Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1853-03-31
Cold FrIday-IsIO.


Cold FrIdny.-IsIO.
The 10Th of January, 1910. wa:
a day the intense GOODNESS of which
will be long remembered by those
vino experienced its rigor. Those
who were not out of doors, but had
reached an age rendering them capa.
Bile Of retaining impressions ther
received, have doubtless a recollec
ton of occurrences taking place
around them. The evening previ.
Gus was as mild as those we have
been favored with in such numbers
this winter; but in the night the
wind changed, the weather suddenly
become cold, and the mercury in less
than l6 hours descended 10 IL de.
grees below zero. A 5oisterous
wind prevailed, by which trees, and
in some cases houses, were blown
down, and the day become memora-
BILE in New England as the "Cold
Friday" Here, in Concord, so near
as our recollection serves, there was
very little going from place to place.
Farmers. piled on the wood, and at.
tended to their cattle, and that was
about all for the day. In this
village, such as went to a neighbor's
or to a store. upon errands which
could not be deferred, sped over the
ground like squirrels, and were for
tunate if they returned with no
flesh frozen by the intensity of the
frost.
From Vol. ", of the New Hamp.
shire Historical Society's collections,
the following account is taken of an
occurrence on that day, in the town
of SanboInton:
son Friday morning, the 18th OF
January, Mr.. Jeremiah Ellsworth, of
Sanbornton, finding the cold very
severe, rose about an hour before
sunrise. 1t was but a short time be-
fore some part Of his house was
burst in by the wind. Being appre-
hensive that the whole house would
soon be demolished, and that the
lives of the family were in great
jeopardy, Mrs. Ellsworth with her
youngest child, whom she had
dressed, went into the cellar, leaving
the other two children in bed
Her husband undertook to 90 to the
nearest neighbor, which was in a
north direction, for assistance, but
the wind was so strong against him
that he found it impracticable. He
then set out for Mr.. David Browns,
the nearest house in another direc>
ton, at the distance OF a quarter Of
a mile. He reached there about
sunrise, his feet being considerably
frozen, and he so overcome with the
cold that both he and Mr.. Brown
thought it too hazardous for him to
return. Mr.. Brown went with his
horse and sleigh, with all possible
speed, to save the woman and child
ren from impending destruction.
When he arrived at the house he
found Mrs. Ellsworth and one child
in the cellar, and the other children
in bed, their clothes having been
blown away by the wind, so that
they could not be dressed. Mr..
Brown put a bed into the sleigh,
and placed the three children upon
it, and covered them with the bed
clothes. Mrs. E. also got into the
sleigh. They had proceeded only
six or eight rods before the sleigh
was blown over, and the children,
bed, and covering were scattered by
the wind. Mrs. Ellsworth held the
horse, while Mr.. Brown collected
the children and bed, and placed
them in the sleigh again. She then
concluded to walk, but before she
reached Mr.. Browns house she was
so benumbed by the cold that she sunk
down on the ground, finding il inn
possible to walk any further. At
first she concluded she must perish;
but stimulated by a hope OF escape,
she made another effort, by crawling
on her hands and knees, in which
manner she reached her husband,
but so altered in her looks that he did
not at first know her. His anxiety
for his children led him twice to con-
clude 10 go to their assistance; but
the earnest opportunities OF his vile,
who supposed he would perish, and
that she should survive but a short
time. prevented him.
Mr.. Brown, having placed the
children in the sleigh second time,
had proceeded but few rods, when
the sleigh was blown over and torn
to pieces, and the children driven to
some distance. He then collected
,bem once more, laid them on the