield offered to produce rain for free, then charge $1,000 per inch ($393.7 per centimetre) for between forty to fifty inches (1.02 to 1.27 m) and free again over fifty inches (1.27 m). The council voted four to one for a $10,000 fee, payable when the reservoir was filled.

The rain did come. Too much rain!

By January 27, 3 dams had overflowed, killing at least 20 people and causing an estimated 4.3 million dollars in damage.

The San Diego city council refused to pay, stating that the rain was an “act of god”, not the result of Hatfield’s chemical formula. There was no written contract in place.

Hatfield’s fame continued to grow, despite this legal fiasco.

Finally, the Great Depression did the great rainmaker in. Lack of rain forced Charles Hatfield back to his old job as a sewing machine salesman.

Find out more about him here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Hatfield