Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-09-30
A MEMORABLE SUMMER.
CALLED "ElCHTEEN HUNDRED AND
STARvE-TO-DEATH."

ihSiS are leN peISOilS uOW living
who recollect the year 1916. but Euro
pean and American data represent it
as having been phenomenal in almost
every particular.
In New England the year went by
the name of -hundred-and-
starveto-death," and the summer
months are known in history as "the
cold summer OF 1876" so remarkable
was the temperature.
This suns rays seemed to be desti-
tute Of heat and all nature was clad
in sable hue. Men and women be-
came frightened and imagined that the
fire in the sun was being rapidly ex-
tinguished, 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 were 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, 80 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 a Sc
we're cold snap in February, but this
low temperature passed in few days
and 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 very low temperature.
To those who delighted in balmy
May days and loved to watch the
budding flowers the May of 1916 was a
bitter disappointment. True. buds
came, but so did the frost, and in one
night laid all vegetation blackened
waste.
Corn was killed, and the field had to
: be made ready for another planting,
but the peoples astonishment was
complete when they found ice formed
to the thickness of half an inch in
the pools - .'j ''i@ i. .;;,..' ~,
June, "the month of roses" was this
year a month of ice and desolation.
The "oldest inhabitant" was surprised,
for never before had the mercury sunk
so low in the tube in these latitudes
in the last month Of spring.
Frost, ice and snow were common.
Almost every green thing that had
taken advantage Of few warm days
to develop was killed, and various
kinds of fruit were nearly all de-
stroyed.
One day the beautiful snow fell to a
depth OF 10 inches in Vermont, seven
inches in Maine and three inches in
Massachusetts and Central Now York.
Matters were beginning to be inter-
esting. People were undecided wheth-
er to spend the summer in the south
or at the seashore and mountains. One
day the latter resorts were desirable
and the next would decide in favor of
the former, but on the whole the south
ern cline was preferred.
July was accompanied by frost and
ice, and those who celebrated the
glorious Fourth mot wisely but too
well" found an abundance Of ice handy
for immediate use the next morning.
1t was not very thick, not more than
one-sixteenth of an inch. but it was
ice, and it caused the good people of
New England, New York and some
sections Of Pennsylvania to look grave
That month Indian corn was destroyed
in all but the most favored locations,
and but a small quantity escaped.
Surely August would put an end to
|
well as hotel proprietors were doomed
to disappointment. The midsummer
month was, if possible, more cheerless
than the days already passed. Ice
formed even thicker than it had done
the month before and corn WIS SO
badly frozen that it was cut for fod-
der and almost every green plant in
| this country as well as in Europe was
frozen.
Papers received from England stated
that the year 1916 would be remem-
bered by the generation then living
as year in which there was no sum-
mer.
What little corn ripened In the unex.
posed states was worth almost its
weight in silver and farmers were CON-
PEELED to provide themselves with corn
grown in 1915 for the seed they used
in the spring OF 1917. This seed never