Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-02-14
ENGLANDrS SNOW-sTORMs
Severe Winters Which Will AL
ways Be Remembered

n RECORD OF tho Cold Snaps experienced
In Great Britain During the Last
Two Centuries-Slx Months Of
Steady Snow
The great snow-storm, when the
Thames was frozen over for nearly four
months, occurred in 16S3-S4, says
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 the discomfort
litter east wind blew all the time.
Ships anxious to enter the port of Lon
don were obliged to remain ct the mouth
of the Thames, and crews suffered great
privations. Provisions were dear, horses
and cattle often died of cold, and scarce
1y q 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-hound Thames. Shops,
taverns,s coffee-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 one Of 16s4-S5 was
famous for its extreme cold ... :,
=. in 1719 came weeks fall of snow In
January, followed by a long, hard frost
Provisions became SO dear in the west
of England that bread was sold by it's
weight in money, and Goals were forty
shillings q quart. The year of 1884 was
remarkable for another severe winter.
Snow began failing on the 18th 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 strong frost pre-
vailed during the same period. The
Thames was again frozen over in 1883,
1893 and 1708. In the following year,
the last of the century, terrible snow
storm ragged throughout the midland
counties. In his work on the Climate
of England" Whistlecraft says that. dur
ing the storm a poor woman named
Woodcocll, a native of Cambridge, was
buried in the SNOW for eight days. She
lived for several months after being
rescued. e, g.. ..
The year 1912 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, a local magnate of LAWS
sock, returning from Exeter by way of
Dartmoor, found the Snow SO thick at
Noreton Hampstead that it was impos-
sib1e 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 travels. The winter of 1914
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
cation between the chief centers O!
population was extrem ely difficult, ant
in some cases impossible
Six years later the southwest of En-
gland suffered from another terribly
severe snow-storm. On Dartmoor thu
snow was several feet deep, and nuraer
OILS fatalities occurred, persons not only
being lost, but those who went out tc
seek them also perishing in the grea
drifts. The snow-storm of December
1885, was the most severe fall known 1;
England since that of ITO The
snow began falling on the 24th and con
tinued over Christmas day into Boxing
day. BY the evening of the latter
had drifted in some places to depth O.
forty and even fifty feet. This snow
storm extended ull over the country
and numerous lives were lost in II
BUSINESS was almost at Il standstill. a
the mail coaches could not run and col
'ro"nondence. was delayed for over
week. d.
- In 1914 came another severe snow
storm, during which several ma
coaches Had 70 be dug ont Of the drift.
among, Them being the noted "Ouicl
stlNee,." once famous for its rapid trip.
Seventy men were employed in relea,