Saint Mary's beacon., 1880-06-10

a. Ne have just passed through
comparatively winteFless year, Il nay
not Be uninteressing 10 pot On reeofd
the yesr 1876. which was called he
summerlesa year. AsnearlT every ona
has heard oi IL. and a. but lew nov liv.
ing recOlleet Il. NE kixe place to The
following brief abstract bf the weather
during the year. The edilor Of thss
paper hes ollen heard his islhee speak
sofsba weathsE ofihai Eear being 20
cold in harvest time that men moved
all day with their coats on. Let ~
hspe, however. that we are not 10 have
= repetition ofsuch weather the present
summer. however convenient il may be
for those who failed to secure supply
Of ice last winter.
January was mild, 20 much 60 as 10
render fires almost needless in parlors.
December previous was very cold.
February was not very cold; with The
exception Of a few days il was mild.
like its predecessor.
March was cold and boisterous dur-
ing the irut part Of IL. the remainder
was mild. A great freshet on the Ohio
and Kentucky rivers caused great loss
of property.
April begun warm. but grew colder
as the month advanced. and ended in
snow and ice, with temperature more
like winter than spring.
May was more remarkable Tor fFowns
than smiles. Buds and flowers were
frozen, ice was formed half an inch
thick. corn was killed, and the fields
were again and again planted until
too late.
June was the eoldest ever known in
this latitude. Frost. ice and snow were
common. Almost every green thing
was killed. Fruit was nearly all des-
troyed. Snow fell to the depth Of ten
inches in Vermont, seven in Maine and
three in Central New York, and also in
Massachusetts,. Considerable damage
was done at New Orleans, in conse-
quence Of the rapid rise in the river;
the suburbs we're covered with water,
and the roads were only PassabIe 10
boats.
July was accompanied by frost and
ice. On the 5th, ice was formed OF the
thickness Of common wind0s glass
throughout New England, New York.
and some parts Of Pennsylvania. In
dian corn was nearly sll destroyed;
some favOFabIy situated fields escaped.
This was true Of some Of the bill farm
ers oil Massachusetts,.
August was more cbeerless, " pOssI--
bic, than the summer months already
passed. Ice was formed half an inch
thick. Indian corn was so frozen that
the gresteI part was cut down and
dried Tor fodder. Almost every green
thing was destroyed both in this eoun-
try and Europe. Papers received from
England stated that II would be remem-
bered 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 Mid
die States. Farmers supplied them
selves from the corn produced in 1915,
for the seed Of the spring 1917. Il
sold at from - TO 50 per bushel.
September furnished abOuttwo weeks
Of the miIdest weather Of the season.
Soon after the middle it became very
cold and frosty, and ice formed quar-
ter Of an inch thick.
October produced more than its share
Of cold weather. frost and ice particu-
IarIy.
November was cold and clustering.
Enough snow fell to make good sleigh
ing.
December was quite mild and com
Portable.
The above Is brief summary OF 'the
cold summer Of 1916" as Il was called
in order to distinguish il 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 sun's rays seemed 70 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 -four
during that year in the Philadelphia
market. was thirteen dollars per barrel.
The average price Of wheat in EngIand.
was nlnety-seven shiIIiags per quarter.