The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-29

ly warmer to-day.
The freeze caught many people unpre-
pared for it. All over the city MIGRANTS
and fountains were frozen up, and thous-
ands of bursted pipes caused a rush on the
plumbers. Many flower gardens are ruin
ed and the foliage of young trees and
shrubs was killed
Fire Chief Mcguire had fifteen firemen
at work during the afternoon and last
night, testing the fire hydrants and ST
phoning out the water in the hydrants
above the valves. When hydrant is used
and the water turned off the barrel of
the hydrant above the valve is left full
of water which has no means of es-
cape. The water does no harm except in
severe cold weather such as Savannah
now has, when it freezes and sometimes
bursts the hydrants. The worst danger,
however, is that in case of fire the firemen
may find the hydrants frozen, which
means a loss of valuable time in breaking
out the frozen ice.
The water was drawn from the barrel
of the hydrants by means of small ST.
phons. The hydrants are safe from dan
ger of freezing above ground now, though
there is a possibility in case of severe
cold weather of their freezing below
ground. In this case the only thing the
firemen could do, would be to build fires
around the hydrants and thaw them out,
in case 1t became necessary to use them.
The majority of the MIGRANTS examined
were filed with ice, which had to be
broken and forced out.
There Is considerable suffering among
the poor. Many who have homes have
none of the ordinary comforts and hardly
the necessaries of life. Members of the
church societies and the Kings Daughters
made the rounds of the poorer sections Of
the city and looked after the needy The
colored people in the outskirts of the city
and in the country suffer the most, be-
cause their homes are lily projected
against the biting cold and the winds
blow through them as if they We're oren
barns
The truck growers in the neighborhood
of Savannah have not suffered by the
cold snap. No planting has yet been done
as the season is early by some six weeks
or more. There is nothing above ground
that the freeze could injure. Turnips are
about the only vegetable that is sufficient
~ hardy TO stand the rigors of a winter
season, and they were not hurt. Frost 10
them does as much good as fertilizers to
corn in the spring.
Mr. NJ. II. Connally, general agent of The
Nashville. Chattanooga and St Louis
railway in Jacksonville, was in the city
yesterday. Mr.. Connally is one of the
best posted railroad men on the fruit and
truck interests in Florida. The extent of
damage by the freeze, he said win de-
pend on how far the cold wave reaches
into the truck growing sections of the
state. Strawberries will suffer the most.
The orange crop will hardly be injured.
Mr. Connally estimates that three-fourths
of the oranges grown this season have al
ready been shipped. His estimate of the
crop is 15o,000 boxes. which is about three
times the crop of last year, The principal
damage by the freeze, il it extends into
the orange growing belt, will be to the
young trees.
Mr. Connally says the outlook in Florida
Is bright ana If the freeze does not cause
any setback the Fruit and vegetable rrcp
win be heavy. All through the state
farmers have increased the acreage of
their crops; IN the orange growing sec
tons the new trees arc growing rapidly
and unless the freeze wipes out everything
the farmers will have pretty wen recover
ed from their losses of two and three
years ago. Florida is in a better condition
this season, SO far as its vegetable and
farming outlook is concerned, Mr. Con-
nally says, than it has ever been.