Smyrna times., 1874-05-06
IA Year without Summer"

i.dor the above caption, we find in an o.d file OF
,"n,,efs. the following account of the exIraordI.
w.. weather Of the yeat 1918. and its results. The
In'!.,kabe na! coinGdences Of the weather thus far,
rna the present year, render the article pafticu.
III, interesting at this time.
"Tbe sudimer season of 1916 was ptrbably the
.,As,, ever known in this country. January was
y Mid that fires we're scarcely NECESSARY. February
~. bAt K,l!e culder. The first part OF March was
,s,.,srous the latter part mild. Tine Ohio River
~, 40 h,g gh that Ihany farms were OSerAowed NAV
w,, breezy aud frosty. Bids Of all kinds lroze.
rorn was repeatedly planted and so often killed.
Lane was ftests aaN snowy almost every green
hing was killed throughout the Northern States
snow fell 10 inches deep 10 Vermont and three
incbes in CsnWal New York and Ohio, and the
;ower Mfsrssiegi high that the streets of New
O,eans were traversed by boats. On the 5th of
l5uly gee formed. generally of the thickness of a
window glass, and all the corn, except in a few
f.yOted situations in the West. and some hill farms
in The Eastern States, and clole 10 the Ocean, was
destroyed August was still more cherries; ice
formed half inch thick. Most of the leaves
which had made out TO open were frozen, and
,ge portion Of the corn. that had survived was cut
an FAR fodder. There was no seed corn, and that
xhieb was planted in 1917 had been grown in 1915.
and sold al "a and S5 per bushei. The first part of
SeOtember was quite pleasant, the latter part Cold.
and ice formed almost every night. October the
s.ne cold weather continued. November was cold
enough snow fell to make good sleighing. AT last
december was as mild and pleasant as June should
have been.
OF course much suffering followed. Corn sold al
AZ and "a per bushel. Flour sold in Philadelphiu
At sI5 per barrel. Every family was put upon
short aIlo aud many suffered for want Of food
Only few potatoes had been grown, most of which
ware saved for seed. Children born in the first
Usr OF the year 1917 were fraIl and so cross that
nany Of them cried night and day, month after
month, and those which survived were ever after
ward sensitive to cold. In the West most of the
,e,llsmen,s we're new. food was 60 deficient that
Winter green leaves. berries. and birch bark was
eaten with relish. and delicate women hunted in
must places for spear mint, while boiled greens
we're great luxury. COW with a calf was almost
ssvelon TO a family, and her products, with eggs
maple sugar and molasses, of which much wa.
made, formed the principal food for many months
So soon in the milk il was boiled al
roasted and this was the first green food eaten b,
many for long time. Wheat bread almost entirel,
dapPeared and it was several years before it coulC
be had except on extraordinary occasions. Mean
while money was 40 scarce that every cent wal
saved to pay taxes. Only few could buy stor,
goods of any kind, and it was so impossible to pur
chase schoU. books that in many cases children
learned their letters printed by hand on scraps .
paper. the only articles which brought money il
this SECTION (the West) dried peaches, potasI
and beeswax. Some families sprinkled their FOO
with ashes instead Of salt. Such ls a brief accoun
Of that cold summer in the year which was Ion,
called Eighteen hundred and froze to death"