Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-10
THE COLD WAVE-A MATTER OF GER
RECT REPORTING.

1t appears that the cold wave was not
confined to Central and Northern Califor-
MIA. According to the Los Angeles En-
press, which, as is well known, would make
such an admission only when driven to it,
and would then make the statement as
mild as possible, ice formed in Los An
geles Friday night In its issue of the
9TH, Saturday last, it said
= The cold wave visited the south with heavy
frost, the temperature falling below the freezing
point, leaving a thin film Of ice upoD standing
water, and serving to remind one of the tenn
perature of other ATTITUDES. It was unusually
cold this section, and it is seldom in the his
tory OF the country that the mercury has fallen
so low. whether much damage will result
from this unusual decline in the thermometer
cannot yet be determined but 1t was as sharp a
touch OF winter as ever falls to the lot of semi
tropic California.
The Los Angeles Times, no more inclined
to speak of the southern cold than the En-
press, in its issue of Sunday said:
The temperature here has been lower than
Tor long time before The snow line on the
mountains is much further down the mountains
than usual, while some mountains have been
covered that have heretofore only rarely shown
any snow. Thin ice formed on small pools of
water here last night. The frost this morning
ever, to believe that the orange trees are in
Jured. Where the frost lasts but a short time
there Is no danger TO orange trees, as has been
often demonstrated here before.
1t will be noted that both journals are
cautious not to say that no damage has
resulted to orange trees. As no damage
has resulted here in weather of about
the same character, we believe as we hope,
that no injury was inflicted at the south.
We of the center and north wish no harm
to any industry of the south, or any check
to It's marvellous advancement. Anything
to put that section back a particle would
work injury to all California. Because the
south Is so widely and we'll known, and has
attained such broad reputation as a trop-
ical region, is all the more reason for de-
ploring any mishap to it. We do not
know enough concerning the conditions
there now to form positive Judgment
whether the cold snap has done injury or
not at the south; we can only hope it has
not. A regular press dispatch from River
side, San Bernardino county, dated on the
Sth, says that the lowest temperature
was reached there Sunday morning, when
the thermometer marked twenty-six de-
grees below zero" OF course this was an
error in dispatching; twenty-six degrees
above zero was meant. 1t never declines
to zero in the valleys of California, or any
where near that mark. But twenty-six
degrees above zero is figure very little
differing from the Signal Service report at
Sacramento of the lowest temperature
reached here during the cold snap. There
is, therefore, no reason for either section of
the State to force an issue upon this ques-
ton of phenomenal cold. In neither por-
ton Is it an indication of the character of
the climate. In the center and north we
know no damage was done. Most of the
oranges Of this section were gathered prior
to the advent Of the cold wave, and we
had no buds or blossoms to be bitten.
In this connection we make note of a
species of unfair journalism common to
both the press of the north and south.
The craze for taking" head lines. "aston-
ishing" captions and stratling introductions,
leads both San Francisco and Los Angeles
papers TO head their weather reports.
Zero" below zero" Excessive cold"
etc, etc. Following these headings are
weather reports from many points in the
State. few of these give "below zero"
records. The stranger naturally supposes
that the below zero points, are representa-
tive Of sections of the State claimed to be
semi-tropic. But the fact is that every in
stance of 4 record "below zero relates to
towns in localities of high altitude, where
snow falls every winter, and "below zero"
is not only not phenomenal, but common.
II is sheer libel to group weather reports
from the tops of the lofty Sierra ranges
without statements showing the altitude,
with reports from valley sections where it
Is phenomenal for the freezing point TO be
reached. Thus, the tourist cannot be ex-
pect t. know that Murphys, Cisco, Truukee,
lreka, Blue Canyon are mountain local
titles where snow falls every winter season,
and sometimes to the depth of ten or fifteen
feet. Finding reports from these points
grouped with those from Sacramento.
Marysyille, Colusa, Woodland, Nnpa,
Stockton and other valley and semi-tropic
sections, and under the common sensl-
tional heading, the stranger may be easily
led to believe that in the productive
sections Of the State, to which we are now
inviting his attention, arctic weather has
prevailed. Let Us have less sensationalism
and more discretion and honesty in jour
naliSm in reporting these matters.