The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-05-16
4 year J,5thout a Summer.

A correspondent Of the Amherst, New
Hampshire, Farmers Cabinet, gives the
following account of the terrible year with
out a summer in the earlier part OF the
present century, which old New England
farmers stiu refer to as eighteen hun"red
and starved to death We hope the i"cV
NAV have no significance, but the weather
Of April of the dark year was sInGulaIly
ike that Of last month
While every one is speaking Of the pres
ont season as being remarkable in its char
,cteristics. | have gathered for your readers
some reliable facts Of the year 1876, known
as the year without summer" Few
persons now living can recollect it but it
was the coolest ever known throughout
Europe and America. The following is
brief abstract Of the weather during the
year:
january was mild so much so as to
render fires almost needless III the parlor
-December previous was very coId.
February was not very cold with the eN-
ception of a few days it was mild like It's
predecessor.
March was cold and boistcrous during
the first part of it the remainder was mlId.
A great freshct on the Ohio and kentucky
rivers caused great loss of property.
April began warm and grew colder as the
month advanced, and ended i'll snow and
ice with a temperature more Ike winter
than spring.
Nav was more remarkable for frowns
than smiles. Buds and flowers were fro
zen, ice formed half an inch thick ; com
was killed and the fields were again and
again planted until deemed too late.
June was the coldcst ever known in this
latitude. Frost, ice and snow We're COM
EOn. Almost every green thing was Killed.
Fruit was nearly all destroyed. Snow fell
to the depth of ten inches in Vermont,
several in Maine and three III central New
York, and also in Massachusetts. Consid-
cradle damage was done ut New Orleans
in consequence of the rapid rise in the river,
the suburbs were covered with water and
the roads were only passable in boats.
July was accompanied by frost and ice.
On the fifth ice was formed of the thick
ness of common window glass throughout
New England, New Ork, and some parts
of Pennsylvania. Indian 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 possible
than the summer months already passed.
Ice was formed half an inch thick. Indian
corn WAS 50 frozen that the greater part
was cut down and dried for fodder. Al
most every green thing was destroyed both
in this country and i'm Europe. Papers re-
ceived from England stated that it would
be remembered 10y the present generation
that the year 1916 was a year III which there
was no Summer. Very little corn TiPeHcH
in New England and the Middle States.
Farmers supplied themselves from the com
produced III 1915 for the seed of the spring
of 1917 Ii sold at from four to five dollars
per bushel.
September furnished about two weeks of
the mildcSt weather Of the season. Soon
after the middle it became cold and frosty
and ice formed quarter Of an inch thick.
October produced more than its share of
cold weather, frost and ice particularly.
November was very cold and clustering.
Enough snow fell It. make good sieighing.
December was quite mild and comfort
able.
The above is brief summary Of ''the
cold summer Of ISl6,'' SS it was called, in
order to distinguish it from the cold sea-
son. The winter was mild. Frost and zee
were common IN every month Of the year.
Very little vegetation maturcd III jhC East
eIn and Middle States. The suns rays
seemed TO lie destitute Of heat through the
summer; al Eaturc seemed To be clad in 4
sable hue, and men exhibited 10 little aus-
icty concerning the future OF this life.
The average wholesale price of ilourd dur
ing that year, in Tie PhiladclPhiE market,
was thirteen dollars per barrel The aver
age price of wheat i'll England was ninety
seven shillings per quarter.