Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-05-15
From the Boston Journal.
The Winter of 1878.

1eOOolzo JIM; ~ - =,
The winter of 1858 has been in
many respects remarkable one
Weather-wise Indians predicted its
setting in, and the prediction was
verified by severe storms in Novem-
Der and very cold days in December.
For once, Ia very rare thing the great
St. Lawrence froze across without a
snow storm to previously thicken its
waters, while Lake Champlain was
frozen over earlier than for sixteen
years before. At this latitude New
Years saw the frost king fully en-
throned in white, ana winter kept its
back up stiff, hard without break
or the least thaw, till March 7th,
when it suddenly broke with a ten
days thaw-then ten days of broken
weather with wide spread snow falls
then days of such dry, bright, sun
ny weather as was never seen here in
March-then snow storms again that
covered the country from Maine to
Minnesota, with abrupt alterations of
pleasant and stormy days, high and
constantly changing winds. Never
were the elements so freaky.
The cold in places was intense. In
Russia coachmen were frozen to death
upon their seats. dogs howled piteols-
" with cold, the flames of gas lamps
were frozen out, horses ran away with
excess of fear and trembling from
cold, the mercury fell to 35 degrees
Reamer below zero, and eighteen per-
sons persisted with cold in one night.
St. Petershurgh has not had so cold a
winter for many years furnaces were
even kept blazing in her streets at
times day and night In the south of
Europe, the north of Africa, and IN
our own Southern States, it has been
unusually cold. The State of Rhode
Island has not experienced so cold a
winter since 1885. The Oldest peo-
pie of Quebec declare that while there
has beer colder winters at certain
times, yet they never knew severe
cold weather so continuous and I'M
broken as during December, January
and February In all the Northern
States the weather has been at times
of intolerable severity. In New Eng
land, in exposed places, frost pene-
trated to the depth of between five
and six feet, while in New York, rail-
road employees report frost at a
greater depth than ever was known
before for forty years. Cellars froze
that never froze before, the frost pen.
etrating in some instances to the very
foundation stones. In Minnesota at
one time in February the mercury
sank to 40 deg. below zero and frOze
while the spirit thermometer indicated
four degrees lower. Sparta, Wiscon
sin, records the coolest of any place
in the United States, indeed the Their
mometer reached point lower thar
has ever been previously known il
this country-5l degrees below zero
Not only cold but dry. All alons
each side latitude AS deg. for tive
thousand miles east and west, watel
failed from wells, cisterns, springs
and streams where it was never be
fore known to fail in. wintor Fnu
ever saw the water III Lake Cham
plain so low as now at this season.
so dry was it in Ma, ch that farmer
in st. Lawrence and other counties i
northern New York sowed sprin
wheat-"the earliest sowing With
? the memory of the oldest inhabitant.
2 Snow storms have frequently fallen
roads as dusty as they are in July.
In addition to the unusual drynes
and severe cold of the season, sill
gular succession OF unparalleled storm
have been witnessed, while at time
the seasons appeared blended in inc!
tricable confusion. Spring, summe
autumn and winter, are jumbled int
one. The atmosphere has been e,
traordinarily disturbed. We hay
lightning, gales, hail, sunshine, tt
wind at four points, and enormol
thermometrical ranges, all in one da
In England, storm signals have flow
twelve hours out of the twenty-fou
day after day. Newfoundland, Fe
ruary 9Th, had zone of the most S
we're and terrific storms ever known
:, on that Island. Thirty persons pc
- sons persisted in it. In the san
month a gale swept over Englar
e, carrying everything before it, followt
IS 10y storm at Liverpool mot equallt
lie during the present generation" Mi
10 nesota had a snow storm so turio
s, and binding that engineers could n
at see the stations, and ran past the
In many miles. One account says:
r. was impossible to see five feet fro
es the locomotive" The March stol
ze was terrible. One swept over Chic
go, said to be the most destructive til
of has ever visited that section with
re the memory of living men," All t
K Western States felt its power.
ne storm at Toronto seemed to threat
Id the destruction of the entire cit,
On the lightning striking and overtul
ing powerful locomotive "on to
hit beam ends" Thunder and great dal
B. ness accompanied. A snow storm
bit the last of March extended from On
.st ha west to the mountains, and Nv
a the heaviest and severest ever exp
tn. fenced in New Mexico and Colorad
ed Boston has had her forty-second sn
in storm, (as predicted and we at Ia
mt tude As. having sowed our gard
as seeds, peas, &C., and planted our e
-as ly potatoes, woke up this morni