Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-01-24
ENGLAND'S sNOW-STORMS
Severe Winters Which viii Al
ways Be Remembered.


A Record of the Cold Snaps Experienced
In Great Britain During tho Last
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 @
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 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
~ a bird lived through the winter. The
citizens of London, however, resolved
on having some profit out of the ex-
traordinary weather, built regular
colony on the ice-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 severest ever known in England,
though the following one of 16s4-s5 was
famous for its extreme cold.
In 1910 came a 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 its
weight in money, and Goals were forty
shillings quart. The year of 1854 was
remarkable for another severe winter.
Snow began 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 strong frost pre-
vailed during the same period. The
Thames was again frozen over in 17SS,
179S and 1905 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 q poor woman named
Woodcock, n native of Cambridge, was
buried in the snow for eight days. She
lived for several months after being
| rescued.
The year 1919 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 LAWS
sock, returning from Exeter by way OF
Dartmoor, found the snow so thick al
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 haC
cleared off sufficiently for him to re
sumo his travels. The winter of 1871
is still remembered by some very ole
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, anG
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
Gus fatalities occurred, persons not only
being lost, but those who went ont to
seek them also perishing in the grea
drifts. The snow-storm of December
1886, was the most severe fall known K
England since that of 1910 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 all over the country
and numerous lives were lost in II
Business was almost at standstill, a
the mail coaches could not run, and cor
respondence was delayed for over
week.
In 1914 came another severe snow
storm, during which several mai
coaches had to be dug out of the drifts
| among them being the noted "Quicl
silver" once famous for its rapid trips
Seventy men were employed in releas
. ing this coach from the snow before
could proceed on its way. During tn
last forty years there have been severe
r severe snow-storms, but none grea
, enough to warrant us in contradiction
our grandfathers when they say tina
these times are nothing like the oil
ones-for snow-storms or any thin
else"
: BRAVE DEED OF A GIRL.
, How a Slxteen-Year-Old Miss Dragged
= Panther to Death.