The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1894-09-12
THE YEAR WITHOUT A SUMNER,
Remarkable Weather in the United States
During 1916.

Almost every one has heard of the
terrible dark year in the early part of
the present century. While every one
in speaking of the present season as be-
ing remarkable in it's characteristics I
have gathered for your readers some re-
liable facts of the year 1916, known as
the year without a summer" Few
| persons now living can recollect it; but
1t was the coldest ever known through
out Europe and America. The follow
ing is brief extract of the weather
during the year:
January was mild-so much so as to
render fires almost needless in parlors.
December previous was very cold.
February was not very cold-with
the exception of a few days, it was mild
like its predecessor.
March was cold and boisterous dur
ing the first part of it; the remainder
was mild. A great freshet on the Ohio
and Kentucky Rivers caused great loss
of property.
April began warm, but grew colder
as the month advanced and ended in
snow and ice, with temperature more
like winter than spring.
May was more remarkable for frowns
than for smiles. Buds and flowers
were 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 coolest ever known in
this latitude. Frost, ice, and snow
were common. Almost every green
thing was killed. The fruit was
nearly all destroyed. Snow fell to the
depth of ten inches in Maine and
three inches in New York, and also in
Massachusetts. Considerable damage
was done at New Orleans in conse-
quence of the rapid rise in the river;
the suburbs were covered with water
and roads were only passable in boats
July was accompanied with 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, if posi-
BILE, than the summer month 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 this coun-
try and Europe. Papers received from
Europe stated that it would be remem-
bered by the present generation that the
year 1916 was year in which there was
no summer. Very little corn ripened
in New England and the Middle States.
Farmers supplied themselves from the
corn produced in 1915 for the seed of
the spring of 1917. 1t sold at from 81
to $5 per bushel.
September furnished about two weeks
of the mildest weather of the season.
Soon after the middle it became very
cold and frosty and ice formed 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
SUMS rays seemed to be destitute of heat |
the summer; all nature seemed |
to be clad in sable hue and men were |
anxious concerning future life. The |
average price of flour in the Philadel- |
ph1a market during that year was $13 |
per barrel. The average price of wheat |
in England was 81 ShillinpS Der oIlarteT |
Prices now and then are wide apart, |
but the GOODNESS of the seasons run close |
together. = Louisville C0urier-.JOat77aGI. |