Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-02

THE water that makes Greenland Ranch posi-
sible comes down from the mountains partl4
In . small steam known as Furnace Creeat
Greenland Ranch is located in the 'sink" q
this stream, where it loses itself and disappeax1
under the stands. The oasis Is therefore known
to manv persons as Furnace Greek Ranch.
This name again has nothing to do with tn
temperature. though it certainly seems more
in keeping with the region than the Alternative
Greenland title. It refers to a number Of rudes
ore-roasting furnaces found along its course b.
the pioneers Of ~. They probably had been
built bv Mexican miners.
Greenland Ranch was a busting place In the
old days, when the borax company's pictGns
eSque and much-advertised 20-mule teams
freighted ponderous wagons Of borax out Of the
valley. Now, however, better paying b0rax
beds have been discovered elsewhere, and
mineral operations have been largely suspended
in the Death Valley bed.
But large numbers of tourists now come %
see the valley during the cooler months, so that
there Is stin Q good deal of life at the old
ranch; and even in Summer there are at Least
the caretakers, 80 that the weather record %
kept complete, with not hot day missing.
The Weather Bureaus cooperative station
was established Inf 1911, so that accurate and
complete records for 20 years are now avail
able. Reviewing these records, Mr.. Eklund de-
claTes that:
Discussions of the climate of Death Valley
have stressed the high temperatures recorded
there, and without doubt temperature Is the
outstanding climate feature. Maximum tenn.
peratures ranging from l25 degrees to $50 de-
grees Fahrenheit have been recorded at 6
number Of stations in the desert regions a
Southeastern California, but on July 10, 1919
an extreme maximum temperature Of 1874 de-
grees was recorded at Greenland Ranch. This
Is the highest natural air shade temperature
ever recorded of1cially in California. The
record has been investigated and has been ac-
cepted as reliable by the Weather Bureau ans
thorities
High temperatures of this variety are b.
no means rare In Death Valley, judging from
the records Of Greenland Ranch, and It seems
probable that even higher temperatures occur
on the floor Of the valley, 90 feet lower than
Greenland Ranch, considering the probable
cooling effect Of irrigated land and green vege-
tation at Greenland Ranch and the greater
effect Of isolation ut the lower elevation.
IN /Axn6UM temperature Of 100 degrees or
WI higher have occurred in Greenland
Ranch In every month from May to September.
inclusive, and such temperatures have occurred
there each year since the record began. In
July, 1929. the mean maximum temperature
was 119.5 degrees.
Temperatures Of 100 degrees or higher have
occurred each month from March to October,
inclusive, and temperatures of IS degrees or
higher have occurred during every month Of
the year. The average number of days with
maximum temperature Of 100 degrees or higher
in June is four, In July 10 and in August i've,
In July and August, 1917, maximum tempera-
lures Of 100 degrees or higher were recorded
ON 43 consecutive days and during the same
Summer maximum temperatures Of 100 degrees
or higher were recorded on 113 consecutive
days..
This record was exceeded In 1916, however;
when l26 consecutive days fell within this
classification. Records Of this sort are com.
prehensible when one considers the fact that
maximum temperatures Of 100 degrees or
higher are Of almost daily occurrence In June.
July and August and that monthly mean
temperature Of 1868 degrees occurred in July,
1921
But heat Is not the whole story Of the climate
Of Death Valley. It can get cold there too.
Mr. Eklund's study shows that the temperature
often drops to freezing point or lower IN the
Autumn and Winter months In December,
January and February, 1929, there were
~ freeEing days IN row. On Janu6rW Z,
1918. Just six months before the memorable
xeeord-hGeaking 1S4-desree July day, a. tena-