The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-30
FLORIDA IN THE FREEZE.
The Loss TO Orange and Vegetable Rails
eTS $500, 900.


Reported to Have Formed on the
Lakes in South Florida-The Fate of
Pineapple Crop in Doubt.
Jacksonville, Fla, Dec. 29.-FIorida has
been hard hit again. The cold of last
night was general all over the state with
the exception of Key West, which man
aged to keep her temperature up TO A de-
grees, but the average readings of the
thermometer for the period from mid
night to sunrise this morning, and for
the whole or part Of the state, was be-
low 10 degrees above zero. The lowest
record reported was in this city, where at
in the morning the mercury registered IA
degrees above zero. This is one degree
colder than during the freeze of Jan. 1O-1s
1886, and the coldest on record since 1885
in exposed places here ice formed to
thickness of four inches. In houses all
water was covered with a thin coating of
fee where not protected by fire. Water
ipes burst In all directions, clocks
stopped, and oranges here on the trees
were frozen solid. and it is the prevail
ing opinion that they have been damaged
seriously throughout the state, though
the old trees are thought, except in ex-
tremely exposed sctions, to be unnjured.
About 2,500,O0O boxes are estimated by the
Florida Fruit Exchange to have been on
the trees last night. This is "A heavy loss
to the growers, and naturally causes
many misgivings, long faces, and droop-
ing spirits. Possibly 100000 boxes of this
fruit may be saved and marketed, and if
so, 1t will probably bring prices which will
net the growers in the neighborhood of
s. per box. where they are now content
with an average Of 81. Hundreds of young
orange groves, from ! to years old, are
doubtless ruined, completely frozen down
TO the ground. while the winter crops Of
tomatoes, beans. peas, cabbages and other
vegetables are utterly destroyed. Alto
gether a conservative estimate laces the
total loss to Florida agriculturists at fully
s2,500000.
Information from the lower east coast
Is meager. but it is thought that the pine
apple plantations can hardly have es-
capped some injury. The thermometer at
the signal office in this city is about ninety
feet above the sea level, and all the rela-
bic surface instruments here registered
from to degrees lower than II degrees
at sunrise.
The battery Jars of the fire alarm wires
at the central station were frozen over an
inch thick this morning, which practi-
cally rendered the wires useless. This is
an unusual occurrence, as the jars are
charged with blue stone and vitriol,
liquid that is hard to freeze. As soon as
Chief Haney discovered the condition or
the batteries he at once had them thawed
out by the heat of an oil stove, and was
then ready for more alarms.
This afternoon at o'clock the mercury
was down to 80 degrees and falling rap
idly and the wind was blowing fresh
from the north northwest Tonight at
s o'clock the mercury at the signal office
was at % degrees, and the observer pre-
diets that it will fall to within or 9 de-
grees of the lowest point last night
Snow fell at Quincy in Gadsden county.
At Daytonia the mercury fell to 10,
and the famous Halifax river oranges are
like frozen snow balls this afternoon.
At Tampa the cold is the most severe
ever recorded, the mercury touching Is
degrees, The shoal water of the bay on
the edge of the town is frozen over for
distance of 800 yards out from the shore
Lakes along the line of the railroads in
DOuLn iOItQd are lCRpA ~ AAO@~AA -
far out from the shore, and at Lacoochee
Junction the creek is said to be frozen so
thick that the ice would support small
boy at 8 o'clock this morning. This is un-
precedented in that part of the state.
Reports from the orange growing CEN
ters received up to 8 o'clock tonight are
more discouraging than the earlier ones.
Everything frozen up hard, is the gem
eral statement.
Lake city. Fla, Dec. 29.-The freeze last
night was disastrou for this section,
catching thousand of oranges still hang
ing on the trees. The thermometer at the
state college registered IA degrees. The
weather tonight viii finish any vegetation
left by the cold wave last night.
Tampa, Fla. Deos 29.-The cold snap IS
the severest on record since the signal SER
vice station were established in the state.
In Tampa the mercury marked 1873 de-
grees last night. All citrus fruits on the
trees are frozen solid. More than half
the crop in this section is ungathered.
Strawberries and all tender vegetables are
ruined. The new growth on old trees and
all young citrus stock is lost. The damage
to old orange groves cannot yet be esti-
mated.
ST. Augustine, Fla. Dec 29.-The tenn
perature last night fell to 16 degrees above
zero the same as at East Palatka. The mer
curry this afternoon at l o'clock registered
20 degrees, at 7 o'clock 26 degrees, and at
o'clock q degrees, with no wind and
every indication for rising temperature.
The Fruit and Vegetable Growers Asso-
citation gives the average temperature
throughout the state as Is degrees above
zero, the same as in January 1856, and pre-
dict that all the oranges and the vegeta-
bles crops are destroyed.
DR.. Garnett's ten-acre crop here is
ruined. He estimates his loss at $5,0O0
This applies to all oranges in st. Johns
county, except to Whites grove at Hast
ings, who claims protection by irrigation.
To-day the following reports were re-
ceived by the Morning News correspon-
dent: Tampa and Titusville each 10 de-
grees; Eden, Indian River and Lake
Worth, each % degrees.
At Titusville oranges and vegetables are
frozen and at North and Merits Island
the same destruction is reported AT Fort
Pierce vegetables are all killed. The effect
on pineapples won't be known for day or
two.
Cocoa reports oranges frozen.
AT Rockledge large groves, such as
Mike Dryers, are reported not much hurt.
Other growers report their loss very
heavy.
At City Point everything is frozen.
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