Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-03-14
OLD RES|DENTERS
RACK BRAINS FOR
MILD WINTER DATA
1890 GAVE ILLINOIS ANOTHER
SUCH PERIOD AS THAT NOW
CLOSING RECALL "FREAk
TUESDAY" WHICH HIT OTTA.
WA AWAY BACK WhEN--

Springfield, H., March 14.-Tht
"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 recollectiohs
for a winter that has been its equal
The winter OF 1880 stands out as
the mildest winter on record at the
United States weather bureau IN
Springfield That year the month OF
January enjoyed a temperature y
10 degrees above normal ana febLn'
airy degrees above normal Ihe
records Of the weather bureau here
cover the past Al years
A remarkable feature of this year S
winter is the light snowfall, when
has been a little less than one loot
More snow fell during the month OF
December, $40 H.. than during all
the rest of the winter to date. Only
3 Go inches fell during January and
slightly more than half an inch dur
ing February.
but you never can tell what's com.
ing" remarks f. u. Herman. United
States weather bureau observer.
Last year in April, after winter was
supposed to have been officially dead
and buried, along came 8 2l0 inches
of snow-more than fell altogether
during the preceding winter months"
The winter of 1891 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
er, 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 30 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.
Guent Mail service was interrupted
for weeks at 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 doorstep
Floods followed in the spring and
II was during the flood of the Sanga,
mon river. which was booming along
like a 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 10 making trip to New Orleans
with a load of merchandise
BY the way of contrast with the
present mild winter, cold Tuesday
which the same historical sources
place on December l6, 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 q
dense black cloud rolled up from the
west with q rumbting noise resemb,
ling thunder and in less than five
minutes the atmosphere turned to in.
tense cold.
j. Q. 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 a man crossed a stream on
horseback which was frozen soldlv
TO the bottom and remained go until
spring, it is reported Among other
stories told of this remarkable day
are these:
Two men and dog we're said to
have been crossing the Illinois river
in boat when the sudden change
struck them. Their boa was frozen
in md-stream and they were forced
TO walk ashore on the ice Their dog
frO2e 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 a farm house
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