The daily sentinel., 1909-05-01

was practically no wind, the SKY was
clear and the cold settled down over
the valley steadily but sure. l,e
night before the wind kept up near
| all night, putting the smudge pots ~
n disadvantage and il was cloudy tDe
Greater part of the night. keeping the
cold from becoming so intense.
The fruit growers realized t2at
they had a fierce struggle on their
| hands, they knew it was 10 D" d
strenuous fight or they could not
hope to win.
During the first half of the night
the temperature ranged from 80 10 AZ
degrees in different portions OF tne
valley The great majority OF the
growers determined to take no
chances whatever and by midnight,
tens of thousands of smudge pots
were kept up From high points 1t
seeemd as if the whole valley was
ablaze. The still air made the con-
ditions ideal for smudging, orchards
were quickly heated and in practical
ly every orchard the freezing tenn
perature was kept out at all times
Many of the growers did not light
their pots until long about O'Clock
as the temperature was keeping
above the danger point.
BY $3.50, however, at least 20O,OOO
was easy TO distinguish the differ
ence in temperature between cheated
zones" and unprotected sections,
without the use of a thermometer.
Hundreds Volunteer.
Several hundred men had volun-
teered to go out from the city and
work in the orchards and vehicles,
all that could be secured, were kept
busy carrying the volunteers to the
orchards. These men worked valiant
ly and it is not saying too much in
declaring that without this volunteer
help a greater proportion of the or
chardists would have been almost
helpless in their fight against the
frost. Secretary Mahoney of the
Chamber of Commerce, kept the vol
unteer problem well in hand. Men
were on duty all night at the weather
station keeping every section in
touch with the weather conditions.
The coolest period was between
3 and ) O'Clock. The lowest temper
ature reported from different sections
was 24 degrees. This temperature
was outside of heated orchards. not
in any ''smudged" orchard. In all
"smudged' orchards the temperature
was kept from to IL degrees above
the temperature recorded in the road
An Unusual Weather Action.
A most unusual and fortunate
move was made by the weather con-
ditions this morning. Usually the
hour between 5 and @ o'clock is the
most critical of the frosty night.
Yesterday morning between those
hours the lowest temperature was
recorded. Yet this morning between |
3 and O'Clock in many districts of !
the valley the temperature began to
rise instead of descend. 1t was in |
deed critical hour for many grow
ers who, exhausted after an all |
nights struggle and who had wit
messed the fires in their pots burn |
nearly out along about 5 o'clock, had |
almost given up. believing that as |
usual the temperature would drop |
between 8 and 6 o'clock, but not so,
the temperature began to rise and |
these growers whose pots had began |
to die down" along with those |
whose pots were burning brightly, |
suffered no loss whatever.
In not one orchard where smudg-
ing was done did the temperature as |
far as can be learned, at any time |
fall below % degrees and few went
below 30 degrees. Any of these or
chards could have stood 81 or % de-
In every district of the valley
smudging was done. The pots were
lighted at Palisade as early as they
We're lighted at any other point in the
valley. There was no slowness about
starting the smudge fires.
From 8 O'Clock on the temperature
began to rise slowly. The sun in
rising was hidden for time behind
some clouds and this was favorable.
Then in little while the day burst
forth in all its brightness and anoth-
over
The thousands of acres of orchards
that were smudged were damaged to
no serious extent whatever last night.
fhe orchards that We're not smudped
suffered severely last night, of this
there can be no doubt.
The orchardists who smudged are
leeiing fine so far as their crop con-
iitions are concerned today. The
man who didn't smudge realizes that
ne mas made a grave mistake.
At The Haines Orchard.
II got as low as 22 degrees lust
outside of the great orchard of w p
Haines near Rhone, but with the
! ,ooo OIL pots burning within the or
,naso' aa tne temperature was kept up
~ So ana 50 degrees and not the
'nshtest damage was done. The hie
rev OF men worked faithfully and L
xept the situation in hand easily The
iaines orchard. so acres in all is
safe. "i' is
At The Hamilton Orchard.
Keeping the temperature raised
rom TO 10 degrees above what n
vas Just outside the orchard lance
:; Hamilton suffered no damara
to his 90 acres of apples
'no y pears last night. 1t was as low