Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-03-14
OLD RES|DENTERS
RACK BRAINS FOR
MILD WINTER DATA
1880 GAVE ILLINOIS ANOTHER
SUCH PERIOD AS THAT NOW
CLOSING - RECALL FREAK
TUESDAY" WHICH HIT oTTA.
WA AWAY BACK WHEN

WA AWAY bACk WHEN
Springfield, H., March 1i,-The
"hot winter" experienced by Illinois
this year, and which, by the way has
been general throughout the Middle
West, has set many persons digging
around in their pile of recollections
for winter that has been Its equal
The winter of 1880 stands ont as
the mildest winter on record at the
United States weather bureau III
Springfield. That year the month OF
January enjoyed a temperature !, y
10 degrees above normal ana feuru'
ary 9 degrees above normal Inc
records OF the weather bureau here
cover the past Al years.
A remarkable feature of this year 5
winter Is the light snowfall WhIch
has been a little less than one toot.
More snow fell during the month OF
December, $40 H., than during all
the rest of the winter to date only
3 6.l0 inches fell during January and
slightly more than half an inch dur.
ing February.
But you never can tell what's com
ing" remarks X. y. Herman, United
States weather bureau observer
Last year in April, after winter was
supposed TO have been officially dead
and buried. along came 2-l0 inches
of snow-more than fell altogether
during the preceding winter months"
The winter of 1881 lays claim in
Illinois history as "the winter of the
deep snow" Heavy SHOWS that year
was general all over the country and
at many places in Illinois was four
feet deep.
Winter History.
Eleanor Atkinson in the Journal of
the Illinois State Historical tells of
memorable winters.
Illinois winters up to 1881, accord
ing to the memories of the oldest in
habitants of that time, had been uni.
formly mild and open, particularly in
the southern part of the state. Light
SHOWS usually fell in January, accom-
panied by several DAYS of zero wealth
err, after which spring thaws would
set in and the winter would be over
But the winter of the big snow was
different. A six-inCh snow fell the
day before Christmas in 1880. On
December 80 the snow set in in ear
nest and during the balance of the
winter terrific snow storms, accom-
panied by low temperature. we're fire.
uuent Mail service was interrupted
for weeks at a time and in many
places people were entirely cut off
from the outside world, suffering in
tensely for lack Of fuel and food and
in some cases. freezing to death.
The snow reached a depth of four
feet In Springfield during that winter.
Livestock persisted and small game
was almost exterminated
Deer and other game. plentiful in
this country, at that time, wandered
into the city in search of food and
was shot by the snowbound inhabit
ants right at their front doors cps
Floods followed in the spring and
II was during the flood of the Sanga
mon river which was booming along
like mill race" that Abraham Lin
coin saved the lives of two compan
ions when they met with a mishap
In launching dugout canoe, prepare.
tory to making a trip to New Orleans
with load of merchandise
BY the way Of contrast with the
present mild winter. cold Tuesday
which the same historical sources
place on December 16, 1896, might be
mentioned
Sudden Changes.
A heavy snow had been turned to
slush by the warm weathed and a
heavy rain had fallen steadily for
nearly twelve hours. Suddenly a
west with a rumbhng noise resemb-
ling thunder and in less than five
minutes the atmosphere turned to in,
tense cold.
j. o. Cunningham of Urbana gave
his account Of the phenomena, as he
gathered it from old inhabitants in
volume 4 of the journal of the Hi.
nois State Historical society
An hour after the unprecedented
change man crossed stream. on
horseback which was frozen solidlv
to the bottom and remained 40 until
spring, It is reported Among other
stories told of this remarkable day
are these:
Two men and dog were said TO
have been crossing the Illinois river
in boat when the sudden change
struck them. Their boa: was frozen
in mid-Stream and they were forced
TO walk ashore on the ice. Their dog
froze to death
In Springfield a man was driving a
drove or hogs into the city When
the storm hit him he abandoned the
hogs and drove to farm house a
mile away for shelter. His hands
were frozen The next day he went
in search of his hogs and found a
pyramid of porkers' right where he