Norwich bulletin., 1921-05-26
0Db INCIDENTS IN AMERIcAS,
 HISTORY
THE WINTER OF THE DEEP SNOW.

THE WINTER OF THE DEEP SNOW.
 There may have been colder winters than that of 1S50-51, but not at least within t't centuries. This winter was known as The Winter of the Deep Snow" and it far surpasses all records both previous and after this year. The precipitation of rain and melted snow for the year was 55.54 inches, and thk average for the previous twenty years was only Al inches.
 For many mornings during the winter in the northern states the thermometer was below zero, and several times as much as live degrees. The great snow storm, which seems to have visited the entire length of the United States, com nenced on Friday, Jafuafy If, 1881, at o'clock in the afternoon. and continued until Saturday at II o'clock in the morn. ing There fell fifteen inches in depth snow. very level and even over the face of the earth.
 In 1882 the following summary of the 1881 winter Is recorded Depth Of snow in 1881, 4S inches. The past year has been marked with many singular fea- lures. and the extremes in moisture and temperature been very great. The win ter months were attended with d degree of cold found only in Arctic regions, and
 
 peculiar to that tropical climate" There seems to have been d belt of clouds en- circing the western states for the last six months, opening at such distant per iods. and for such short space of time to the rays of the sun, that solar heat Since the great eclipse of February last has done but little warming of the sur face of the earth"
 Many striking stories are encountered in old histories of the Winter of the Deep Snow" The winter of 1880 set in unusually early. By December 1 the en. tire north may be said to have been frozen over. The first dee1 snow fell tho day before Christmas, ana 1t remained ufimelted when another Big snow stern arrived on December 30. Accompany /! ing this snow there was q furious gale and it was bitter cold. It seems to havt continued for days thabated-a wonder at first, then terror, benumbing hor TOT, as it became a menace U life o men and animals. The food was in tht fields. the fuel in the woods. the cattl huddlGd and parishing of cold and star lvati6n. How long this first storm con tihued is unknown. In ofe, sense it dit i f6t end at all; it merely changed ii character from time to time for the mex sixty days ..
 Dr. Samuel P. Hildfeth, in his Pi6hke History of ths Ohio Valley, thus de scfibes this remarkable sn6wfall: q driving rain. freezing as it fefl, on tn three feet of snow. formed a crust fie quite strong enough to bear man weight On this crust three more itche of snow feli. as light and finS as ashe and as hard as sand Then a bright cold sun shonG 5n the daz&iihe landscsp to threaten the eyesight To add | tthese difficulties d strong northwest win arose, to fill the aif with flying snow. s stinging, blinding and choking that me could not long make headway agains 1t. The wind was a steady, fierce galt day and night. for many weeks, and tn snow drifted before 1t all winter ] showed almost daily up to the middle February. For nine weeks snow covere
 the ground to the average depth of fou feet. Nc morning da%fed f6r many day
 At A time that tie thermometer regis
 tered less than twelve. degrees bel6' zkro.
 To show that the snow storm va widespread the vAhd4lla, Ill, 1ntelhger Ger, late in February noticed: 'arf
 hewspapets that reach us from evefy q
 t&ctiofi are filled with accounts 6t st verely cold weather, and immense ta1 . of snow. We have had an exttaord . nary season. The cold has Been ifteni and uninterrunted. The whole countt lhas been blocked ub with snow bani that have. covered the eafth since D , 6&fnber. Such d winter has never be- ; known ifi this region"
 very little mali was transmitted du
 ing ali this bliz3ard period, and naYig;
 ton of All Kinds was almost imp6ssibl GxcAptihg for sh6rt distances. When tl . spring thaw came conditions we're fit