The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-07-04
A YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER.
Remarkable Weather Exp erience IN the
Uatted States Duriog 1916.

!te IN a Ekso!e heaineF Exp eTisnCe IL INC
Uotted States Dariog 1916.
Almost every one has heard of the
terrible dark year in the early part of
the present century. While every one
is speaking of the present season as be-
ing remarkable in its characteristics
we have gathered for our readers some
reliable facts of the year 1916, known as
the "year without summer" Few per-
sons now living can rec0llect ii; but it
was the coolest ever known through
out Europe and America. The follow
ing Is a brief abstract of the weather
during toe year:
January was mild-so much as to
render fires almost needless in parlors.
December previous was very cold.
February was not very cold; with the
exception Of few days it was mild
like It's predecessor.
March was cold and bOisterous during
the first part Of it; the remainder was
mild. 4 great freshet on the Ohio aud
Kentucky rivers caused great loss OF
property.
April began warm, and ended in snow
and ice with temperature more like
winter than spring.
May was more remarkable for trowns
than her s'niles. BUDS and flowers
we're frozen; ice formed half an inch
thick; corn was killed, and the fields
were again and again planted until
deemed too late.
June was the coldest ever known n
this latitude. Frost, ice and snow were
common. Almost every green thing
was killed. Fruit was nearly Ali
destroyed. Snow fell to the depth Of
ten inches in Vermont, seven inches in
Maine and three inches in New York
and also in Massachusetts. Consider
able damage was done at New Orleans
in consequence of the rapid rise IN the
river, the suburbs were covered with
water and the roads were only paSsable
in boats.
July was accompanied Rlth frost and
Ice. On the 9th, ice was formed Of the
thickness of common window glass
throughout New England, New York
and some parts of Pennsylvania. Indian
corn was nearly all destroyed. Some
favorably situated fields escaped. This
was true OF some of the hill farms of
Massachusetts,.
August was more cheerless, # posi-.
bic than the summer months already
passed. Ice was formed half an inch
thick. Indian corn was so frozen that
the greater part of it was cut down
and cured for fodder. Almost every
green thing was destroyed, both IN thl S
country and Europe. papers received
from Europe stated thatit would be
remembered by the present generation
that the year of 1916 was a year in which
there was no summer. Very little corn
rippened ia New England and the Mid
die States farmers supplied themselves
from the corn produced in lSlo TOR the
seed of the spring Of 1917. 1t sold at
from 81 to S. bushel.
September furnished about two weeks
of the mildest weather of the season.
Soon af.er the middle it became very
cold and frosty, and ice formed a quar-
ter of an inch thick.
October produced more than its share
Of cold Weather-frost and ice abund-
antlY.
November was cold and blustery.
Enough snow fell to make good sleigh
ing.
December was quite, mild and COM
Portable.
The above is brief summary OF the
cold Summer of 1916 as it was called to
distinguish it from the cold seasons.
The winter was mild. Frost and Ice
were common in every month OF the
year.
Very little vegetation matured IN
the Eastern and Middle States. The
suns rays seemed to be- destitute OF
heat through the summer; all nature
seemed to beclad in sable hue and men
were anxious concerning future life.