Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-06-17

". II. Zottman........ ............. 1900
THAT YEAR WITH A SUMMERLESS
SUMMER.
To the Editor of The Free Press:
In the ssue of the Free Press of June
3, I noticed a short article with the
"A Year Without a Summer
which gives q brief description of such
weather conditions that prevailed in the
year 1916, and for which article you give
credit to the st. Louis Past-Dispatch.
Now that is going a considerable ways
for sllch an interesting item which. un-
doubtedly, originated nearer home. L
have a clipping taken from the Free
Press that tells the SAME story in far
more interesting manner and the chances
are that the st. Louis Past-Dispatch
story was lifted" from your columns,
after Il had been resurrected to do SER
vice as it has done probably in every
year that the Thermometer has failed to
register seasonable weather that is nee
essary for the happiness and prosperity
Of Vermont farmers. The clipping from
the Free Press to which l refer is as|
follows
L n.
The story of 1916, the year without al
summer has been retold on the author-|
ity of a diary said to have been kept|
continuously from ls10 to 1910. The re-
cord in it's most important feature is as|
follows
January was so mild that most per-
sons allowed their fires to go out and
did not burn wood except for cooking
February was not cold
March. from the 1st to the 9Th was in !
clined TO be windy April came
in warm, but as the days grew
longer the air became colder, and
by the lst of May there was a tenpera
ture like that of winter, with plenty o |
SNOW and ice In May the young bud
were frozen dead, ice formed half a.
inch thick on ponds and rivers cor
was killed and the cornields were plante@
again and again until it became too lat
to raise a crop June was tn
coolest month of roses ever experience
in this latitude Snow fell tie
inches deep in Vermont. There was
seven-inch fall in the interior of Me-
York State and the same In Massachus
etts All summer long the win
blew steadily from the north In b'ast
laden with snow and ice On IN
Fourth of July ice as thick as windo
glass formed throughout New Englan
New York and in parts Of Pennsyvan
= To the surprise of everybody. Au
ust proved the worst month of all
Another record says briefly that
! 1876 there was frost in every month
the latitude of Philadelphia and ice
thick as window glass formed in Pen
sylvanta. New York and New Engla
| on July 81
! l do not recollect the exact year I
above clipping was published, but it W
taken from the Free Press many yea
ago, being in a scrap-book l have be-
entering selections in for about - yea
and in which have many itceresti
! things about Vermont.
Burlingtonians can very easily rene
Der that summerless year 1876 if in pa
ing the Unitarian Church at the head
Church street they will note up ~
the clock the block of marble set in
brckwork, upon which is carved
year the edihce was erected. Isl
Perhaps this is more easily fixed in
mind because my grandfather, ca
Samuel Nichols, was the contractor
builder. and was a member of t
church. 1t is many years since HI
seen those figures, but cannot think
the one without bringing TO mind
other. Incidentally in view of the
kind things Billy" Sunday, the evan
list. has been saying this year about I
, tarians, then to recall that the Burli
ton church was built that cold year,
of course, that is only a coincident
certainly will be hard TO reconcile
; assertions of Billy" with the kind
people which has composed the mem
, ship Of the church society in Buring
If there Is any one thing more t
, another that | keep track Of IT is
, monts coolest records. which l nd
, fail to flash" to natives of war
, chimes when they so about shiverins
soon as the thermometer drops towi
zero. don't go quite as far
, George NJ Clark and Hank w
; Nermont's famous minstrel end meI
,, years ago, who cracked jokes on
, other about living in the town of r
ing, where they Celebrated the Fo
: OF July on snow shoes and coas
down hill on harrel-staves." but |
= shown the records that would come
- near making Vermont the land W
= they have six months winter and
balance of the year spring and fall,
a any doubts are expressed. | show
a clippings taken from the Free Pres
newspaper | have constantly read
or less since my earliest recollecti
more than han century ago, VIII
, lad OF eight years of age | CARR
a route in Burlington for the Evening
, Press, and also for The Morning T
: which was during the stirring day
: the Civil War. Both OF these newsp
a We're afterwards consolidated and l
9 learned my trade as a printer Id
= Free Press office. since which ii
4 have followed the newspaper and
a ing business and have had almost
n tinuously all of these years eithe
a daily or Weekly Free Press. in VIII
J.. am always interested, and, natu
a the Free Press is my principal
3, OF information.
n W. H. NICHq
, Plajnfieid, New Jersey. June s.