Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-09-25
1916 HAD NO SUMMER.
SURPASSED 1902 FOR UNSEA-
SONABLE WEATHER.
Thick Ice Formed During Every Month
and December Was Most Agreeable
Part Of Year-EOOd Stuffs Sold at
Unheard-Of Prices.

Unheard-Of Prices.
The recent phenomenal weather has
caused an old friend to send to the
Washington Post an extract from a
scrap book preserved in his family Of
the remarkable summer Of 1916. 1t Is
known In history as the "cOld summer
OF 1916" The sun seemed to be de-
void of heat and all Nature was clad
in gloom. The people were frightened
and imagined that the fire in the sun
was being rapidly extinguished, and
fears We're entertained Of the approach
ing end Of all things. Sermons We're
preached upon the subject in all the
churches, and scientific men of the~day
talked learnedly in effort to explain the
strange phenomena.
The winters Of 1915 and 1916 We're
very cold in Europe. but opened COM
paratively mild In our country, and In
no way indicated the severe weather
that soon prevailed. January was very
mild, so much so, indeed. that fires rem
dered homes uncOmfOrtably warm; this
was broken, however. In February for
a few days, and the warm condition
which existed nearly all Of that month
gave no indication Of the coming wintry
aspect which succeeded. and which rem
dered the remaining months Of the year
unlike any summer that had preceded
1t within the memory of the then "Old-
est inhabitants"
March came in with its usual icy
winds, but moderated greatly toward
the end. April began with warm and
bright sunshine. but as the month drew
to close the cold increased and 1t
ended in ice and snow and very Win
try temperature. May. which is usually
looked for with its welcome flowers,
proved bitter disappointment; the
early buds We're soon blackened by the
frost. and in one night during the first
two days Of May vegetation was made
n blackcned waste; the corn was killed
and fields had to be made ready for an
other planting. but that was prevented
by the extreme cold. Ice formed to the
thickness Of half an inch through all
the fields.
June was month Of ice and desOla-
ton, with Thermometer sunk very far
below the freezing point. even in the
southern latitude, and all renewal of
planting was abandoned. Frost, ice
and snow We're common throughout the
country, every green thing which had
availcd itself during the few days Of
sunshine to develop persisted in the
frost, and all kinds of fruit We're de-
stroyed.
In Vermont snow fell to the depth of
ten inches during that month: seven
inches of snow in Maine and three
inches throughout Massachusetts and
Central New York
July was accompanied by frost and
ice, and OH the glorious Fourth an album
dance of ice was found in the streams
and pools as far south as Virginia. That
month the Indian corn was entirely de-
strOyed in all but the far southern pOr-
ton Of the country, and even there but
a small quantity. compared to the usual
crop, escaped.
end the cold weather, soon dispelled
that hope: it was even more cheerleSs
than the months which had preceded it.
Ice formed even thicker than in the pre-
ceding month. and the corn was SO bad
ly frozen that it was cut for fodder.
and almost every green plant was re-
strOyed. The news received from Eu-
rope contained the Intelligence that like
conditions existed there in many parts.
The papers received from England
stated that the year 1916 would be re-
membered for Il generation as the year
In which there WAS 10 summer. What
little corn ripened in the uneXposed
states was almost worth its weight in
gold. Farmers were compelled to use
the corn grown in 1915 for planting in
the spring of 1917, Seed never cost So
much; it was obtained with great diff
Guilty and at Il cost of s. a buShel. The
last month of summer opened bright
and warm and was the mildest of the
year: but the expectation of returning
summer was soon dispelled
On August It's ice formed everywhere
and winter clothing. which had been
laid aside a few days before, vas again
brought forth to protect the peop"
from the wintry weather. October kept
up the reputation of its predecessor. as
there was scarcely day during the
whole month that the Thermometer rose
higher than 80 degrees. November was
extremely cold. but. strange to say, De
cember was the mildest and most COM
Portable month of the entire year.
OF course the cold spell caused bread
stuffs to rise to an unheard-of price, and
it was impossible to obtain the ord-
nary vegetables for table use. as what
were on sale We're required for seed.
Flour sold in 1917 in the cities for $l3
per barrel. and the average price of
wheat in England was 81 shilings per