The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-09-20
A MEMORABLE SUMMER.
CALLED EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND
sTARVE-To-DEATH"

Phenomenal in Almost Every fnrticu-
lnr-The suns Rays Destitute Of Heat.
There are few persons now living
who recollect the year 1916 but Euro
pean and American data represent 1t /
as having been phenomenal in almost
every particular.
In New England the year went by /
the name OF "eighteen-hundred-and-
starve-to-death," and the summer
months are known in history as the
cold summer Of 1916" 80 remarkable
was the temperature.
The suns rays seemed to be desti-
tute of heat and all nature was clad
in a sable hue. Men and women be-
came frightened and imagined that the
fire in the sun was being rapidly ex-
tinguishej, and that the world would
soon come to an end.
Ministers took the phenomena for
the text Of their sermons. and pseudo
scientific men talked of things they
knew not Of, while the fanatics took
advantage Of the occasion to form re-
ligious organizations.
The winter Of 1856 was very cold
in Europe, but comparatively mild in
this country, and did not in any way
indicate the severe weather that soon
prevailed.
Even the almanacs we're silent, and
although the usual indications. about
now look out for cold weather" or
"this is a good time for snow were
entered in the regular portions Of the
book devoted to the winter predic-
tions, those used for chronicling the
pleasanter months had no such alarm
ing warnings.
January was mild, so much so that
for days the people allowed their fires
to go out as artificial heat made the
buildings uncomfortablly warm. This
pleasant weather was broken by Sc
we're cold snap in February, but this
low temperature passed in a few days
and a warmer condition. similar to the
month previous. set in.
March "came in like a lion, but went
out like lamb" There was nothing
unusual in the climatic conditions of
the month which differed from those
generally found in this windy season.
April was the advance guard of this
strange freak in temperature. The
early days were warm and bright, but
as the month drew to a close the cold
increased until it ended in ice and
snow and a very low temperature.
To those who delighted in balmy
May days and loved to watch the
budding flowers the May of 1915 was a
bitter disappointment. True. buds
came, but so did the frost, and in one
night laid all vegetation a blackenet
waste.
Corn was killed, and the field had tt
be made ready for another planting
but the peoples establishment was
complete when they found ice formed
to the thickness of half an inch il
the pools.
June, "the month of roses, was thi
year month of ice and desolation
The oldest inhabitant" was surprised
for never before had the mercury SUM
so low in the tube in these latitude
in the last month of spring.
Frost, ice and snow were common
Almost every green thing that ha
taken advantage of a few warm day
to develop was killed, and variou
kinds of fruit were nearly all dc
stroyed.
One day the beautiful snow fell to
depth of 10 inches in Vermont, seve
inches in Maine and three inches i
Massachusetts and Central New Yorl
Matters were beginning to be int
esting. People were undecided whetl
er to spend the summer in the sout
or at the seashore and mountains. On
, day the latter resorts we're desirabl
! and the next would decide in favor {
the former, but on the whole the soutl
a ern cline was preferred.
: July was accompanied by frost m
= ice, and those who celebrated til
i glorious Fourth mot wisely but tt
!. well" found an abundance of ice hand
> for immediate use the next mornin
1t was not very thick, not more the
y one-sixteenth of an inch, but it W.
q ice, and it caused the good people
New England, New York and son
sections of Pennsylvania to look gray
. That month Indian corn was destroys
!. in ali but the most favored location
;, and but small quantity escaped.
i, Surely August would put an end
u =, such cold weather, but the farmers
well as hotel proprietors were DOOM
70 to disappointment. The mid-summ
month was, if possible, more cheerle
is . !,