Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-05-25
THE YEAR WITHOUT A SUM.
MER.
The story of the Phenomenal
Weather that Followed a Cold
spring ia 1916.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
During a cold spring, like that
which is just now drawing to an end,
people generally console themselves
with the reflection that the sun will
eventually get the victory, and that
summer will come at last, though its
coming may be delayed. Uncertain as
the weather is, the general features Of
the season recur with regularity
which warrants the confidence thus
reposed in the annual return of seed
time aud harvest; but there are in,
stances on record in which even the
seasons seem to have lost their char.
acteristic features, as if the ordinary
laws of meteorology had been Temporal
rily suspended. A remarkable
case of this kind, and one which the
long continued cold weather of this
spring makes particularly interesting
just now, is that of the year 1916,
which has been called "the year with
out a summer" A communication
printed in the Congregationalist gives
the following summary Of the weather
of this remarkable year:
January and February were mild;
March was cold; April began warm,
but ended in snow and ice. Ice formed
an inch thick in May, and fields were
planted over aud over again till it was
too late to replant. June was the
coolest ever known in this latitude,
frost and ice were common. Almost
every green thing was killed;
fruit nearly all killed. Snow
fell to the depth of ten
inches in Vermont, seven in Maine
three in the interior of New York and
also in Massachusetts,. There were a
few warm days. 1t was called dry
season. But little rain fell. The
wind blew steadily from the north cold
and fierce. Mothers knit extra socks
aud mittens for their children In the
spring, and wood piles, that usually
disappeared during the warm spell, in
front of the houses were speedily built
up again. Planting aud shivering
were done together, and the farmers
who worked out their taxes on the
country roads wore overcoats and nit
tens. In a town in Vermont flock
of sheep belonging to a farmer had
been sent as usual to the pasture. On
the 18th Of June a heavy snow storm
lell in New England. The cold was
intense.i
A farmer who had large field of
corn in Tewsbury built fires around it
at night to ward off the frost. Many
an evening he and bis neighbors took
turns watching them, Hs was re-
warded with the only crop Of corn in
the neighborhood. Considerable dam
age was done in New Orleans in conse
quence Of the rapid rise of the Missis
sippi river. Fears were entertained
that the sun was cooling of, and
throughout New England all picuics
were strictly prohibited.
July was accompanied with frost and
ice. Indian corn was nearly all de
stroyed; some fayorably situated fields
escaped. August was more cherries,
if possible, than the summer months
WHICH preceded II. ice vas formed
halt an inch in thickness. Indian corn
was 50 frozen that the greater part
was cut down aud dried for fodder.
Almost every green thing was dc.
stroyed in this country and in Europe,
On the Both snow fell at Barnet, forty
miles from London. Very little corn
ripeled in New England and the
Middle States. Mariners supplied them
selves from corn pfoducedIin 1915 for
seed in the spring Of 1917. 1t sold at
from 81 to s. per busbel.
SepteWLeE furnished about two
weeks of the pleasantest weather Of
the season, but Ia the latter part
or me Month ice formed an inch
thick. October had more than its
share Of cold weather, November
was cold and snowy. December
was comfortable, and the winter
following was mild. Very l;7l.
vegetation was matured in the eastern
and middle States. The suns / 4
seemed to be destitute of heat during
the summerI all nature was clad in 9
sable hue, and men exhibited no little
anxiety concerning the future of his
life.
The average price of -four during
the year in the New York market wa
$l9 per barrel. The average price o.
wheat in England was ninety sever
shillings per quarter. Bread riot
occurred throughout Great Britain il
1917 in consequence Of the high pric,
of the staff Of life,
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