The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-03-07
!ENGLAND,s sN0W-sToRM MS
Hevere Winters Which win AL.
ways Be Remembered.

6eVer0 winters Which VIII AL.
ways Be Remembered.
A Record OF tho Cold snaps Experienced
In Great Britain During tho Last
Two Centuries-Six Months OF
Steady Snow.
The great snow-storm, when tho
Thames was frozen over for nearly four
months, occurred in 16SS-S4, says a
writer in London 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 i'm
PaSsable. To add to tho discomfort a
bitter cast wind blew oil the time.
Ghips anxious to enter tho port Of Lon
don were obliged to remain ut 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 tho ex-
traordinnry weather, built regular
colony on the ioc-bound Thames. Shops,
taverns, coffee-houses, booths for
dramatic representations. printing Of
fees and similar buildings sprang up
like magic. This winter was probably
the sevcrest ever known in England,
though the following one of 16S4-S5 was
famous for its extreme cold.
In ITO camo o weeks fall of snow In
january, followed by long, hard frost.
Provisions became so dear in tho west
of England that bread was sold by its
JrniDhf, ND 10
shillings quart. The year of 1884 was
remarkable for another severe winter.
Snow begnn falling on the nth of Octo-
Der and fell, almost without intermis-
sion, until the I'd OF April in the follow
Ing year, or for nearly $50 days In all.
In addition to this n strong frost pre-
vailed during tho same period. TIE
Thames was again frozen over In 1TSS,
1903 md 179s. In the following year,
the last of the century. terrible snow
storm ragged throughout tho midland
counties In his work on the "Climnte
OF England" NVhistlccraft says that dur
Ing tho storm n poor woman named
Woodcock, q native of Cambridge, was
buried in the snow for eight days. She
lived for several months after bcinp
rescued.
The year 1919 Is famous In history as
that of the terrible retreat Of the grand
army from Moscow, in which Nnpole-
CHS 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
Dnrtmoor, found the snow SO thick ut
Moreton Hampstead that 1t WIS 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-
sumo his travelN. The winter of 1914
is still remembered by some very old
people as that of the "Greut Frost"
Snow was SO deep and remained so long
on the roads that the mail coaches were
prevented from running, and commune
cation between the chief centers Of
population was extrem ely difficult, and
In some cases impossible.
Six years later the southwest of En-
gland suffered from another terribly
severe snow-storm. On Dartnoor the
snow was several feet deep, and numer-
GUS fatalities occurred, persons not only
being lost, but those who went out to
seek them also perishing In tho great
drifts The snow-storm Of December,
1886, was the most severe fall known to
England since that of ITO. The
snow began falling on the oath 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
Etcrm extended all over the country,
esnd numerous lives were lost in it.
business was almost at standstill, rs
the mail coaches could not run, and cor
Sespondence was delayed for over q
week.
In 1914 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 tho snow before it
could proceed on its way. During the
last forty years there have been several
severe snow-storms, but none great
enough to warrant us in contradicting
our grandfGthcrs when they shy that
these times are nothing like the old
oncs-for snow-storIns or any thing
else"
BRAVE DEED OF A GIRL.