The St. Johns herald., 1891-07-02
ENGLAND'S SNOW-STORMS
Severe Winters Which Will AL
 ~. ways Be Remembered
4 Record os the Cold Snaps Experienced in Great Britain During the Last Two Centuries-Six Months of
 Steady Snow.


 {, Two Centuries-Six Months of
 Steady Snow.
 The great snow-storm, when the Thames was frozen over for nearly four months, occurred in 16S3-S4, says a writer in Lor.lon Tid-Bits. The frost continued without intermission from December to February, snow coming down almost continuously, so that some parts of the country were well-nigh inn passable. To add to the discomfort a bitter east wind blew all the time. Ships anxious to enter the port of LOn- don were obliged to remain at the mouth of the Thames, and crews suffered great privations. Provisions were dear, horses and cattle often died Of cold, and scarce + bird lived through the winter. The citizens of London, however, resolved on having some profit out Of the ex- traordinary weather, built a regular colony on the ice-bouad Thames. Shops, taverns, coffce-houses, booths for dramatic representations, printing of fees and similar buildings sprang up like magic. This winter was probably the severest ever known in England, though the following enc of I6S4-S5 was famous for its extreme cold.
 In 1719 came Q weeks fall of snow in January, followed by Q long, hard frost. Provisions became so dear in the west of England that bread was sold by it's weight in money, and coals were forty sl1illings a quart. The year of 17S4 was NIO Snow began falling on the 7th of Octo- Der and fell, almost without intermis- sion, until the 2d of April in the follow ing year, or for nearly 1S0 days in all. In addition to this strong frost pre- vailed during the same period. The Thames was again frozen over in 1788, 1793 and 179S. In the following year, the last of the century, a terrible snow storm ragged throughout the midland counties. In his work on the Climate of England" Whistlecraft says that dur ing the storm poor woman named Woodcock, a native of Cambridge, was buried in the snow for eight days. She lived for several months after being rescued.
 The year 1872 is famous in history as that of the terrible retreat of the grand army from Moscow, in which Napole- on's forces were weakened by the loss of four hundred thousand men. This year saw some exceptionally severe snow-storms 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 Moreton Hampstead that it was impos- sible to proceed farther on his home ward journey. At Moreton 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 1874 is still remembered by some very old people as that of the ''Great Frost" Snow was so deep and remained so long on the roads that the mail coaches were prevented from running, and communi- population was extremely difficult, and in some cases impossible.
 Six years later the southwest of En- gland suffered from another terribly severe snow-storm. On Dartmoor the snow was several feet deep, and numer- ols fatalities occurred, persons not only being lost, but those who went out to seek them also perishing in the great drifts. The snow-storm of December, 1s33, was the most severe fall known to England since that of 1719. 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 a 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 standstill as the mail coaches could not run, and cor was delayed for over a 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 its rapid trips. Seventy men were employed in releas- ing this coach from the snow before it 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 grandfGthers when they say that ''these times are nothing like tho old ores-for snow-storms or any thing else"
 RpAuE 0EE0 OE A cIPJ