Waterbury Democrat., 1901-07-11
A MEMORABLE SUMMER


 There are few persons now 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 sseighteen-hundred- starve- to- death," and the summer months are known in history as ''the cold summer of 1S16," so remarkable was the temperature.
 January was mild, so much so that for days the people allowed their fires to go out, as artificial heat made the buildings uncomfortably warm This pleasant weather was broken by a severe cold snap in February, but this low temperature passed in few days and q warmer condition, similar to the month previous set in
 March 'scame ill like lion, but went out like lamb.' There was nothing unusual ill 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 brfpft. but as the month grew to close the cold increased until it ended ill Ice and snow and very low temperature
 May was q bitter disappnintma- True, buds came. but so did Sf7S e-,sst. and in one night laid all vegetation blackened waste. Corn was killed, and the fields 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 of the pools.
 June, the month of roses,'' was this this year q month Of ice and desolation Frost, ice and snow were common. Al most every green thing that had taken advantage of a few warm days to de- yelop was killed, and various kinds of fruits were nearly destroyed. One day the beautiful snow fell to depth of ten inches in Vermont. seven inches in Maine and three inches in Massachusetts and central New York. July was accompanied by front and ice, and those who celebrated the glori- ous Fourth not wisely, but too well' found an abundance of ice handy for immediate use the next morning. It was not very thick, not more than one I sixteenth of an inch, but it was ice and 1t caused the good people of New l England, New York and some sections I of Pennsylvania to look grave. That month Indian corn was destroyed in all but the most favored locations. and but q small quantity escaped surely August would put an end to such cold weather, but the farmers as well as hotel proprietors were doomed to disappointment. The midsummer month was, if possible, more cheerIess than the days already passed Ice formed even thicker than it had done the month before and corn was so bad | ly frozen that it was cut for fodder and almost every green plant ill this coun- try as we'll as Europe was frozen.
 Papers received from England stated that the year 1916 would be remember ed by the generation then living as q | year in which there was no summer What little corn ripened in the unex- posed states was worth almost it's weight i'll silver, and farmers were com l pelled to provide themselves with corn grown i'll 1915 for the seed they used in the spring of 1877. This seed never, cost SC, much, being difficult to get even at l 5 a bushel.
 The last month of summer was ushered in bright and warm. and for I two weeks the now almost frozen peo- pie began to thaw out. It was tue mildest weather of the year, but just as the inhabitants got fairly to ap- l preciate it old Boreas and Jack Frost came along and whitened and har- dened everything in their path.
 On the 16th ice formed q quarter of an inch thick and winter clothing that had been laid away for q few days was, again brought forth and wrapped around shiyering humanity By this time the people had given up all hopes of again seeing the flowers | bloom or hearing the birds sing. and began to prepare for hard winter. October kept up the reputation of it's predecessors. as there was scarcely a day that the thermometer registered l higher than 30 degrees.
 November was also extremely cold and sleighing was good the first week of the month, but strange to relate December was the mildest and most l comfortable month of the entire year T condition which led many people to believe that the seasons had changed l about.
 Of course the cold spell sent bread stuffs to an unheard of price, and it was impossible to obtain for table use many of the common vegetables, as they were required for seed.
 I Flour sold ill 1917 in the cities for l $l3 a barrel, and the average price of wheat ill England was 97 shillings q 1 quarter.-Boston Globe.
 ". A N 1NI F Ict Iesr NrIa nn,r nrc,r.