The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-01
COLD WAVE HERE,
The Mercury Drops to Thirty
Six Degrees.
Icy North Wind Adds to the Dis
comfort.
WILL BE COLDER STILL
Weather Bureau Promises a
Freeze for Tonight.
April Was an Unusually Pleasant
Month.

Month.
Kansas is shivering today. An icy 25
mile wind is blowing out of the north
and the mercury has taken a slide of
66 degrees, reaching minimum of S6.
Clouds and the wind prevented a frost
but there is dark prospect ahead.
THE weather Indications" said S.
D. Flora, of the local weather bureau,
are: Generally fair tonight and Tues
| day, with freezing weather tonight
This looks like goodby to the fruit
and sounds like pretty bad business
The only thing the people can do is to
cover up all the vegetation possible.
The indications are that the clouds will
not clear away tonight, although If
they should it would mean that there
would be a very heavy frost"
Saturday afternoon Topekans were
sweltering on account Of the heat and
were seeking the shady spots. Today
| in the homes they are huddling around
| fires, and on the streets are walking
| along at brisk pace with hands in
pockets-that is in the case of the men.
| The thermometer scared to 90 degrees
at 4:30 o'clock Saturday afternoon and
the lowest point reached was Sc degrees
at 11:30 o'clock Sunday night, making
a drop of 56 degrees. At o'clock this
morning the mercury registered 3S de-
grees, and by 9 had risen another de-
| gree.
The month of April has proved one
of the most delightful spring months
in years.
There were no temperatures dur
ing the month that were low enough
to damage fruit" reads the report of
the local weather man. There was
more than the usual amount of sun
IGh nf
ture, which was well distributed
through the month in typical April
showers.
-"Of the 23 previous Aprils only
have been cooler. but have had more
precipitation and there were but
with fewer cloudy days
''The average temperature was "a
degrees which is within a fraction of
perature was 80 on the 29th. which
: has been exceeded in but three pre-
vious Aprils. The lowest temperature
was 81 on the 9Th. The temperature
fell below freeing but twice during
the month and there were no heavy or
killing frosts after the middle of the
month.
'aThe total precipitation was 2.Ss
inches, only .33 of an inch below the
April average. Rain fell in measur-
able quantities on 10 days. The heav-
lest 24-hour rainfall was .98, on the
18th.
During the month there were 10
clear days. is partly cloudy days and
4 cloudy days. The prevailing wind
direction was from the east, the aver
age velocity being IL miles an hour.
William H. Barnes, formerly secre-
tary of the Kansas State Horticultural
society, offers some suggestions for the
preservation of vegetation tonight. "1f
you have planted tomatoes" he says,
s'do not let them freeze, but IL there
are only few and if they have been
|. planted out for a week or two cover
carefully with paper and earth-mus-
J lin or cloth is not as good as paper. IL
you have many planted and feel sure
of a freeze. just pull them all up and
. carry to the cellar or house. would
rather have 100 roughly pulled plants
than 1000 frozen ones.
"If you delay until frost is 'in the
air. let all hands go at 1t, and with
newspapers wrap the plants In close
bundles. They can lie on the ground
then be carried in, or buried tempo
rarily, to be replanted after the freeze
is over. I have seen people give up
in despair large paintings and watch
pulled them ala after the freeze was
in sight Keep pulling until they are
stiff. and even the stiff ones placed i'm
| mediately in q. tub of cold water may
come out for future use.
"Geraniums, tender plants, set out
too soon would better be dug and
taken in Lnan allowed TO Ir6eZe. II
grape vines freeze pull off all the new
growth and they will come on again
and yield fruit. If this is not done.
and the new growth is only frozen part
way back the vines will survive but
not bear the current year.
strawberry beds not too large may
have short pegs, or stakes, driven at
intervals among the plants and then
spread sheets, blankets, quilts. table
cloths or papers over them and keep
covered a few days Many other plants
| may be bent down and covered with
earth. In planting tomatoes. lay them
down and cover all the stem. This
keeps the wind from thrashing them
and keeps them near the warm earth.
weighted with earth, or they may be
covered with dry earth; but they are a
hard proposition in freeze. Don't sit
down and yield your garden to fate, as
fate may be what you make it"
Shivering Is General.
Kansas City, May Missouri. Kan
sas, Nebraska and parts of northern
Oklahoma are shivering today, follow
ing the sudden drop in temperature,
which, in some places. was as great
as fifty degrees. A high wind from
the northwest which started early
yesterday in Kansas and Nebraska
has passed eastward today, but was
leaving a frozen trail.
The weather bureau predicts that by
Tuesday morning it will be freezing
throughout most of Kansas and Ne
braska. In Missouri frost is predicted
with freezing in the vicinity of Kan
sas City. A report from North Platte.
Neb., said the mercury had dropped
this morning to twenty-four degrees
above zero.