Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1874-10-02
A Year Without a Summer.

A Year Without Summer.
Almost every one has heard of the
terrible dark year in the earlier part of
the present century, which old English
farmers refer 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 gathered 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 coldest 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 in parlors.
December previous was very cold.
February was not very cold; with the
exception of a few days it was mild, like
its predecessor.
March was cold and boisterous during
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 win
ter than spring.
May was more remarkable for frowns
than smiles. Buds and flowers were froz-
en-, ice formed half an inch thick, corn
was killed, and the fields were again and
again planted until it was 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, seven in Maine. and three in
Central New York and Massachusetts.
Considerable damage was done at New
Orleans in consequence Of the rabid rise
of the river; the suburbs were covered
with water, and the roads were only pass.
ablein 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. 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 cheerless, if possible,
than the summer months already passed.
Ice was formed half an inch thick. In
dian 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. Pa
pers received from England stated 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 New England and
the Middle States. Farmers supplied
themselves from the corn produced in
1915 for the seed of 1917. 1t sold at
from s4 to So per bushel.
September furnished two weeks of the
mildest weather of the season. Soon at
ter the middle, however, it became very
cold and frost and ice formed quarter
of an inch thick.
October produced more than its share
of cold weather-frost and ice particu-
larry.
November was cold and clustering,
enough snow falling to make good sleigh
ing.
December was quite mild and comfort
able.
The above is brief summary of the
cold summer Of 1916, as it was called in
order to distinguish it from the cold sea-
son. The winter was mild. Frost and
ice were common in every month of the
year. Very little vegetation matured in
the Eastern or Middle States. The suns
rays seemed to be destitute of heat
through thesummer All nature seemed
to be clad in sable hue, and men ex-
hibited no little anxiety concerning the
future of this life.
The average wholesale price of -four
during theyear inthe Philadelphia mar.
ket was s13 per barrel. The average
price of wheat in England was 97s per
quarter Farmers Cabinet, Amherst, N.
H.
A day or two ago the daughter of
Garn1an grocer in Rochester n Y was