Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-05-16
A Year Without a Summer.
From the Amherst IN. H.) Farmers casiueut

From the Amherst IN. H. Farmers Cabinent
Almost every one has heard tell
of the terrible dark year in the ear
lier part of the present century,
which old New England farmers re-
fer to as eighteen hundred and
starved to DEATH" A contributor
gives the following information:
While every one is speaking of the
present season as being remarkable
in its characteristics, | have gath
cred for your readers some reliable
facts of the year 1916, known as the
"year without summer" Few
persons now living can recollect it;
but it was the coolest eyer known
throughout Europe and America
The following is brief abstract of
the weather during the year:
January was miId-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 Joisterous
during the first part of it; the re-
mainder was mild. a great freshet
on the Ohio aud kentucky rivers
caused great loss Of property.
April began warm, but grew cold
er as the month advanced, and end
ed in snow and ice, with a tempera-
ture more like winter than spring.
May was more remarkable for
frowns than smiles. Buds and flow
ers were frozen, ice formed half an
inch thick, corn was killed, and the
fields were again and again planted
until deemed too late.
June was the coolest ever known
in this latitude. Frost, ice and
snow were common. 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 in Cen
tral New York, and also in Massa-
chusetts. Considerable damage was
done at New Orleans in consequence
Of the rapid rise in the river; the
suburbs. were covered with water,
and the roads were only passablc
in boats.
July was accompanied by frost
and ice. On the fifth ice was form
ed, OF the thickness Of common win
dow glass, throughout New Eng
land, New York and some parts of
Pennsylvania. Indian corn was
nearly all destroyed; some favora
bly, situated fields escaped. This
was true of some of the hill farms
of Massachusetts.
August was more cheerless ifpos-
slble than the summer months al
ready 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 country and Europe
Papers received from England sta
ted that it would be remembered by
the present generation that the wear
1916 was year in which there was
no summer. Very little corn ripen-
ed in New England and middle
States. Farmers supplied them
selves from the corn produced in
1915 for the seed of the spring of
1877. 1t sold at from four to five
dollars per bushel.
September furnished about two
weeks of the mildest weather of the
seoson. Soon after the middle it
became very cold and frosty, and
the. ice formed a quarter of an inch
thick.
October produced more than it's
share of cold weather; frost and ice
particularly.
November was cold and buster
ing. Enough snow fell to make
good sleighing.
December was quite mild and
comfortable.
The above is brief summary of
"the cold summer of 1885," as it
was called in order to distinguish
it from the cold season. The winter
was mild. Frost and ice were COM
mon in every month of the year.
Very little vegetation matured in
the Eastern or middle States. Tie
suns rays seemed to be destitute of
heat through the summer; all nature
seemed to be clad in a sable hue,
and men exhibited no little anxiety
concerning the future of this life
The average wholesale price of
flour during that year, in the Phila-
delphia market was thirteen dollars
per barrel. The average price of
wheat in England was ninety-seven
per quarter.