Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-20
MERCURY To DROP
To Z DEGREES, SAYS
ATLANTA F0RECASTER

. FTOOtN ~ lCAllIO w LII
card, Freeze to Death Un-
der FIimSy Shelter
The coolest wave of the winter
will hit Atlanta Tuesday morning,
with a minimum temperature Of ap-
proximately ~ degrees, according to
the forecast issued Monday morning
by c. F. Won Hermann, in charge
Of the local Urited States weather
bureau. The forecaster expressed
grave fears for the safety of Geor-
gia's peach crop.
BY 1:15 o'clock Monday afternoon
the temperature had fallen to 20
degrees, a drop of nineteen degrees
since 8 o'clock in the morning.
The severe freeze, which is rapid
Iy heading toward Atlanta from the
northwest, will be accompanied by
fair weather, Mr.. Won Hermann
said. He predicted clearing skies
for late Monday afternoon along
with the record drop in tempera-
ture.
Officials of the Georgia Fruit Elk
change, declaring that the cold
wave intensity predicted by Mr.. Won
Hermann would cause serious dam
age to the peach crop, were hope
full that much of the waves strength
would be spent before reaching Geor-
gia.
Growers Uneasy
Dispatches from Macon stated that
peach growers were in a state of
1neasiness after information had
been furnished them from the Macon
weather office that that section
would experience a freeze and heavy
frost Monday night and Tuesday.
The peach trees are in full bloom
and a freeze or heavy frost would
mean heavy damage to the crop, it
was said. The buds are full Of
moisture on account of the heavy
rain Sunday and Monday, and if the
blooms were to freeze most of them
would drop from the trees.
1t will be impossible to estimate
the damage in the event of a freeze
until after it is over, according to
experts. A heavy frost would mean
heavy los to peach growers, they
say. ..
Many of the orchardists will build
large fires in the orchards tonight
to create a barrage of smoke to
stave off frost, it is expected. A
smoke barrage' will do little good in
case of freeze, it was stated
Early vegetables will suffer great
Iy also. in the event of a frost or
freeze.
Crop in Good Condition
J, G. Carlisle, manager of hte eX
change, returned Monday morning
from Zip through the peach belt.
He said the trees are poisoning
rapidly and that the crop is in an
exceedingly vulnerable stage to be
visited by a severe cold wave
However," he said, "the condi-
ton of the trees is better than il
has been for several years, and the
careful cultivation which has been
given the crop will enable it to with
stand the cold with better degree
CT success than for the alst several
years"
A temperature as low as % de-
grees is considered very severe for
the peach crop at this stage of it's
growth. The peach belt, at this sea-
son is Il Veritable mass of blossoms
and the peach blossom festival IS
scheduled to be held in Fort Valley
this week to celebrate the blossom
ing time.
Telegraph reports Monday morn
ing told how the entire country was
in the grip Of an intense cold wave,
with freezing weather predicted for
Florida and snow forecast for north
west Georgia.
48 Degrees Monday
A temperature of As degrees was
registered early Monday at the local
weather bureau office, but the mer-
curry was dropping rapidly. Last
Saturday it dropped from As to 20
degrees overnight, but climbed un-
der the warm sunshine of Satur-
day.
A temperature of 10 degrees be-
low freezing was reported Monday
morning for Bes Moines, Iowa. with
q six-degree above freezing tempera-
ture for ST. Louis, No, and a four
teen-degree temperature for Louis
vile, Ky, Nashville and Memphis,
Tennessee.
FAMILY OF FIVE FREEZES;
STORM TOLL is HEAVY
CHICAGO, March 19.-With only
one day intervening before the
theoretical arrival of spring, the en-
tire Mississippi valley from the
Rocky Mountains eastward and
from the far northwest to upper
Florida today were gripped by a
bitter cold wave and part of the
area was covered by snow, piled into
drifts by the high winds that were
general throughout the region.
Sub-zero and near zero tempera-
lures prevailed as far south as
southwestern Missouri, while south
avn, or