The St. Johns herald., 1891-04-09
ENGLAND'S SNOW-sT0RMS
Severe Winters Which Will AL
 ways Be Remembered
A Record of the Cold Snaps Experienced in Creat Britain During the Last Two Ceafuries-Siz Months of
 Steady Snow.

Two CeatGries-Siz Months of
 Steady snow.
 The great snow-storm, when the Thames was frozen over for nearly four months, occurred in 16S3-64, says a writer in Lor,ion Tid-Bits. The frost continued without i1tcrnission from December to February, snow coming down almost continuously, so that some parts Of the country were well-nigh i'm passable. To add to the discomfort Q bitter east wind blew all the time. Ships anxiouc to enter the port of Lon don were obliged to reEaain at the mouth of the Thames, and crews su1fered great privations. Provisions were dear, horses and cattle often died of cold, and scarce ly bird lived through the winter. The citizens CT London, however, resolved on having some profit ont of the ex- t-aordinary weather, built regular colony cn the icc-bound Thames. Shops, taverns, cofce-kcrscs, booths fer dramatic representations, printing cf- fees and similar buildings sprang up like magic. This winter was probably the sevcrest ever known in England, though the following one Of 1GS4-S5 was famous for its extreme cold.
 In 1719 came weeks fall Of snow in January, followed by long, hard frost. Provisions became so dear in the west of England that bread was sold by its weight in money, and coals were forty shillings Q quart. The year Of 1T8f was remarkable for another severe winter. Snow began falling on the 7th Of Octo- Der and fell, almost without intermis- sion, until tho 2d of April ia the follow ing year, or for nearly 180 days i1 al. Tn addition to this strong frost pre- vailed during the sanc period. The Thames was again frozen over in 1768, 1793 and 1T93. Tn the following year, the last Of the century, Q terrible snow storm ragged throughout the midland counties. Tn his work on the ''Clinate of England" Whistleeraft says that dur ing the storm a poor woman named Woodcocl, native of Cambridge, was buried in the snow for eight days. She lived for several months after being rescued
 The year 1912 is famous in history as that of the terrible retreat of the grand army from Moscow, ia which NaPcle- on's forces were weakened by the loss of four hundred thousand men. This year saw some exceptionally severe snow-stor1ns in the southwest of En- gland. Bray, local magnate of Lavis- sock, returning from Exeter by way of Dartmoor, found the snow so thick at Mcreton Hampstead that it was impos- siblc to proceed farther on his home ward journey. At AIoreton Hampstead he was obliged to remain for no less than three weeks until the snow had cleared off sufficiently for him to re- sume his travels. The winter of 1S14 is still remembered by some very old people as that of the ''Grc2t Frost" Snow was SO deep and remained so long on the roads that the mail coaches were prevented from running, and communi- cation between the chief ccnters of population was extremely difficult, and in some cases impossible.
 Six years later the southwest of En- gland suffered from another terribly severe snow-stoI1n. On Dortinoor tho snow was several feet deep, and rumer- ous fatalities occurred, persons not only being lost, but those who went out to seek theTn also perishing in the great drifts. The snow-Storm of December, 1886, was the most severe fall known to England since that of 17l9. The snow began falling on the 24th and con tinued over Christmas day into Boxing day. By the evening of the latter it had drifted in some places to depth of forty and even fifty feet. This snow storm extended all over the country, and numerous lives were lost in it. Business was almost at q standstill, as the mail coaches could not run, and cor respondence was delayed for over Q week.
 In 1S44 came another severe snow storm, during which several mail coaches had to be dug out of the drifts, among them being the noted Quick silver" once famous for it's rapid trips. Seventy men were employed in releas- ing this coach from the snow before 1t could proceed on it's way. During the last forty years there have been several severe snow-storms, but none great enough to warrant us in contradicting our grandfathers when they say that ''these times are nothing like the old ones-for snow-storInS or any thing else"
 BRAVE DEED OF A GIRL.