Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-03-02
The Storm Of 1857.

StOnewall, Va, Feb. ITO say tina
we have had snow upon top of snow
and the greatest snowfall for man.
years, commencing on Saturday night
the 11th inst. and continuing for for
ty-eight hours in succession, succeed
ed by several additional snowfalis, un
til there has been at least three feet O
snow upon the ground; would not b'
news. for your readers have witnessed
the same phenomenon.
It is:true that it has been out of tn,
regular order of our Virginia winters
and to many q wonderfulsnow period
the like of which they have never seen
have heard many such remarks
made in the last few days, which. car
ries my mind back to Sunday, the 18th
day of January 1857. on which day
was one OF the most terrible snow
storms known to the oldest inhabi.
tants OF that date; the Saturday pre-.
ceeding was a beautiful clear and
warm day, though there had been very
cold and freezing weather prior to this
time. On Saturday night. the 18th,
snow commenced falling and continu-
ed until sometime on Sunday night.
During the whole day Sunday with
the thermometer several degrees below
zero and very high north wind the
snow fell SO thick and fast that one
could not see fifty yards ahead of him.
To give the depth Of that snow
W ould be altogether conjecture, for
owing to the high winds acres of field
was swept bare, while In other places
the snow was drifted to the top of
stake and ridered fences. was, at
that time, playing the part of an old
field schoOlmaster on Pleasant Run, in
Rockingham county. On Monday. af-
ter the storm, 1 started towalk to my
about mile of. TAX
ing short cut through meadow I
had to cross ditch, and presuming to
know tie locality I ventured to the
edge and jumped for the other side,
but instead of reaching terra frma as
1 expected, found my feet planted in
the bottom of the ditch with at least
one foot of snow above my head.
Had expected to chronicle this won
derful event: forty-two years and
twenty-three days in the future, THAT !
is g period between the two great
snow Sundays) I would have noted
with more precision the event of that.
day. 1 we'll remember that the news
paper accounts of the suffering in this
and throughout the Northern States
was terrible. People were frozen to
death on the highways and byways
rom Maine to Virginia.
In those days James Trotter, that
Prince of stagers, was running stage
inc between Staunton and Winches-
er, and if my memory serves me right
was one of his drivers that was fro
en- to death in the drivers seat with
be lines in his hand while driving
rom one post to another. The horses
topped at their usual place and the
ttendant found the driver in the
bove name condition. Imay be mis-
AIKEN as to it being on the Valley
turnpike, but if so I know that 1 am
lot mistaken as to the occurrence. It
nay have been further north.
On Monday the clouds cleared away
md for about four weeks the weather
vas clear and intensely cold, with no
ct up. Slelghing was the orde, of the
lay and nights as we'll, and the roads
;ould not have been in better order.
There was travelling done from as far
Is the State of Pennsylvania to Lex
ngton, in Rockbridge county. and
pack in sleighs. ALI business Seemed
10 be blocked up especially with the
so there was nothing else to
do but sleigh ride.
About the second or third week In
February the weather began to let up
under clear bright sun and warm
southern winds. Great torrents of
water flowed almost everywhere. the
exit was as sudden as the advent, and
in a few days thereafter, the woods
rang with the sound of the axe. Ma
ture seemed to have put on a new
garb and was animated into busy
thrOng.
The above has been gathered from
memory, may not be exact in every
particular and if so, I will be glad to
ho oo.roatad w E. B.