Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-15
WORSE THAN IN 1857.
PRESENT STORM MORE SEVERE
THAN THE FORMER ONE.
THE FALL RAIH1R GREATER.
The Drifts. however, Not Altogether
SO Deep--A Richmond minister
Gives the Record of the Old storm
Made ut the Time.

greater in every way but he deals Il
generalities.
AS matter of fact. the record seem
against him. Figures giving the depti
Of the snowfall, the state Of the mercury
and the duration of each storm show tina
the one which ended Monday night was
in every respect nearly as severe as The
earlier one and in some particulars was
worse.
NOTES MADE IN 1857.
A prominent and widely-known minister
and teacher Of Richmond who resided al
Burlington, King and Queen county. at the
| time Of the storm of January, 1871, has
| In his possession a valuable record OF the
weather extending back from the present
to several years before the time of the
great storm, indeed more than a half
century He brought this record, por-
ton OF it yelowed with age, TO the Dis
patch Office yesterday.
The notes are extremely interesting
Where there were phenomenal weather
conditions the gentleman made notes OPP
posite the dates. Following are the OBJ
servations upon the great storm of 1851
January, 1Sj7-Snow commenced early
Saturday night Of the nth
Sunday, 1Sth-TTemendous snow-storm
all day: extremely cold; 2 degrees
Monday, 19th-The storm continued
with increased fury last night; wind ter
rife. This morning still showing, with
high wind; cleared off i'm the afternoon;
snow-drifts eight TO ten feet; snow ieil
about forty hours.
Tuesday, 20th-Fair and cold
"wednesday, 2st-A little snow at
night"
This ends the period Of the storm, but,
continuing the observer states that unth
the 26th of January the weather was eX-
tremely cold. and then moderate TO the
end of the month The fact Is mentioned
that the mail stage from Richmond TO
TappahannOck did not get through FOR
nearly three weeks.
THE DRIFTING IS GREAT.
From the yellow page upon which are
entered notes of the great storm OF the
past one turns to the fresh notes Of the
one whose grasp is only slightly relaxed.
They are as follows:
"The storm of February II to 10, 1893,
continued about ffty-hve hours. The
temperature has been near and some
times below, zero for nearly q. week.
"The drifts were very nearly as deep as
greater. The storm occurred four weeks
later in the season. when the days have
heightened about an hour and the vernal
equinox is only forty days off. IL must
be set down as unprecedented, certainly
within fifty years"
Regarding the great storm Of January,
1856 the old weather-book says:
January 5th-Snowing tremendously
depth Y inches; 18th to 10th-very cold;
lOth-2 degrees below zero reported 10 be
% degrees below at Fredericksburg.'
Discussing these notes. the minister re-
ferred to said: 1.-THE tremendous wind
was the feature of the great storm of
1851. 1t blew a perfect gale at times. This
caused such great drifting. The wind du-
ring the storm this week must have been
nearly as high. as ! have observed that
the drifting was In some places as great
OrsgTeater."
POINTS OF GREATER SEVERITY.
1t seems that in point of depth Of snow
fall, average depth of drifts and time Of
duration, the last great storm was more
severe than its historic predecessor.
Many stories of greater drifts than
those reported as the result of the last
storm are told, but the observer says the
average drifting caused by the high winds
during the storm of 1899 is deeper than
that resulting from the storm Of 1857. In
many instances drifting seems TO nave
been worse The snow was probably
finer than that now on the ground, and
the high wind caused it to sift through
crevices TO an extent never experienced
before.
Tie temperature succeeding the storm
of 1851 was lower than that following the
storm of 1899. a gentleman stated yes
nA
great storm drifted into his attic in large
quantities. 1t was partially removed, but
In the following June he found con-
siderable amount of snow in tub in the
garnet. ii being the last of the drifting
of the January storm
MUST WAIT FOR THE STORIES.
The stories told of the earlier storm
are interminable, innumerable, and ex-
traordinary. Country residents relate the
majority OF these, and stories of hidden
fences and trees, which caused travellers
TO lose their way, are matters OF record
more or less authentic.
IL IS probable that the present genera
tion in DAYS to come will tell stories just
as remarkable of the storm of to-day
And true stories, too. 1t Is yet too early
to collate a modicum of individual expe-
riences. Wait until it has been the theme
of conversation for years.
Is EQUALLY AS BAD.
Captain James y. Angle, who had an
experience in the storm of 1851 which he
will never forget, admits that the one
through which we have just passed is
equally severe. II spent the night out
in the memorable storm of 81" he said TO
q Dispatch reporter last night, and it
was certainly a terror. That was the
most uncomfortable night of my lhe, and
that we escaped alive was almost mira
Gle. think the recent storm was equally
as severe as that of over forty years ago.
The present snow lasted longer, and is
as deep or deeper, but there was more
wind then, and think the drifts, certain
ly I'm many places, were deeper then. l
spent the entire night, together with DR..
Beale and another person, in the Doctors
open carriage out at the Fairfield race
course near what is now Paramount
DIR. Beale was called out to see a lady
who was i'll, and when we got TO the race
course the horses became stuck in the
snow, which was very deep, and could not
pull out. We just had to remain there in
the carriage and keep up the circulation
Of our blood as best we could. We became
very numb, but did not lose consciousness
The next morning we followed the line
of fence 10 a house not very far away,
and there thawed out and got a hot
breakfast. after which we returned To the
city our horses were unhitched and
taken 10 Q stable and the carriage re-
NAMED there in the snow for a long time.
/ tell you the experience was a terrible
one, and our suffering was great. That
IS was not worse is remarkable. The
weather was very cold and nearly every
body had sleghs."