The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-06-12
A Year Without a Summer.

Almost every one has heard tell of the
terrible dark year in the earlier part of
the present century which old New
England farmers refer to as "eighteen
hundred and starved to DEATH" A con-
tributor gives the following informa-
ton
While every one is speaking of the
present season as being remarkable in
its characteristics, have gathered for
your readers some reliable facts of the
year 1916, known as the "year without
q summer" Few persons now living
can recollect it; but it was the coolest
ever known throughout Europe and
stract of the weather during 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 exceptions of few days it was mild,
like its predecessor.
March was cold and boisterous dur
ing the first part of it.; the remainder
was mild. A great freshet on the Ohio
and Kentucky rivers caused great loss
of property
April began warm, but grew colder
as the month advanced, and ended in
snow or ice, with a temperature more
like winter than spring.
May was more remarkable for frowns
than smiles. Buds and flowers 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 coldest ever known in
this latitude. Frost, ice and snow were
common. Almost every green thing
was killed. Fruit was nearly all de-
stroyed. Snow fell to the depth of ten
inches in Vermont, seven in Maine, and
three in Central New York and Mas
sachusetts. Considerable damage was
done at New Orleans in consequence of
the rapid rise in the river; the sub
urbs were covered with water, and the
roads were only passable in boats.
July was accompanied by frost and
ice. On the 9TH ice was formed of the
thickness of common window glass
throughout New England, New York,
and some parts of Pennsylvania. Indi-
an corn was nearly all destroyed some
favorably situated fields escaped. This
was true of some of the hill farms of
Massachusetts.
August was moro cheerless, 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 country and
Europe. Papers received from England
stated that it would be remembered by
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1916 was a year in which there was no
summer. Very little corn ripened in
New England and the Middle States.
FoIlIeIo eurplind themselves from the
corn produced in 1915 for the seeds of
the spring of 1917. 1t sold at from $4
to So per bushel.
September furnished about two weeks
of the mildest weather of the season.
Soon after the middle it became very
cold and frosty, and ice formed quarter
of an inch thick.
October produced more than its share
of cold weather, frost and ice particu-
larly.
November was cold and buster
ing. Enough snow fell to make good
sleighing.
December was quite mild and COM
| Portable.
The above is brief summary of "the
cold summer of 1876" as it was called
in order to distinguish it from the cold
season. The winter 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 through the summer; all nature
seemed to be clad in sable hue, and
men exhibited no little anxiety concern,
ing the future of this life.
The average wholesale price of foul
during that year in the Philadelphia
market was thirteen dollars per barrel
The average price Of wheat in England
was ninety-seven shillings per quarter.
-Fdrmcrs' cabinet, amherst, Net
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