Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-02-14
SOME STRANGE WINTERS.
SOMETHING ABOUT YEARS WITHOUT
WINTER or SUMNER.
Warm Winters as HeraIds of Disaster.
Cyclones which Have Come In Their
waks-snow and Ice In Jans-Eeeortls
OF Old Timex

lawn gras SEES a"c growing finely and
dandelions are in bloom; navigation is
perfectly open" Commenting on this,
Mr.. Vennof says: Now, again, in 1881,
we have to record very similar state of
affairs for the sa2c month of the year"
The st. Paul Pioneer Press of Dec. %,
1877, contained an editorial of which the
following is an c%trac.:
"This relnarkabl. weather knocks the
Old Settler association on their beam
ends. Here it is the 22d of
December, with the mercury dancing on
its silver heels to the music of % degs
above in tie shade. \ Ten boats
of the St. Paul Boat club, each occupied
with sculler3 or crews of oarsmen, sport
ing upon the placid bosom of the ances-
tor of meanderinS streams-ull this and
more, too. il the result OF the remark
able wealth n which now prevails in Min
nesota. This is fact worthy
of being placed ON record for the benefit
of all coming Investigation of climatic
facts and theories in Minnesota"
The winter Of lS77-7S is not the only
one of exceptional mildness from which
the writer has authority to draw.
WARM CHRISTMAS.
The winter of 1SSl-S2 was as phenom-
enal, as far as unreasonable weather was
concerned. as that of 1871-1S. On Christ
mas day. 1881, the mercury stood at from
45 to 81 degs. above zero throughout
the Mississippi valley, merging into sum-
mer heat from the mouth Of the Ohio
southwark. The day was clear and
bright, with wind south TO southwest.
In Ohio, Indiana, illinois, Missouri. Iowa
and Nebraska the farmers plowed every
month during the winter. The lilac buds
swelled into full leaf in February, 1892,
in nearly all the states named
On Jan. 2G. 1882, the best tested ther-
mometers stood at ~ degs. above in the
morning, at - degs. in the afternoon,
and did not fall below 80 dcgs. for over
thirty-six hours. February showed twen-
ty-one days upon which the mercury rose
above 40 in the shade, and upon sixteen
of these tie temperature was above 90
degs. some time during The day. On the
9th, 9th, 10th, 18th, 12th and 18th it
marked GO or above, and upon one occa-
sion, the 12th, stood between - and so
degs. for five hours.
The thermometer responsible for this
seeming Inconsistency failed to reach the
high water mark of Feb. II again until
after the end of The first week in June,
with single exception; May 4. when it
marked 81. ! mc3tion this fact for the
benefit Of the reader who may think the
instrument with which the readings
were taken one of inferior grade, and,
in consequence, very susceptible to fluc-
tuations of heat ANA cold.
Southern people whuget nervous when
they hear yellow fever mentioned in
connections with the warm winter of
1918 can gain some consolation by
watching the change which comes over
the face Of the western and northern
man when he Is informed that the spring
like character Of January and February,
1882, indirectly brought about the many
cyclones and prairie twisters of the sum-
mer following. Many scientists, living
and dead. the late Mr.. Vennor among
the number, believe and believed that
warm winters are very likely to he fol-
lowed by summer of destructive wind
storms. As far as 1882 is concerned, the
coincidence is remarkable.
A SUMNER or CYCLONES.
Tire twi4ters began TO exhibit that year
down in Louisiana earlyiin March, about
two or three weeks after the remarkable
hot February day, leveling several towns
and killing OIL the negro population at
an alarming rate. Next, in April, a
prairie terror sprang up, all unlocked
for, in Rice county, Kan, Travelled in
northeast direction, killing everybody
in its track On the same day three sep
arate cyclones crossed the state of Nichi
gan. ling in the aggregate seventeen
persons and great deal of stock, besides
destroying am immense amount Of prop
erty From that time forward cyclones
hatchf, out like tadpolesin June They
Were G5rc. there and every place for a
couple Of months, doing great damage
to propeity. hut sparins human life, ex-
cept now and then an isolated family.
Next came the appalling calamity at
Grinueil, la., in which fifty-siX persons
lost their lyr, On the same night cy-
clones of minor size visited Kansas. Mis-
souri,. Nebraska, Illinois aud Minnesota,
killing from three To- twelve in each state.
Note tucnamDS Of the-tates just mention
ed, andat-plueii-t giyenauoyc. ia which
it Wa -lij tuat pipW.ug continued
throughout Ola. winter. After lue Grim
nell huwrau about fortnight 20. cumpar-
atisc gu. rni-n.d. JuaucWue luo Tex