Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1872-10-19
A Year without a Summer.


present season as being remarkable in
its characteristics, correspondent of
the Boston Globe has gathered for the
readers of that paper, some reliable
facts of the year 1916, known as the
year without a summer" Few persons
now living can reoollcct it, but it was
the coldest ever known through
Europe and America. The following
is brief abstract. of the weather dur
ing each month of the year
January was mild-so much so as to
render fires almost needless in parlors
December previous was very cold.
February was not very cold. With
the exception of few days it was mild
like its predecessor.
March was cold and boistrous dur
ing the first of it; the remainder was
mild. A great frcshet on the Ohio and
Kentucky rivers caused great loss Of
property.
April began warm, but grew colder
as the month advanced, and ended
with snow and ice and temperature
more like winter than spring.
May was more remarkable for frowns
than smiles. Buds and fruits were
frozen, ice formed half an inch thick,
corn killed, and the fields again and
again replanted until deemed too late.
June was the coolest ever known in
this latitude. Frost, ice and snow
were common. Almost every green
thing killed. Fruit nearly all destroy
ed. Snow fell to the depth of ten
inches in Vermont, several in Maine,
three in the interior of New York,
and also Massachusetts. Considera-
bic damage was done at New Orleans
in consequence of the rapid rise of the
river The suburbs were covered with
water, and the roads were only passa-
BILE with boats.
July was accompanied by frost and
ice. On the 9th, ice was formed of
the thickness of common window
glass throughout England, New York
and some parts of Pennsylvania. In-
dian corn was nearly all destroyed
some favorably situated fields escaped.
This was true Of some of the hill
farms of Massachusetts,.
August was more cherries, if posi-
bic, than the summer months already
passed. Ice was formed half an inch
thick. Indian corn was so frozen that
the greater part was cut down and
dried for fodder Almost every green
thing was destroyed both in this coun-
try and in Europe. Papers received
from England state that it would be
remembered by the present generation
that the year 1916 was year in which
there was no summer" Very little
corn ripened in tho New England and
Middle States. Farmers supplied
themselves from the corn produced in
1915 for the seed Of the spring of 1917.
1t sold at from 81 to S5 per bushel.
September furnished about two
weeks of the mildest weather of the
season. Soon after the middle it be-
came very cold and frosty; ice formed a
quarter Of an inch thick.
October produced more than its
share of cold weather; frost and ice
in common.
November was cold clustering
Snow fell so as to make good sleighing
December was midland comfortable.
The above is brief summary of the
" cold summer Of 1915" as it was cal
led in order to distinguish it from
tho cold seasons. The winter was
mill. Frost and ice we're common in
every month of the year. Very little
vegetation matured in the Eastern and
Middle States. The sun $ rays seemed
to be destitute of heat throughout the
summer; all nature was clad in a sa-
bic hue, and men exhibited no little
anxiety concerning the future Of this
life.
The average wholesale price of -four
during that year in the Philadelphia
market was Sl3 per barrel. The aver
age price of wheat in England was
ninety three shillings per quart.