Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-02-16
some winters of i.ong Ago.

the early struggles of Liberty, says the
New YORK Evening Post, wrote as fol-
lows under date OF February 14th, 1871:
1.-THE changes of heat and cold pass
through all the degrees Of the Their
inometer. | have observed the cold
so great, that the Spirit in Patrick's
Thermometer, which is fixed to his
portable Barometer, descended the
space of SIC Gradations below all the
Gradations marked on the Thermome-
ter: at the same time, the Spirit in my |
Florentine Thermometer was included |
intirely with tho Ball; But so great
degree of Cold happens seldom. Hud- |
sons River, SO far as 1t is fresh, is
froze every year, so as to bear Horses
and Carriages. y
The winter Of 1T40-41 was called the
"hard WINTER continuing from the
middle of November to the end of the
following March. The snow was six
feet on level, and the Hudson was
frozen over.
In 1852 the weather was very cold.
Writing under date of January 18th,
the Weekly Post Boy says: Saturday
last our rivers and bay seem'd almost
clear of ice, but il froze so intensely on
Saturday night as to admit double
sledge to come over the river from
Long Island, on Sunday afternoon, and
return back again; several people had
the curiosity to walk across the river on
the ice; but by the falling of the tide,
about five o'clock, the ice parted from
both sides, and several people being
on at the same tins were obliged to be
taken off by boats.
The winter of l779-17S0 is noted for
the severity of the cold. The cold
began to fall about the 10th of Novem-
Der, and, accompanied by piercing
winds, continued ut intervals until the
end of March. The scarcity of fuel
was unprecedented. Gardens and
orchards were bereft of their orna
mental and fruit trees. Wood was not
to be had at any price; many families
would split up their chairs to cook
their breakfast, and then go to bed the
rest Of the day to keep warm. Mr..
Bell, well.known shipbuilder of that
day, cut up cable worth $500, for
back-logs, and a spar of the same
value for tirewood. The waters about
New York were transformed into a
solid block of ice, or, as one writer
says, "mere terra firma." Beautiful
shade trees which stood for century
in Wall street fell before the undis-
eliminating axe of the British soldier.
The Sound at New Haven was frozen
across 1.-THE whole thirty miles to the
Long Island shore, with the exception
of about two miles in the middle. =
Lord Stirling projected secret ex,
petition to Staten Island to surprise a
British detachment stationed there.
The watchful Tories gave the alarm,
and relief party of 100 mounted
soldiers, with convoy of more thar
200 heavily laden sleighs, and eight,
pieces of cannon, embarked on the ict
and crossed the bay in body. PRO
visions were SO high at that time tina
$50 would scarcely feed a family for
single day. The American patriots il
the prisons and prison ships of New
York suffered more than pen cal
picture.
The winter of 1717-171s was one 0
unusual severity. For several days
and as late of the 18th of February
! many people crossed on the ice fror
: New York to Jersey City. Sutler shop
= for refreshments were established O
: the ice for the sale Of liquor, roaste
CLAIMS, and oysters. 1t is said that tn
proprietor of one of these tents, name
Jeremiah Butnam, stuck to his pos
!, until the heat of his stove and tn
: effects of mild weather rendered tn
i ice surrounding his tent rattle
! treacherous. One of his customer.
= happening to step on thin plac
! outside his novel restaurant, brol
= through, and was struggling in tt
water when friend put his hoad int
the tent, and said, Jerry, there is
: man gone down your cellar" lis til;
= so?" said the imperturbable Jerr,
"Then it is about time to leave the
premises. - So the customer was fisht
= out, the tent struck, and all got sa
to land.
Il Tho winter of 1920 1921 was remarl
i able for its intense cold. The Americ;
Il of January 22d, 1921, says "Tl
n. weather, after twenty-one days
s. steady cold, began to moderate
q Saturday afternoon. On Saturd
~ morning t20th, Long Island Sour
a. was crossed upon the ice from Sand
is- Point to the opposite shore, distan
al eight miles. The price OF oak-wo
no was up to FIVE dollars a load Satu
day." On the 18th the same pap
~ stated that "the cold continues
al tense; both the North and East Rive
on were crossed on the ice.'' On the ne
,be day; "The North River continues
n be crossed with safety on the ice; I
he distance between the two shores /
been measured, and found to be IN
from Cortlandt Street to Paulus Hoo
j., Jersey City. The Hoboken ferrybo
no with ffty-seven persons and TWEEN
,,st three horses on board, drifted,
ia Wednesday evening, below Goyerno
mn Island, and was enclosed in the i
IL. where she now remains. The PEG
,bo suffered much from cold during
an night, although none were frozer
de. The record of 9th is: "More tina
| III Nha