Sierra County advocate., 1891-03-13
ENGLAND'S SNOW-STORMS
Severe Winters Which Will AL
ways Be Remembered.
A Record OF the Cold Snaps Experienced
In Great Britain During the Last
Two Centuries six Months of
steady snow,


The great snow-storm, when the
Thames was frozen over for nearly four
months, occurred in l6SS-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 inn
passable. TO add to the discomfort
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
ly bird lived through the winter. The
citizens of London however, resolved
on having some profit ont of the eX-
traordinary weather, built regular
colony on the 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 10S4-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 its
weight in money, and Goals were forty
shillings a quart The year of 1884 was
remarkable for another severe winter.
Snow began falling on the 7th 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 u strong frost pre-
vailed during the same period The
Thames was again frozen over in 17Ss,
1893 and 1898. 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, "Whistlccraft says that dur
ing the storm a poor woman named
Woodcocll 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, 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-
81 ~ u
ward journey. At Moreton Hampstead
he was obliged 80 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 of
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,
1885, was the most severe fall known to
England since that of l719, The
snow began falling on the oath and con
tinued over Christmas day into Boxing
day. BY the evening of the latter it
had driftcd in some places TO a depth of
forty and even fifty feet. This snow
storm extended all over the country,
and numerous lives We're lost in it.
Business was almost at a standstill, as
the mail coaches could not run, and cor
respondenec was delayed for over
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 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 grandfathers when they say that
these times are nothing like the old
ones-for snow-storms or any thing
else"