Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-02-09
THE WEATHER OF 1920 YEARS.
Facts Cleaned by a Boston Man From
Observation and Reeords-New Eng
land 1f.Year Cycles.

observation and Hecoros-NeW Eng
land 1f.Year Cycles.
Ever since 1 was a boy here in Bos-
ton" says Isaac Young Chubbuck Of
Dorchester, to the Boston Globe, land
lived on the old mill DAM near the present
line Of Commonwealth avenue, across the
Fens, have been interested In statistics
relating to the weather and have now
| q complete daily record which extends
backward for 100 years. l might state as
a common meteorological fact that the
| New England weather like the Gregortan
calendar, repeats itself in cycles, gem
orally in cycles OF IL years. My data
has been collected from the current news
papers, personal memoirs, and from other
partial collections that have preceded
my work. These collectors have been
| experts. with the proper instruments to In
sure reliability, and the correctness of
the results reached are said to be I'M
impeachable
"of course, the change in the material
surroundings has much to do with the
| apparent change In the weather condi-
tions But as a matter Of fact the weather
has not changed at all. It Is the habits
and methods of living upon the part OF
| the people that have changed. Warmer
houses and warmer clothing in winter,
warmer facilities for travelling about the
| country, as well as more scientific ways
for Keeping cool In summer, all contribute
to this popular fallacy that the New
| England climate of today Is not what II
| was a. century ago,
Take for instance the winter OF 1888
and 1884, which is known in local history
| as the cold winter The record shows
that the Thermometer ranged extremely
low, and there was an abundance of
snow and ice. Early in January, 1884,
there came a thaw which caused great
| damage to streams, bridges and abutting
| lands, and the same thing was repeated
| ~ - tt,a
exception of the thaw last winter, that
OF 19O4-1905 was an almost exact counter
Part, by the record, of It's predecessor
1870 years before.
The coolest New England winter OF
the 18th century" continued Mr.. Club
buck was that OF 1856. December 10
of that winter was one Of the coolest
| windiest, and generally most frightful
days In Boston's history. The thermome-
ter was at 16 below at its lowest point
and the velocity OF the wind was OF such
a terrifying nature that many OF the good
people OF this city did not dare retire
| at night to their beds and leave their
| houses unprotected from the fury of the
| elements 1t was on this same ever-to-
be-remembered night that New Yorl's
most disastrous fire occurred, a conhagra-
tior which has not been equaled in pro-
>portionate destruction by anything that
has since occurred.
'"rhen again. our fotefathers were wont
| TO refer to January 10, 1910, as the cold
| Friday The previous day was warm.
| with mean temperature OF so. But on
the morning Of the 18th the mercury
showed a drop Of so degrees, and. being
unprepared for such a great change in
so short a time all OF Boston shivered
| Sometime in January, 1884, there was a
similar drop OF so degrees But there were
better preparations to meet II, and II
passed unnoticed. The winter OF 1914.
wnen the harbor was frozen, was often
referred to as an unusually cold season.
Tho two years OF 1911 and 1919 show
wide difference In their respective mean
temperatures, 1911 being a warm and 1912
a cold year. Two such yearly extremes
| coming together Is not a common cir
| cumstance.
''The summer OF 1925 was one of the
warmest seasons in the weather record
the mercury ranging above the 80 mark
| through July, some days approaching near
| LOG degrees. The similar season OF 1918
| has come down to US as a remarkably
| cold period. Some writer's have asserted
| that the New England farmers were un-
able to produce crops OF any description
in the frigfd year of 1916 But the cur
rent newspapers show that about every
thing was raised and harvested excepting
| corn. and there was little suffering.
There is also as much precipitation OF
snow as ever. but here in Boston there
are so many ways in which this chief
feature Of former winters Is dissIpated
that one is apt to think there is decline
In the snow market. The winter of last
year illustrates the truthfulness of the
assertion. The winter OF 1866 was another
bit OF evidence on this head. All through
the decade of the SOS there was an
abundance and more OF IL OF Natures
white and feathery carpet while the
blizzards of 1888 are fresh in the minds
of those people who were abroad during
their prevalence.
months that show the greatest range Of
the thermometer. You will remember
that April 49, 1775. was an extremely hot
day, and this In more senses than one for
the Brltlshers under Pitcairn. while April
~, 1875. was so cold and uncomfortable
that thousands at the centennial celebra-
ton suffered from the inclemency Of the
weather.
But December has shown, In this re-
spect, the most frealSy characteristics
December 1881, was the coolest month
FOR an average low temperature. OF which
/ have any record. The mean tempera-
ture was is above. and while the mercury
did not fall below zero but once, when II
was one below IL did not rise higher
than "a above but once
There have been various phenomena
connected with the New England weather
that my record shows. The dark day OF
May 10, 1850, and the yellow day on |
September G. 1881. were both extraordi- |
nary, but had their simple explanation
in forest fires. But those gorgeous sun
sets OF September and October in 1888. |
II you recall them. which were the most |
beautiful displays OF the kind that have /
ever seen, were said to be due to the |
disastrous eruption on August "a of that |
year OF the Japanese volcano Krakatoa.
which hIed the whole atmosphere above |
the sea OF Japan with particles of dust |
and the action of the aerial currents |
waited them to this part OF the world two |