Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-02-07


tremes Of heat and cold than they would
experience at home.
"UNPARAILELED' COLD.
While one year differs from another in
minor features. the seasons come and 90
with striking regularity. We are natur-
ally inclined to think any particularly
cold spell is unparalleled and that heated
term beats the record. As a matter Of
fact it Is fairly safe for almanac-malsers
to say in January and February prog.
nostications: about this time look out
for excessively cold periods" So in July
and August we may look for periods of
intense heat.
From the very Europeanisation Of the
American continent to the present time.
the oldest inhabitant has been vainly try
ing to recall anything like the cold waves
Of his time. The people Of the United
States have been experiencing severe bliz-
cards the present winter. but according to
SO good an authority as Cotton Mather.
the celebrated minister Of Massachusetts,
the year hit also had unparalleled cold
drives.
In letter to friend in England. Cot
ton Mather, gave vivid description Of
''the Great Snow Of February. Ill.," which
critics have declared to be one Of the best
descriptions Of severe winter ever hand
ed down by New England writer Of two
centuries ago. Some extracts from this
description follow:
ION the twentieth Of the last Tebru-
airy there came on q Snow. which being
added unto what had covered the ground
few days before, made thicker man.
tie for our mother than what was usual
And ye storm with It was for the fol.
lowing days so violent as to make all
communication between ye Neighbors
everywhere to cease.
People for some hours. could not pass
from one side Of a street unto another.
But on ye Twenty Fourth day of We
month. comes Pelion upon Ossa: An
other Snow came on which almost buried
ye memory Of ye former. with a storm
so famous that Heaven laid an Interdict
on ye Religious Assemblies throughout ye
country on this Lords Day. ye like
whereunto had never been seen before,
The Indians near an hundred years
did afirm that their Fathers never told
them Of anything that equaled it. Vast
number Of Cattel were destroyed in
This Calamity. Whereof some there were
Of W Stranger sort. were found stand.
ing dead on their legs. as II they had
been alive. many weeks after, when
ye snow melted away. And others had
their eyes glazed over with ice at such
rate that being not far from W Sea,
their mistake Of their way drowned them
there. One gentleman on whose farms
were now lost above 100 Sheep, which
with other Cattel. were 90 inferred (shall
say or Innived in tho snow, writes
me word that there were two Sheen very
singularly circumstanced. For no less
than eight and twenty days after the
Storm. the People pulling out the ruins
OF above an 100 Sheep out Of a Snow
Bank which lay IS foot high drifted ovsr
them there was two found alive. which
had been there all this time, and kent
themselves alive by eating the vol of
their dead companions. When they ware
taken out they shed their own Fleeces
but soon got into good Case again. Sheen
were not 70 only creatures that lived un-
accountably for whole weeks without
their usual sustenance. entirely buried in
ye Snow drifts.
''The Swine had a share with W Sheen
In strange survivals. A man had a
couple Of young Hogs. which he gave
over for dead. but on the twenty-seventh
day after their Burial they made their
way out Of Snow bank at the bottom
Of which they had found a little Tansy
to feed upon. The Poultry as unac-
countably survived as these. Hons were
found alive after seven days: Turkeys
were found alive after Ave and twenty
days. buried In ye snow and at q dis
lance from ye ground. and altogether
destitute Of anything to feed them The
number of creatures that kept a Rigid
Fast shut up In Snow for diverse weeks
together and were found alive after all
have yielded surprising stories unto Us.
1.-THE Wild Creatures of 70 Woods, We
outgoings of W Evening. made their De-
scent as we'll as they could in this time
OF scarcity for them towards 70 Sea-
side A vast multitude Of Deer, for 70
same cause. taking 70 same course 4
ye Deep Snow Spelling them OF their
only Defence. which IL to run. they be.
came such a prey to these Dsvoursrs
that 1t Is though not one In twenty es-
capped"