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Anti-Hail Defense on the Island of Hvar in The Past
Ivica Moškatelo
Abstract
In this paper are brought data on organizing a system of anti-hail defense at the end of 19th C on the island of Hvar and in Dalmatia. Its organization began in 1899, promoted by Captain Niko Duboković and his son Ivan, and was soon adopted in other parts of Dalmatia. The Dubokovićs were acquainted with it from the pioneer of such defense against hailstorms, the landowner from Styria Albert Steiger, who in 1896 started it in his own possessions. The paper is based on journalist reports of the paper “Pučki list” from Split, which tell of setting anti-hail stations and their effects: they were erected on heights around vineyards, and consisted of small houses with canons in them, together with gunpowder and the accessories. These were twelve of them on the island from 1899 to 1903, and after that time their activity is not mentioned; the same applies with the rest of Dalmatia. Nowadays it is impossible to evaluate the effectiveness of such system against hailstorms, but the fact remains that it was the only attempt to protect vineyards from damage caused by hail implemented up to our days.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
241246
URI
Publication date:
9.10.2019.
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