The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1913-01-24
WINTER AND WAR
Bitter Cold as a Factor In the
Campaigns In Europe.
ARMIES WRECKED BY FROST.

In Most Of the Great Conflicts For q
Century Past ley Weather Has Play
cd a Prominent Part-Nspoieon's
Disastrous Invasion OF Russia.
War is bad enough under the best of
climatic conditions, but when war and
bitterly cold and Icy weather mix the
suffering Is woefully intensified. And
| yet there has hardly ever been a Euro
| pean war on big scale In which Gen
eral Jack Frost has not taken hand.
Go back century. Eighteen hun.
dred and twelve was the year when
Napoleon made up his mind TO invade
Russia. Before starting he was care
full TO inquire OF the experts at what
date winter usually set In In southern
Russia. They told him the middle OF
December.
1t was on June "a thut he invaded
ltussln with 100000 men, and he reach
ed Moscow on Sept ii. That night
fire broke out. and within 1--we days the
city was burned to the ground. Even
then he remained until Oct. Is before
commencing his retreat
In the last week of October began
the worst frost which Europe had
known for three generations. The
Thames froze from it's source TO the
sen. The Seine. the Rhine. the Dan
ube. were oil icebound. On the Adri-
attic, off Venice. was seen the amazing
sight Of floating Ice foes. The Dardao
nelles and nearby waters were frozen.
Jack Frosts icy finger lay heavy even
upon North Africa Drift Ice appear
ed IN the Nile, and there were snow
storms In Trlpoli and Morocco.
Az for Napoleon's huge army, It was
almost wiped out Four hundred thou
sand men persisted. They froze TO
death In battalions as they bivouack-
ed and when at last, on Dec o, Ma
poleon reached German soil, out OF his
whole vast host but 10000 men were
left alive.
During the winter OF 1884 the
Turks were battling for dear life along
tho Danube against hordes OF Rus
slams. In the following September 25,-
wv ~ iIlnh tipOBbf u
of French and 5000 Turks were land
ed In the Crimea.
Again came q terrible winter, and
from the west Of Ireland right across
into Asin frost fell heavy on lnnd and
sea. In London II froze for six weeks
without brenk From Jan. ID to Feb
"a the thermometer was below freezing
I..Is L.. 81. A
was fearful. and the English army, dis-
gracefully catered for, suffered horri-
bly,. In all the British forces lost 90
056 men, and of these only IL per cent
fell in battle. Tho rest were destroyed
by cold aud disease, aggravated by a
rotten cOmmissarint
In 1870 came the biggest war OF the
latter half OF the nineteenth century
the titanic conflict between France aud
Germany BY Oct. 20 there were $780,
600 German troops In France, Paris
was besieged. and there began the four
months investment. with furious fight
Ing on both sides
Again Jack Frost came 10 the aid OF
the Germans. A long spell OF intense
cold made life almost impossible for
the half starved French, while the
Germans, who had the whole country
to draw on, besides their own excellent
commissarlat, suffered very little. BY
JanunFy the city was In such a terrible
condition that It surrendered
The date OF the last great war before
that Of 1912 In which Turkey was en-
gagged was 1877. The Turks were at
tackled by nm enormously superior force
Of Russians, with the car himself In
command Osman Pasha. with 10000
men. hurried Inland TO Pleyna. VII
lage which stood upon hill, and there
hastily entranched himself The Rus
slams had 100000 men. but Osman and
his dauntless band defeated them In
four successive battles,
In November winter set In three
weeks earlier than usual. The Turks
had no winter clothing and little to
eat but maize porridge and horsefesh.
They suffered fearfully. At last, on
Dec. 0. they determined to break out
There were only 10000 left. but their