The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-02-07
ENGLANDS SNOW-SToRMs
5evere Winters Which win Al
ways Be Remembered


IA Record Of tho Cold Snaps Experienced
IN Great Britain During tho Last
Two Centuries-Six Months OF
Steady Snow.
The greet snow-storm, when the
Thames was frozen over for nearly four
months, occurred In 18S3-6s. 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 wore well-niGh i'm.
,pasSnblc. To add to tho discomfort a
ibitter east wind blow oil tho time.
Ships anxious to.enter the port OF Lon
don wereobliyed to remain at the mouth
of tho Thames, and crews suffered great
,privations. Provisions wero dear, horses
and cattle often died Of cold, and scarce
tly bird lived through tho winter Tho
citiDens OF London, however, resolved
ION having some profit out OF the OK
tEaorlinary weather, built regular
colonyon the ice-bound Thames Shops,
taverns, coTee-houses, booths for
dramatic representations, printing of.
fees and similar buildings sprnng up
like magic This winter was probably
the scverest ever known in England,
though tho following one of 10S4-S5 was
famous for its extreme cold.
In ITO came Il weell's 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 Its
weight in money, end Goals were forty
shilltngs quart The year Of 1884 was
remarkable for another severe winter.
snow began falling on the 18th Of Octo-
Der and fell, almost without intcrnis-
sion. until the I'd of April In the follow
ing year, or for nearly $50 days In oil.
In addition to this strong frost pre-
vailed during tho same period. The
Thames WAS again frozen over In l7sS,
.lT03 and 1T0S. In the following yenr,
the last OF tho century, terrible snow
storm ragged throughout the midland
counties. In his work on tho Climate
OF England, Whistlccraft says that dur
ing tho storm poor woman named
Woodcock. native OF Cambridge, was
buriea In the snow for eight days. She
lived for several months after being
rescued
The year 1879 is famous IN history rs
that OF the terrible retreat Of the grand
army from Moscow, In which Nnpole-
on's forces were weakened by the loss
of four hundred Thousand mon. This
year saw some exceptionally severe
,snow-storms In the southwest of En-
gland Diny, local mngnate Of LAWS
SOCK, returning from Exeter BIZ way OF
Dartmoor, found the snow so thick at
:Moreton Hampstead that 1t wos impos-
sibic TO proceed farther on his homo
ward journey. At Morcton Hampstead
Tho WIS obliged to rcrnnin for no less
than three weeks until the snow had
!clearcd of sufficiently for him to re-
sumo his travels Tho winter OF 1914
is stfll remembered by some very old
ipeople as that of the Great Frost"
Snow was 50 deep and remained so long
ION the roads that the mail coaches were
prevented from running. and communi-
ication between the chief centcrs of
population was eNtrom ely difficult, and
in Some cases impossible.
Six years later the southwest of En-
gland suffered from another terribly
severe snow-storm. On Dnrtmoor tho
snow was several feet deep and n,nncr-
Gus fatalities occurred, persons not only
being lost, but those who went out to
seek them also pcrishing in the great
drifts The snow-storm of December.
1880, was tho most severe fall known TO
England since that of lTl0. Tho
snow began falling on the 2+th md con-
tinued over Christmas day into Boxing
day. by the evening of the latter it
had driftod in some places to depth of
forty md even fifty feet. This snow
storm extended nll over the country,
and numerous lives were lost in it.
business was almost mt q standstill, Us
the mail coaches could not run, and cor
respondcnco was delayed for over O
week.
In 1874 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 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 contradictinp
our grnndfathcrs when they say that
these times are nothing like the old
ones-for snow-storins or any thing
else"
PRHNE NEEn OE A CID,