GARFIELD COUNTY GETS SHARE OF COLD WAVE

Precipitation for Year Slightly Above Normal and Heavier Than In 1922

Garfield county shared the cold wave with other communities, as it did the joys and feasts of the new year holidays.

The drop in temperature followed a snowfall ranging from two inches in Pomeroy to a foot or more at the timber's edge to the south. Sunday night the temperature dropped to 6 above zero. On Monday and Tuesday nights the minimum was the same, one below. The lowest temperature reported at Spokane during the cold snap was 7 below, and Walla Walla reported one above. At Seattle it was 19 above and at Portland 15.

Wednesday evening the temperature rose to 14 above, but during the night it dropped back to zero. A little more than one inch of snow fell.

The coldest nights here this season, up to last Saturday, were October 29 and 31, when a minimum of 24 was recorded. The next coldest was 25 on Nov. 9. December was exceptionally mild and without snow. The hottest day of the year was July 22, 99 degrees.

The precipitation, as recorded at most of the Eastern Washington towns, is slightly less than normal, but here it is a little more, 18.33 inches and considerably in excess of the amount reported for last year. A feature of the year's precipitation, as shown by the record, is rather plentiful and well distributed spring rains. Another feature is absence of snow during the last of the year. A heavy snowfall occurred during February, about 15 inches.

COLD WAVE GRIPS COUNTY

Plumbing Systems Freeze, Alpowa Road Damage $10,000

The cold wave which came in suddenly Sunday night caught some persons unprepared and as a result, a number of plumbing systems froze out, and the water was frozen in a number of automobile radiators. W. J. Bentley coasted his car down the Linville gulch Monday morning, and found the water frozen solid in the radiator and a start up-grade impossible, when he arrived at Zumwalt station. It was necessary to call for help and tow the car to town.

The radiators of cars driven by William Geiger mail carrier on route 1, and James Robertson, burst on the road from freezing Tuesday.

Jasper Scoggin and Rado Bond avoided a freeze-out by hitching a team to a bobsled to make the trip to town Tuesday. "Sledding was a little heavy on the lower country," said Mr. Scoggin, "but preferable to having to be towed in."

Damage estimated close to $10,000 was done the Alpowa bridge by the big freshet last Friday. The bridge contractors, it is said, sustain the most of this damage, while the highway department will have to stand for the rest.

The road at the riprapped curve between the Andy Lee and Brewer Places was washed out, making a detour necessary.

The bridge on the Sweeney Gulch was also washed out and another bad washout occurred just below the Bowers ranch.