The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-05-23
ICE, FROsT5 AND SNOW IN ALL
THE STATES ON THE FOURTH
OF JULY.
Summer Months Were Colder Than
Wiutsr-Vegetation Perished
and the Land Was Desc
late-It Was in the
Year 1S16-Other
News. E4

May. LII mas DG6n the SUBJECT Ol
comment and complaint, and vel
how much better the conditions
than in that dread year of 1916
when throughout the United States
the weather refused to turn warm
with summer heat, but on the con.
tra'ry turned to bitter cold with
bowling blasts and killing frosts
and temperature far below the
freezing point, and so continued
until December. Vegetation of all
kind was killed, the buds turned
black from blighting frosts. no
corn was grown in the country
save small amount in theextreme
south, and suffering and des ,latio I
were everywhere. An account of
the rigors of that terrible summe
less year is given as follows in the
Toledo Blade:-
The "year without summer"
was 1916 The previous winter was
very cold in Europe, but opened
comparatively mild in our country,
and in no way indicated the Sc
we're weather that there prevailed.
January, was very mild, SO much
SO, indeed, that fires rendered
homes uncomfortably warn; this
was broken, however, in February
for few days, but the warm con-
dition which existed all of that
month gave no indication of the
coming wintry aspect which sue
ceeded, and which rendered the re-
manning months of the year unlike
any summer that had preceded it
within the memory of the then
''oldest inhabitants"
March came in with it's usual
icy winds, but Moderated greatly
toward the end. April began with
warm and bright sunshine, but SIS
the month drew to a close the cold
increased and it ended in ice and
and snow and very wintry tenn
perature. May, which is usually
looked for with its welcome flowers,
proved q bitter disappointment; The
early buds were soon black.ned by
the frost, and in ons night Gu ing
the fSrst two days of May all vege-
tation was made blackened waste;
the corn was killed and the fields
had to be made ready for another
planting, but that was prevented
by the extreme cold. Ice formed
t0Ehe thickness of an inch through
all the fields.
June was a month of ice and des-
ofation, with thermometer sunk
very far below the freezing point,
even in the southern latitude, and
all renewal of planting was aband-
sned. Frost, ice and snow were
common throughout the country,
every green thing which had avail
ed itself during the few days of sun
shine to develop perished in the
frost, and all kinds of fruit were
destroyed.
In Vermont snow fell to the
depth of ten inches during that
month; seven inches in Maine and
three inches throughout Massachu-
sets and Central New York.
July was accompanied by frost and
Ice, and on the gloriols Fourth an
abundance Office was found In the
streams and pools as far south as
Virginia. That month the Indian
corn was entirely destroyed in all
but the southern portion Of the
country, and even there but small
quantity, compared to the usual
crop, escaped.
August, which was hoped would
end the cold weather, soon dispell-
ed that hope; it was even more
cheerless than the months which
had preceded it. Ice formed even
thicker than in the preceding
month, and the corn was so badly
frozen that it was cut for fodder,
and almost every green plant de-
stroyed. The news received from
Europe contained the intelligence
that like conditions existed there
In many parts.
The papers received from Eng
land stated that the year 1916
would be remembered for genera
ton as the year in which there was
no summer. What little corn rip
ened in the unexposed states was
worth almost its weight in gold.
Farmers were compelled to use the
corn grown in 1916 for planting in
the spring of 1917. Seed never
cost SO much; it was obtained with
great difficulty and at cost of $5 a
bushel. The last month Of sum-
mer opened bright and warm and
was the mildest Of the year, but the
expectation of returning summer
was soon dispelled.
On August 18th ice formed eve
rywhere, and winter clothing, which