Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-02-11
A Year without a summer.


The singular characteristics o
the present winter being general!
remarked, a writer in the Bostor
Globe has gathered some statistic
relative 10 the year 1916, known a
"the year without a summer. Few
living have any recollection Of it
but il was the coolest ever known
in Europe or America. He says;
January was mild, so much so a.
10 render fires almost unnecessary
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 boisterous
during the first part of it. The re-
mainder was mild. \ great freshet
on the Ohio and Kentucky rivers
caused great loss Of property.
April began warm, bat grew
colder as the month advanced, and
ended with snow and ice and a tenn
perature 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 IN
I'll 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
al destroyed. S.ow fell TO the
depth Of ten inches in Vermont.
several in Maine, three in the in,e-
nor Of New York, AMI also in Mas
sachusetts. Considerable damage
done at New Orleans in consequence
Of the rapid rise Of the river. The
suburbs were covered with water,
and the roads we're Only passable
with boats.
July was accompanied by frost
and ice. On the 9TH ice was form
ed Of the thickness of a common
window glass, throughout New
England and New York, and some
parts Of Pennsylvania. Indian corn
was nearly all destroyed; some ia
vorably situated fields escaped
This was through some of Massa-
chusctts.
August was more cherries, il
possible, than the summer months
already passed. Ice was formed
bali an inch thick. Indian corn
was SO frozen that the greater part
was cut and dried for fodder. A.
most every green thing was de-
stroyed, both in this country and
in Europe. Papers received from
England state "that it would he re-
membered By the present genera
ton that the year 1916 was a year
in which there was no sumner
Very little corn ripened in the New
England and Middle States. Farm
ers supplied themselves from the
corn produced in 1915 for the
spring Of 1917. 1t sold at from 81
to S. per bushel.
September furnished about two
weeks Of the mildest weather of the
season. Soon after the middle il
became very cold and frosty. Ice
formed quarter Of an inch thick.
October produced more than its
share Of cold weather. Frost and
ice were common.
November was cold and buster
ing. Snow fell so as to make good
sleighing
December was mild and comfort
able.
The above is a brief history Ct
the cold summer of 1876" as it
was called, in order to distinguish
It from the cold season. The win
ter was mild. Frost and ice were
common in every month of the
year. Very little Vegetation ma
tured in the Eastern and Middle
States. The suns rays seemed to
be destitute of heat throughout the
summer. All nature was clad in a
sable hue, AMI the men exhibited
no little anxiety concerning the fu-
ture Of this life.