The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-06-04
A QUEER YEAR
Up TO ibis Time We Rave Had Some
Most Remarkable Weather.
YEAR WITHOUT SUMMER

q
YEAR WITHOUT SUMMER
Are We Going to Have q Repetition
of tho Year That Had Gold Wealth
er in Every Month and Had Big
SNOW Storms in the Month OF
June.
The Augusta Herald says the sea-
sons so far this year have been most
peculiar. After winter of rather
disagreeable weather spring appar-
emily opened up early, and during
March and the first half of April
the weather was most pleasant, with
absence of rain and the usual March
winds the distinguishing feature.
Then came return of cold weather.
During the latter part of April there
was heavy snowfall which extended
well into Georgia, and frost which
reached into Florida. And since
that time the weather has been cool.
Only few days ago a heavy snow
storm was reported from the West
and within the past week overcoats
were worn on the streets CT Angus
ia. Surely most remarkable wealth
eri
But 1t is not without precedent
The year 1916 was year that must
have been similar to the weather
as we have had it up to this time.
It was referred to for years after
wards as ''the year without sum-
mer," and so cold was it at times in
some sections that almost all crops
were a failure, and the year was
called by the irreverent the year
of eighteen hundred and starved to
death"
"A gentleman in Thomasville has
copy of an old Virginia paper, pub
lished shortly after the war, which
contains the weather conditions Of
the year 1916 that was copied from
the Boston Globe, and which is OF
interest now. This seems to be the
account of a party who had personal
knowledge of that abnormal sum-
mer, and who had collected some
data in regard to it. He. says:
while every one is speaking of
the present season as being remark
able in its characteristics, ! have
gathered for your readers some re-
liable facts of the year 1915, known
as the year without a summer. Few
persons now living can recollect It,
but it was the coldest ever known
through Europe and America. The
following is a brief abstract of the
weather during each month of the
year:
January was mild, so much SO as
Ito ren1er fires almost needless In
parlors. December previous was very
cold.
February was not very cold; with
ithe exception Of few days it was
mild. like it's predecessor.
y March was cold and boisterous
during the first part OF it; the re-
:mainder was mild. A great freshet
$on the Ohio and Kentucky rivers
caused great loss of property.
"April began warm, but grew cold
er as the month advanced. and end
ed with snow and ice and tempera-
ture more like winter than spring.
MAY was more remarkable for
.frowns than smiles. Buds and fruits
were frozen; ice formed half an inch
thick; corn killed, and fields again
and again replanted until deemed
too late.
"June was the coldest ever know
in this latitude. Frost, ice and snow
were common. Almost every green
thing was killed. Fruit nearly all
DESTROYED. Snow fell to the depth
of ten inches in Vermont. several In
maine, IlTee ll lnS 1hSSAAoA - N''
York, and also in Massachusetts.
Considerable damage was done at
New Orleans in consequence Of the
rapid rise in the river. The SUI
burbs were covered with water, and
the roads were only passable with
boats.
'July was accompanied by frost
and ice. On the 5th ice was formed
of the thickness of a common vim
dow glass througout New England,
New York and some parts of Penn
sylvania, Indian corn was nearly all
destroyed; some favorably situated
fields escaped. This was true of
some of the hill farms of Massachu-
sets.
august was more cherries. If
possible, than the summer months
already passed. Ice was formed half
an inch. thick Indian corn was SO
frozen that the greater part OF 1t
was cut down and. dried for fodder.
Almost every green thing was de-
stroyed, both in this country and in
Europe. Papers received from Eng
land state that it would be remem-
bered by the present generation that
the year 1916 was year in which
there was no summer. Very little
corn ripened in the New England and