Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-03-14
Los Angeles County-Its Climate and
Resources. -

we are constantly In receipt or COM
munications from people living in the
East, making inquiries in regard to
our climate, the industrial resources
of the county, and particularly about
its adaptability as residence for in
valids. Though much has been pub
lished on this subject, there is still a
great lack of information,1 and as an
answer to class of inquiries that we
have found it impossible to attend to
separately, we republish from the re-
port of the State Board of Health the
admirable paper contributed by J. p.
Widney, M. d., on the climate and
diseases of this county. 1t has the adj
vantage over anything that non-pro-
fessional writer might say, of being
the result of the observations of a care
full, competent and thoroughly edu-
Gated physician, and having been pre-
pared for an official publication, its
statements may be taken as authori-
tative:
The writer introduces his subject
with brief glance at the
TOPOGRAPHY OF SOUTHERN CALI
FORNIA.
California, apart from it's minor diff
ferences and peculiarities of climate,
is divided by one prominent headland
upon the coast into two climatic divi-
sions. That headland is Point Con-
ception. North of it the northwest
wind, cold and bracing, but to the in
valid and feeble chilling and depress-
ing, reigns supreme.
The Sierra run parallel with the
coast, but far in the interior, allowing
system of long valleys with gem
eral northwesterly bearing, which are
swept full length by the prevailing
current of cold air.
Near Point Conception, however,
the main range of the Sierra and the
coast line draw near to each other,
while spurs and broken mountains in
terrupt the system Of valleys and OPP
pose a barrier to the cold air current
from the northwest. DNH 3E} @s
The coast begins to deviate from it's
general northwesterly bearing and
trends sharply to the east. The result
is q mild, equable climate, with only q
gentle west wind from the ocean cool
ing the air. 80 lIt@Ai ~ taAj8s
The mountain chains follow near the
coast, except at what is known as the
Los Angeles country. Here they bear
off directly eastward, and circling
around to again approach the sea wan
in system Of valleys having an ARIA
of some three thousand square miles,
and extending back nearly one hun
dred miles from the ocean. Thus
while at other points in southern Cali
fornia the only available climate to be
found is strictly coast climate, with
its attendant moisture and occasional
chill, there is here choice ranging
from the coast to the warm, dry, shell
tered interior. sek asa.
s. 1883 TOPOGRAPHY. ~ 3
The Los Angeles valley, broad and
open, faces southwark upon the ocean.
Toward the southeast it narrOws into
a coast plain twelve miles in depth
by sixty in length reaching towards
San Diego. Eastward it merges into
the San Bernardino valley, sixty miles
in length. Other smaller valleys
branch off and wind through the
mountains. All of these valleys are
walled in upon the north by noun
tains from five thousand to nine
thousand feet high, sheltering them
from the north wind. The rains and
melting SHOWS of these mountains
feed many streams, which are extern
sively used for irrigation. 5a5 ry
CLIMATE.
The climate is essentially that of the
northern part of the State, but robbed
of Its cold wind and grown softer and
milder. The sun, five hundred miles
nearer the tropics than at San Fran
cisco, shines with an increased fervor,
but the nights are cool and the air dur
ing the day never has the intense heat
of the northern interior valleys. The
seasons are later by several weeks
than in the Sacramento valley. The
rains hardly set fairly in before the
latter part of December, while the
Spring is cool and delayed. The late
commencement of Winter is due to
the fact that the rain current first
strikes the coast far to the north and
travels backward, reaching San Fran
cisco after it does Oregon, and Los An
geles still later than San Francisco.
The tardy Spring is no doubt in part
due to the snow upon the surrounding
mountains. Upon some Of them the
snow lies from December to. June.
Warm south winds and more verti-
cal sun prevents any excess of cold
from this cause. The ripening orange
at the foot of the mountain is watered
from its crest. July, August and Sep
TENDER are the months of the greatest
heat, but the daily sea-breeze and FREE
quent night fogs are constantly equal
izing the temperature. The daily
average at Wilmington, the seaport Of
the country, is as shown by the records
at the Drum Barracks: For January,
$50; February, $685.; March, $50 81;
April, $50 81; May 800 81; June, $50 81;
July, 10 81; August, 73o q; Septem-
Der, $50; October, 66; November, 60
81; December, $40 q; Annual rainfall
is from twelve to fourteen inches.
Different portions of the country de-
velop minor peculiarities as they may
be in the direct line of the wind cur
rent or sheltered by ranges of hills.
Confo Ao,,soo nd T Do lovo ,nov,