Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-01-27
WINTER And WAR
Bitter Cold as a Factor In the
Campaigns In Europe.

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 a hand.
Go back a century. Eighteen hun
dred and twelve was the year when
Napoleon made Cp his mind to invade
Russia. Before starting he was care
fui TO inquire of the experts at what
date winter usually set in in southern
Russia. They told him the middle of
December
II was on June "a that he invaded
Russia with 100000 men, and he reach
ed Moscow on Sept IA. That night
fire broke out. and within FIVE days the
city was burned 20 the ground. Even
then be remained until Oct. IS before
commencing MS retreat
In the last week Of October began
the worst frost which Europe had
known for three generations. The
Thames froze from its source to the
sea. The Seine. the Rhine. the Dan
ube. were all icebound. on the Adri-
attic. Off Venice was seen the amazing
sight OF floating ice foes The Darda-
nrlles and nearby waters were frozen.
Jack Frost's icy finger lay heavy even
upon North Africa. Drift ice appear
ed In the Nile. and there were snow
storms in Tripoli and Morocco.
As for Napoleon's huge army. it was
almost wiped out -Four hundred thou
sHud men persisted They froze to
death in battalions as they bivouack-
ed. and when at last. on Dec 6, 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
the Danube against hordes of Rus
SLAMS. In the following September 25,-
600 British troops. similar number
Of French and 5000 Turks were land
ed in the Crimea.
Again came terrible winter. and
from the west OF Ireland right across
into Asia frost fell heavy on land and
sen. In London It froze for six weeks
without n break From Jan. IA TO Feb
- the thermometer was below freezing
every night In the Crimea the cold
was fearful. and the English army. dis.
gracefully catered for. suffered horri-
bly, In an the British forces lost 90.
Oj6 men, and Of these only IL per cent
fell In battle The rest were DESTROYED
by cold and disease. agE-a~sted by a
rotten commisssriat
In asFH.. A.. 4 -
latter half Of the nineteenth century.
the titanic conflict between France and
Germany. by Oct. 20 there were $50
900 German troops In France Paris
was bcsiegcd. ana there began the four
months investment. with furious fight
inc on both sides
Again Jack Frost came TO the aid Of
the Germans. a long spell of intense
cold made life almost impossible for
the half starved French. while the
Germans. VIA hod the whole country
10 draw on. besides their own excellent
commissar!at. suffered very little BY
January the city was in such terrible
condition that il surrendered
The date OF the last great war before
thar Of 1912 in which Turkey was en-
gagged was 1877. The Turks were at
tackled by an enormously superior force
OF Russians with the car himself In
command Osman PNzha. with 10000
men. hurried inlnud "a plevna. a VII
lage which stood upon N hill. and there
hastily eutranchrd himself The Rus
slams had 100000 men. but Osman and
his duuntless band defeated then in
four successive battles
In November winter set in three
weeks earlier than usual The Turk,
had no winter clothing and little e
eat hut maize porridge and horseheSh
They suffered fcarfully. At last. on
Dec. o. they GetermIned to break ont
There were only 10000 left. but their
rush WAS so tremendous that they car
ried three lines, Of Russian trenches be
Gore they were surrounded and forced
by enormously superior numbers e
surrender unconditionany.-L An
swers