The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-01-20

In Eabruary' 1889, .hero carle be heaviest
slost ever known 10 Texas N ON It's brst
American settlement. 50 great was
the effect that throughout ! 20 forests and
bottoms In northern Texas tho limbs OF tDo
largest trees, such as cottotwoods, burr
oahs. sycamoros and pecans, wbre broken On
and The forests everywhere assembled the
roar of a guerrilla arti 10y battle. For years
afterwards, in the bottoms, the effects oil thal
extraordinary spell could be seen:
In February, 1871, southwest Texas, whcre
then lived, was visited by sleet storm
from the north, covering the earth win ice,
and causing such a continuous crash among
the smallsr limbs of the trees, rs to resemble
the sound of infantry skirmlshng IN the ate
war.
In December, 1S49, for thirteen days
cold snap prevailed on the coast, when AZ :
Indianola and Lavacea froza the shore OF
the bay for two hundred yards, and con.
gealed on the wharf posts to the bulk OF
Whiskey barrels II WAS terrible spell and
many cattle persisted, as they had done In
ess degree in the previous storms referred TO.
On christmas eve night, 1866, when was
member of the legislature from GalVeston,
but on a visit to Colonel William Q. Dalrym-
ple. five miles northeast of Georgetown,
there came whirliDg over the country one OF
the coolest spells ever known in Texas. In
the twinking of an eye water WAS congealad
and men previously in their shirt sleeves,
painting for breath, sought overcoses,
blankets and fires. 1t lasted for three days.
and on the fourth day. with companion
in buggy L dreve on the ice ACROSS Brusay
at Round Rock.
In January, 1864, when l was stationed IN
Bonham Texas, there occurred the most ex-
trserdinsrJ cold spell l have seen IN Texas
in forty seven years. For thirteen days it con-
tinued, with fierce wind, varying from
north to northwest. War was upon the
land and the eountry was full OF men in
osmp life. Many were frost bitten-quite q
number persisted. For thirteen days there
was not moment in which the breath would
not scoDgeal on the whiskers Of any
man yenturing out doors. Cattle perisbed
by thousands ia north Texas, aud even in the
extreme southwest part of the state, four
hundred miles further south, the. lose was
heavy.
Now. when we come to speak Of this
season. il is without a parallel. The several
marked periods referred to were much colder
than any weather we have had this winter,
hut those spells were shor and were pre-.
ceded and followed by pleasant weather.
This season our bad weather began on the
Cd of November and continued TO the 3D. OF
December. Then till the 2lst it was ordin--
arly nice, but from the AID of December till
to-day (January l7th) We have had but one
csntiuuous day of pleasant weather, which
was yesterday Sunday
| At no time in this long
period has the weather been
rs cold as in the short periods previously re-
ierred to, but its duration, from November
to January II (omitting seventeen mild or
not particularly cold days., 10 without par
alel in my experience of Texas life. And,
as 1 write, the Indications prognosticate
continuation of the same inclement weather.
Every winter but two, in the last ten, has
had measure Of colder weather than
we are prone to allot 10 this climate, speak
| ing as a resident of Dallas. The winter OF
llS71 2 was very cold, but short. The winter
OF l878-9 was almost like April till Janu-
airy, but throughout that month snow COW
cred tho earth and the Thermometer ranged
low. Yet before and after the weather was
fine.
Here are few remembrances respectfully
submitted for ell interested ia the subject.
| j, II. b.