The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-26
SNOW FURRY IN CONNECTICUT.
The Only other Summer Snow Made a
Weather Prophet Famous.


Hartford, Aug. ia meteorological
phenomenon befelI the good folks of
breezy Litchfield county, in Northwestern
Connecticut, last Sunday in brisk little
furry of snow That wnitenea the air for
a few moments. 1t had been unreason-
ably cold among the soaring Litchtield
highlands for several days, and early
Sunday morning farmers in the chill
valleys noted eVanescent traces of boar
frost 1t was cold all the forenoon, too,
and a fleet of hard, black November-like
clouds, drifted steadily across the heav-
ems. 1t was at Harwinton that the Au-
gust snowfall was most pronounced
Three young men from New York, James
5. Peck, Walter w. Piercey, and J. Van
Nechten Warning. who spend their vaca-
ton in Litchfield county, reported the
freak weather episode in Waterbury and
other Connecticut towns on the following
day. ',.'' So. ""r ','i 49,
1t showed quite lively" said one f
the young men, and although the flakes
were few and far between. there is no
mistake about it being a fair and square,
honest, OId-fashioned snow furry. The
lakes sifted down in random, leisurely
way for ten or fifteen minutes"
Only one other summer snow was ever
noted in the records or traditions of the
country people of Eastern Connecticut
aver, occurred rot less than seventy-tve
years ago on ourth of July. The day
had been excessively cold and bleak, land
along about clock in the afternoon, :"
said an aged narrator of the event who
dwelt in the royal town of Salem among
the hills at the time, there was a brisk
shower of fakes from an ugly, bleak
cloud. | remember, though u boy at the
time, that all the farmers were afeld
making hay, and while they were in great
haste about their task, nevertheless
every man knocked off work for the space
of half an hour, perfectly dumfounded
on account OF the queer weather proceed
ing. There was quite a little fail of
snow, too, that went on for thirty minutes
or more and whitened the ground eff
fectually. The AFFAIR was most notable
in Salem, although fakes fell in other
country towns in that region. 1t made a
great sensation, ana was talked about
among the country people for years"
In connection with the incidents conf
cal coincidence is recorded. "Daboll's
Almanack and Farmers Friend" pub
lished at Centre Groton, among the cas-
tern Connecticut hills, has been the par
ticular weather Bible of yankee farmers
and seaman for more than a century but
In the year Of the July snow, by an odd
| typographical error, old Nathan ,Daboll,
the almanac maker, in recording his
weather predictions for the snowy July
noted, instead of promising the prophecy,
expect rain about this time as he had
designed TO do, published the startling
prediction; Expect snow" The far
mers of the whole Nutmeg state had
good deal of fun on account of the error.
and at the expense of Uncle Daboll7 for
SIX months, but when that miraculous and
provldential snow squall plunged down on
july they were almost speechless.
Thereafter Nathan Daboll was bigger
man than ever, and the fame and prestige
OF his New England Almanack and Far
mers' Friend" have continued undimmcd
TO this day About all of them believed
implicitly that the famous mathematician
ana almanac seer lust simply contrived
that squall of his own gumption and
malice aforcthought," or, if not altogether
that, "had sartinly furseen it Jest as
sure's ye air born" Many farmers of
these days think so still.