TEMPEKATURE — WINTER. 81 



commonly experienced ; it was simply something abnor- 

 mal, outside altogether, a fierce incursion into an un- 

 offending country by an armed horde of marauders from 

 the north pole, who carried destruction in their path 

 over the whole United States, and even invaded Cuba 

 and Europe. 



The ' ' January freeze " has no more to do with the 

 climate of Florida than the bursting of a reservoir, or 

 the flooding of a river, or the horrors of a cyclone have 

 to do with the usual characteristics of any country in 

 which these misfortunes may chance to occur in the 

 course of the passing years. 



It was literally a ' ' passing strange " experience for 

 fair Florida, and while its injurious effects will quickly 

 pass away its salutary lessons will forever be remembered. 



And now, that we may have a full and clear idea of 

 the actual winter temperature, as Florida winters ordi- 

 narily run one with another, let us look at some of the 

 facts and figures collected by years of observation by 

 scientific men : 



Jacksonville, . . . 

 St. Augustine, . . . 



Palatka, 



Indian Kiver, . . . 

 Florida (average), 



These figures, as you will see, refer to different parts of 

 the State. How do they compare with the autumns and 

 winters elsewhere? Surely not to Florida's disadvantage. 



Let us examine more in detail into the actual tempera- 

 ture of this famous winter of 1886, which was the most 

 severe all through of any ever experienced in the State, 

 and not at all likely to recur during the lifetime of its 

 present population. 



