Rock showers from sky mystify California town.
Periodic downpour centres on warehouse, which is bombarded as investigators gaze.
Chico, Calif., March 10.
Showers of rock that fall “from the clouds” on a warehouse here have baffled the police, neighbours and various official and unofficial investigators.Today J. Charge, owner of the warehouse, posted the offer of a reward of $200 to the person revealing the source of the rocks. While the town marshal and a committee of newspaper men and others were examining the corrugated iron roof yesterday, a shower of large smooth rocks fell, sending the investigators scurrying for cover. Others, standing in the street at the time, declared the rocks seemed to come straight from the clouds. Those employed in the building reported that the mysterious bombardments of the roof had been occurring periodically for three weeks.
New York Tribune, 11th March 1922.
Ghost in California throws stones on warehouse roof.
Natives divided as whether to call scientist or Pacific Coast Ball League Scout.
By Associated Press.
Chico, Calif., March 11. – Chico has a rival of the ghost of Antigonish, only the local wraith operates in the daytime and throws stones instead of slapping wrists and starting fires. Its target is a warehouse at Sixth and Orange streets, and, according to a statement by the police today, it rarely misses, although located more than a block away. The school boy explanation is that some outfit in the Spook league has opened spring training here.
Yesterday the superintendent of the warehouse sent a workman up to sweep the rocks off the roof. The workman had no sooner gotten under way than a big red brick whizzed by his ear. He ducked but a barrage of smaller bricks and rocks rooted him out. He said he had no idea where the missiles came from.
Watches have been been set to ‘lay’ the ghost, who has been operating almost daily for more than three weeks but have found no trace of it. A reward of $20 goes to anyone who can solve the mystery.
Interested Chicoans do not know whether to send for a scientist or a scout from the Pacific coast baseball league.
The Rocky Mountain News (Daily), 12th March 1922.