SURVIVING THE 100 YEAR WINTER



It has been 105 years since the last great winter.



If we had to start a list of what would you do to prepare for the next "100
YEAR WINTER", name the first ten preparations. The paragraphs below are
excerpts from historical articles about the winter of 1898-1899. The
historical museum in Colorado stated that it snowed for the 30 days of the
month of Dec 1898 and the wind blew for the next 60 days. Log cabins were
covered up. Many died in their cabin, unable to get out. Dead cattle were
found in the spring 40' up in the forks of cotton wood trees.





-------------HISTORICAL PARAGRAPHS---------------

A nearly hurricane-strength gale, the most devastating seen in the Northeast
in 50 years, wiped out all the boats on Nov. 27, 1898, that were moored in
Vineyard Haven harbor -- 21 schooners, 40 boats in all.



February 1899: The Great Arctic Outbreak of '99 and the Great Eastern
Blizzard of '99 occurred this month. A snowstorm struck the Washington area
on February 8 dumping 14 inches of snow. Extreme cold settled in behind the
storm. Quantico recorded a record low of -20° F and Washington, DC
recorded -15° F. The blizzard struck on Valentine's Day dropping 21 inches
in Washington and Baltimore. Winds drove the snow into 10 foot drifts. These
blocked transportation lines into the city causing a major coal shortage
that resulted in rationing. Food was also rationed, though not as severely
as the coal. The storm had given Washington a snow depth of 34 inches
(almost 3 feet) and the city recorded its greatest monthly snow total with
35.2 inches. Its greatest seasonal snowfall total was reached that season
with 54.4 inches. Warrenton recorded 54 inches (four and a half feet) just
during the month of February, setting a state record for monthly snowfall.
That winter (1898-1899) was so cold over a large part of the US that ice
flowed from the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico! The only other
time that this has been seen was on February 13, 1784, when ice flows
blocked the Mississippi River at New Orleans and then passed into the Gulf
of Mexico.



At Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada, the Arctic high pressure reached
31.42 inches on the barometer, Batty said, the highest ever recorded up to
that time.



From a sparse network of reporting stations, the coldest temperature
measured was 61 degrees below zero in Logan, Mont.



1899 - Old-Timers remember the winter of 1898-99. By March 21, 1899 the 22nd
snow of the season fell



The winter of 1898-1899 brought an epidemic of grippe - a type of flu - to
the city



The unusually severe winter of 1898-99 killed off probably half of the
alfalfa in Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, and many fields in the central
prairie states to the eastward were badly damaged



LOTS of info about the Portland and others in the 1898 storm that took more

than 500 lives (191 on the Portland alone) and wrecked a score of ships on

Cape Cod, and over 150 other ships on the Eastern seaboard, more than any

other storm in history Twenty-two vessels were driven ashore in Vineyard

Haven, Martha?Ts Vineyard. Most were damaged beyond repair.



The 1899 storm was good for around 45 inches of snow a bit to the southwest
of our Nation's Capital



Feb. 10, 1999 -An Arctic blast froze two-thirds of the nation, setting cold
temperature records that still stand today. A blizzard paralyzed the Eastern
Seaboard and for only the second time in recorded history, the Mississippi
River brought ice to the Gulf of Mexico.



Old City Hall has truly withstood the test of time," Gov. Ridge said. "Local
historians say the building's opening was postponed due to a citywide flu
epidemic in the winter of 1898



It was one of the two greatest eruptions in historic

times, the other being the Greek island Thera. Thera had the biggest bag

and threw 85 cubic miles of ejecta and Kracatoa had a slightly less

forceful pop but threw 100 cubic miles of ejecta. This produced the cold

winter of 1898. Archaeologists note it as a mini ice age as it is the

only time glaciers have advanced (grown rather) since prehistoric times.



This graveyard was one of the first places I visited when I arrived in
Dawson. Many of the wooden crosses and plaques date back to the terrible
winter of 1898, when so many met their deaths through starvation and disease
(and a few murders, as I recall).



A 600 foot snowshed was later extended to 997 feet with doors on the
Breckenridge end to keep out drifting snows. In 1898 a depot was built onto
the snowshed for the comfort of boarding passengers. Boreas Station had a
post office from January 2, 1896 to January 31, 1906, reported to be the
highest in the country.

All these amenities failed to foil Boreas winters. Elevation at the top of
the Pass is 11,481 feet. Winds are constant, strong and icy. Snow is
unending. The winter of 1898-99 was particularly severe. Snows began early;
by November, trains and tracks were under ten feet of snow. Clearing the
tracks, always costly and time-consuming became impossible and no train ran
between February 6 and April 24, 1899.



"M. F. Post and Francis E. Warren brought in about 15,000 head of cattle in
1882 from the eastern part of the state and located The Spur Ranch. All the
small herds owned by the settlers were sold to Post and Warren so they
controlled the cattle industry in the Green River Valley. The Spur Ranch
employed about 20 cowboys - for the summer roundup men came from miles
around - Bear Valley, Fort Bridger - to ride for strays. The cook for the
Spur Outfit would have as many as 40 men to cook for - a man named Wm.
Wilson nid called "Old Tug.' Following the winter of the deep snow and cold,
1889, all that were rounded up of the 15,000 head of cattle were 800 head."



The following winter was a long cold winter. This was the winter of 1899.
The children were sick with colds, and I don't suppose they had much to
doctor them with, and doubt if there was a doctor they could get. On the
15th of March, 1899 Arthur was very ill with pneumonia, and died. Father
made the little casket for him. I am sure it was almost more then they
could bear to have this little fellow die. He was only around 13 months
old. It was very cold. The LDS people were so good to father and mother,
and came in and helped them. They held only a graveside service. Mother
couldn't go because Walter was very ill. Then four days later, Walter died
on March 19, 1899

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PREPARATION

1. STRUCTURAL - Be prepared and equipped to keep snow off the roof and away
from the sidewalls of your home. Don't paint yourself into a corner with
the snow. Have a plan where to put it.

2. POWERLESS LIVING - Be prepared to deal with the impact of not having
power for several weeks. Make a list of the impact of 20 below without
power.

3.

4.

"No man shall be debarred the use of arms.
The laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm those only who are neither
inclined nor determined to commit crimes.
Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants.
They ought to be designated as laws not preventative but fearful of crimes,
produced by the tumultuous impression of a few isolated facts, and not by
thoughtful consideration of the inconveniences and advantages of a universal decree."
- Thomas Jefferson