The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-10-03
The Year Without a Summer.

The year 1916 was known throughout the
United States and Europe as the coolest ever
experienced by any person then living, Very
few persons now living can recollect it. June
was the coolest ever known in this latitude
frost and ice were common. Almost every
green thing was killed; fruit nearly all de-
stroyed Snow fell to the depth of ten inches
in Vermont, seven in Maine, three in the in
terror of New York and also in Massachu-
sets. There were few warm days. All
classes looked for them in that memorable
cold summer sixty. eight years ago. 1t was
called dry season. But little rain fell, The
wind blew steadily from the north cold and
fierce. Mothers knit extra socks and mittens
Tor their children in the spring, and wood
piles that usually disappeared during the
warm spell in front of the houses were speed
lily built up again. Planting and shvering
were done together, and the farmers who
worked out their taxes on the country roads
wore overcoats and mittens. In town in
Vermont flock of sheep belonging to far
mer had been sent as usual, to their pasture
On the nth of June heavy snow fell; the
cold was intense, and the owner started away
at noon to look for his sheep. Better start
the neighbors soon, wife" he said in jest be-
fore leaving "beng in the middle of June l
may get lost in the snow" Night came, the
storm increased, and he did not return. The
next morning the family sent out for help
and started in search. One after another of
the neighbors turned out to look for the miss
ing man. The snow had covered up all
tracks, and not until the end of the third day
did they find him on the side of q hill, with
both feet frozen, unable to move. A farmer
who had q large field of corn in Tewksbury
built fires around it to ward off the frost
many an evening he and his men took turns
watching it. He was rewarded with the
only crop of corn In the neighborhood. Con-
siderable damage was done in New Orleans
in consequence of the rapid rise of the Mis-
sissippi river; the suburbs were covered with
water and tie roads were passable only in
boats. Fears that the sun was cooling off
abounded, and throughout New England all
picnics were strictly prohibited.
July was accompanied with frost and ice.
On the 9th ice was formed of the thickness
of common window glass throughout New
England, New York. and some parts of Penn
sylvania. Indian corn was nearly all destroy |
ed some favorably situated fields escaped. |
This was true of some of the hill farms of
Massachusetts,. August was more cherries,
if possible, than the summer months which |
preceded it. Ice was formed half an inch in |
thickness. Indian corn was so frozen that |
the greater part was cut down and dried for |
fodder. Almost every green thing was de- |
stroyed in this country and in Europe On |
the Both snow fell at Barnet, forty miles from |
London. Papers received from England |
stated that it would be remembered by the |
present generation that the year 1916 was a |
year in which there was no summer" Very |
little corn ripened in New England, and the |
middle States farmers supplied themselves |
spring of 1917. 1t sold at from 81 to So per
buehal