The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-05-27
A YEAR c0W
WITH NO
SUMMER
Ice Every Month as
far South as tie
CarOlinaS
Crops We're an Utter Failure
and Seed Saved From
1915 Furnished
1917

The year without a summer" says
the Toledo Blade, was 1916. The pre-
vious winter was very cold in Europe,
but opened comparatively mild in our
country, and In no way indicated the
severe weather that there prevailed.
January. was very mild. so much so.
indeed, that flres rendered homes un-
comfortably warm; this was broken.
however, in February for a few days.
but the warm condition which existed
all of that month gave no indication
Of the coming wintery aspect which
succeeded, and which rendered the re.
naming months Of the year unlike
any summer that had preceded II
within the memory OF the then "old.
est inhabitants"
March came in with It's usual icy
winds, but moderated greatly toward
the end. April began with warm
bright sunshine but as the month
drew 10 a close the cold Increased
and II ended in ice and snow and a
very wintry temperature. May, which
Is usually looked for with It's welcome
flowers, proved a bitter disappoint.
ment: the early buds were soon
blackened by the frost, and In one
night during the first two days OF
May all vegetation was made n black.
ened waste: the corn was killed and
the fields had 10 be made ready for
another planting, but that was pre-
NHnRNAH Nhn cold
formed 20 the thickness OF an inch
through all the fields
December Pleasant as May.
June was a month OF ice and desc
latlon. with thermometer sunk very
far below the freezing point. even In
tho Southern latitude. and all renew
al OF planting was abandoned. Frost,
ice and snow were common throughout
the country every green thing which
had availed 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 the month
seven inches In Maine and three
inches throughout Massachusetts and
central New York,
July was accompanied by frost and
ice. and ON tho glorious Fourth an
abundance OF ice was found In the
streams and pools as far south as Vir
ginia. That month the corn Vas en-.
tirely destroyed In all but the south
orn portion OF the country. and even
there but a small quantity. compared
to the usual crop escaped,
August which wcs hoped would
end the cold weather. soon dispelled
that hope: and Il was even more
cheerless than the months which had
preceded II. Ice formed even thicker
than In the preceding month. and the
corn was so badly frozen that Il was
cut for fodder. and almost every
green plant destroyed. The news re-
ceiyed from Europe contained the In.
telligence that like conditions existed
there In many parts.
Bad Year for the leeman.
The papers received from England
stated that the year 1916 would be
remembered for a generation as the
year in which there was no summer.
What little corn ripened In the uneX-
posed states was worth almost It's
weight In gold. Farmers were com.
PEELED 20 use the corn grown In 1915
for planting In the spring OF 1871.
Seed never cost so much: IL was OBJ
talned with great difiiculty and al a
cost OF So 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 10th ice formed every
where and winter clothing. which
had been laid aside few days before
was again brought forth 10 protect
the people from the wintry weather
October kept up the reputation OF It's
predecessor, as there was scarcely a
day during the whole month that the
thermometer rose higher than 80 de-
grees November was extremely cold
but. strange 20 say. December was the
mildest and most comfortable month
In the whole year.
OF course the cold spell caused
bread stuns 90 rise 10 an unheard Of
price. and il was impossible % obtain
the ordinary vegetables for table use,
as what were on sale were required
for seed. Flour sold In 1917 In the
cities for 3ls per barrel. and the aver.
age price OF wheat In England was 81
shlllings per quarter.