Monday, February 16, 2015

    Diane Rossi notified me this morning she had to remover the big round thermometer that one of the web cams is focused on.  The wind has been whipping down the pond for the past few days and Diane was afraid the thermometer would be blown away and broken.  When the weather calms down, she will put it back in place.
    We have beautiful sunshine this morning, but the temperature is still about 10 degrees below zero.  A little warmer in the sun, but with the wind, it's still below zero.  We're all hoping for a warm-up.
    I've mentioned before that I've been doing research for the West Danville history planned by the Danville Historical Society.  I was particularly interested last night when I came across the following
in the January 3, 1895 edition of the St. Johnsbury Caledonian there was this item:  'As the days begin to lengthen the cold begins to strengthen,' seems fulfilled this year, the past week registered from zero to twenty below with the addition of a foot of snow and a blow.
    On February 8, 1895, was the report:  Tuesday and Wednesday were the two roughest days of the season, thermometer registering clear into the bulb.
    And on March 22, 1895 winter still had a grip on West Danville:  Monday and Tuesday the wind put in good time with two inches of snow till it became too hard to fill the air.  The thermometer was near to zero."
    Finally, on April 12th came a report that the "much needed rain" had arrived and in two days "made havoc with the snow and raised the water in the pond."  There were reports of low water in the pond throughout much of that winter and resulting shutting down of the saw mill, shingle mill and some of the equipment in the stone shed, all of which depended on water power.  By April 19th, the report was that the pond had come up two feet causing concern and doing some damage at the mills, but settled back within a few days.  When the water was so low, various businesses tried making higher dams hoping to contain some of the water for their own use; however this was apparently only a temporary and mostly unsuccessful solution.  
    All the above sounded very familiar.  Cruel winter weather is no stranger at West Danville.
 

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