The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-07-01
Our @lio.
Historical weather Periods.

came embalmed in history. The following
is perhaps the most complete record of note
worthy snow-storms and frosts yet publish
ed in one list and, while it is impossible
to corroborate each date and event, there
can be no doubt that it is in the main cor
rect, although there is no claim to Its alb
solute correctness:
England was visited by FIVE months
frost in the year 220 Thirty years later
the Thames was frozen over for nine weeks,
and in POI most of the English rivers were
iee-eovered for six weeks. But these seem
trifing compared to the fact that in 4Ol
the Black Sea was frozen over for twenty
days. In sos the Thames was frozen for
two months in 695 for six weeks, the ice
being SO strong that booths were built ON
it; and a frost beginning ON October l,
T59, continued till February 20 in the fol-
flowing year IL is said that in 762 the
Black Sea was frozen over from the termi-
nal cliffs Of the Caucasus to the mouths of
the Dniester, Dnieper, and Danube, and
that the quantity of snow which fell ON
the Ice rose to the height of from thirty to
forty feet, completely hiding the contour
of the shores and that ON the breaking mp
in February the huge masses carried by the
current into the Sea of Marmora reunited
IN one immense sheet across the HellespOnt;
no similar occurrence has since been record
ed. In 500 the Rhone was frozen over.
the Thermometer ranging from 5 TO 20 cen
tigraIe degrees below zero. In S2T hard
frost continued in England for nine weeks,
and in 923 the Thames was frozen for
thirteen weeks. In 9sI, England was
frozen up for one hundred and twenty
days, and eleven years later the Thames
was frozen for Eve weeks On Midsnm-
mer Day. 1850. the corn and fruits were
destroyed by severe frost. In 1888 the
Thames was frozen for fourteen weeks /;
thirteen years later the frost lasted from
November 60 April and in TIA several
wooden bridges were earrie3 away By the
lee. la 1913 the Pc was frozen from
Crcmona 10 the sea. In l23l losded wsg.
oas eTusse1 the Adriaiie in front Of Venice !;
in 29i the Cattegat was frozen; in 1923
the Baltic was passahle to travellers for six
weeks; in 1924 il was possible 10 travel
from Denmark to l4uheck and pantxic on
the nee and ten years lster the riYers of
Provence and Italy were froEen, and the
frsesf lasted at Paris for TIVE months and
twenty DAYS. In 1907 frost lasted for If
tssen weeks in England and a. is Is reonrd-
ed that nearly all fi,e small btFsls IN the
country died. We may b. surc that there
was plcuiy of snaw a. well ss unusually in.
tense frost only the chn,aieless do MT
seem 10 have regarded the snow Of sufi-
eiens Importance 10 honor il by any refer
enoss Ia 1884 the Thames was fruzen
down 10 urayescnd, the frsst lcting for
twelve weeks, In 1865 Il va Rccossary
TO break up the wiHs with hatchess in
FLANDERS in order % serve Il out 10 the sol.
diers no wonder that they ~swoTe furious
Is shcrs The winters 0g 1915, ~ tS.
81, 6j, and - 4re recorded ss the espe-
eially severe enes of the sixteenth century
in britain, bat saowfalls aFu 20, especially
referred 10 by the historian. In 1874 the
vine was brokcn by hatchets in France.
There was succession of severe winters
early during she seventeenth century IN
Europe. eulnliuating in the years l6.i6 and
1907. We 6Bd oa rrcard the fact that IN
l6U6 the snow was gFyAies than ever before
ksd been remembered, while in l,0T, ne
uorsling to an cd rec0rd, the winter Wa
.-sach an extreme oDc for frssts a. no man
living doth remember ur can speak II the
ike The year 1908 was one Of storms
aud tempests and this, sgain, waz sue
essiesl IS a seeaan Of heavy rains. 81 that
year after year passel BY with wFstched
harves,s, and the dcaFth vas great Ia
1855 the seine MAS fFuzeu ever ieR years
later Il rcmaiuod ics-boaBd for thirty ave
Successive days In 1914 snow fell in
England for ten days. In the winter Of
i6s.S-St the Thames was frozen over from
necemhcr - 10 February 6, The ic>
bridge was - substantial and the wonder
81 marvellous, that great basiness-strest
was built frons the Temple To Southwark
Hackney -coaches piled there as ia the city,
large sleslgez were exhibited a a wonder,
and al manner Of games played. including
the old-tine sport of bull-haiting An or
was roasted whole over against Whitehall
aud King Charles and the queen ate part
of il and il i said the jolly monarch
passed the whole night ON the iee. Il
might be remarked, ea passaaf, that these
events are commonly credited To the year
less, when james and William were con
tending for the British throne The win
ter Of l6s3-s4 Is said 10 have been terri
bic cold In the winter Of l70S-09
there were three months Of continuous
frost and snow in Englsnd, and the
Mediterranean was frozen from Marseilles
to Genoa. In i7l7 shops were again cree
ted ON the Thames, and two years later
heavy snow-storms prevailed in many parts
Of Europe Onthe bor,ler-laRds Of Sweden
aud Norway some 1000 soldiers are said
10 have perished. England was visited by
nine weeks severe frost in 1879, and the
Seine was frozen over in lTi2, "A, 90,
aud '6S Christmas Day, l749, ushered
in, in England, most severe frtsst, contin-
uing without intermission for several weeks.
Travellers were frozen to death in coaches,
and foot passengers in London stiffened ON
the streets Ships, barges, and boats were
sunk by the floating ice in the Thames.
Those who could, confined themselves to
their houses for fear of being frozen, but
the fishermen, bricklayers, gardners, aud
workmen generally assembled in hundreds
and marched through the streets begging
for food and clothing. In 1862 it showed
in England for eighteen days in succession.
4 succession of severe winters occurred to-
ward the close of the century. OF these,
that Of lIS4-S5 was the most severe. In
England the first snowfall was ON October
Z. 1874, and-out of the one hundred and
seventy days that followed until April
,, there were but twelve during which it
did not freeze or snow During the win
tiers of 1888, '94, and '9S nearly all the
principal rivers of Europe were frozen
the Thames, Seine, Rhone, Elbe, and the
Rhine being amongst the number. The
winter of 17SS-S9 was marked by the ex-
tent and violence of its snowfalls, which
traversed all Europe and caused great loss
of life February, 1899, was memorable
for its great snow-storms, extending
throughout the midland and eastern coun-
ties Of England The winter of 1912 will
ever be remembered as that in which Ma
poleon's Grand Army retreated from
Moscow amidst binding SHOWS, through
overwhelming snow-drifts and intense cold,