The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-04-14
WINTER AND WAR.
Bitter Cold as a Factor In the
Campaigns In Europe.
ARMIES WRECKED BY FROST.


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 Euro.
pean war on a big scale in which Cen
eral Jack Frost has not taken hand.
Go back century. Eighteen hun
bred 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 that he invaded
Russia with 100000 men. and he reach
ed Moscow on Sept IA. That night
fire broke out, and within five days tie
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 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
nelles and nearby waters We're frozen,
Jack Frost's icy finger lay heavy ever
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
sand men persisted They froze to
death in battallons as they biyouack-
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 1854 the
Turks were battling for dear life along
the Danube against hordes of Rus
slams. In the following September 25,-
900 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
sea. In London 1t froze for six weeks
without break. From Jan. IA to Feb.
"a 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 all the British forces lost 20
056 men, and Of these only II per cent
fell In battle. The rest were destroyed
by cold and disease aggravated by
rotten comlaissaTiat.
In 1870 came the biggest war Of the
latter half Of the nineteenth century,
the titanic conflict between France and
Germany. By Oct 30 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 to 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
commissariat. suffered very little. BY
January the city was in such terrible
condition that 1t 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 an enormously superior force
of Russians, with the Car himself in
command. Osman Pasha. with 10000
men, hurried inland t0 Plevna, 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 horsehesh.
They suffered fearfully. At last, on
Dec. 8. they determined to break out
There were only 10000 left, but their
rush was so tremendous that they car
ried three lines OF Russian trenches be-
fore they were surrounded and forced
by enormously superior numbers to
surrender unconditionally.-L An
swers.