110 



There is no more water in the wells, springs, and hrooks. It is the driest 

 <Iannary the observer has ever known here. 



S/iclhur?ie, Neio HampsJiirc. — January 1. — Brooks and rivers are very low; 

 some wells and springs which have seldom or never failed before, are dry now. 

 13th. — The ground is frozen hard to the depth of two feet ; some frost to the 

 depth of three feet. 21st. — From ten o'clock last evening to three or four this 

 morning, the wind blew with great force, almost or quite a hurricane. 31st. — 

 Rivers, brooks, and springs never known so low at this time of the year as now. 



Claremont, New Hampsliirc. — A remarkable drought prevails, and streams 

 are very low. At the time of the severe cold, from the /Jth to the 9th, there 

 was almost no snow, and the ground froze very deep ; freezing cellars which 

 bad never been subject to frost before. Large quantities of potatoes and other 

 vegetables have been injured. 



Lunenburg, Vermont. — The month, on the whole, has been mild, and much 

 less snow has fallen than for many years before. At the close of the month, 

 however, sleighing is good, but the depth of the snow is not sufficient for log- 

 ging. 



East Bethel, Vermont. — January 7. — Loud explosions were heard through 

 the night from frozen earth bursting, and leaving cracks half, an inch wide in 

 many places. 8th. — For four days the temperature has been below zero all the 

 time, and the wind from the northeast. Nights resound with loud snapping 

 in the v.^oods, and travelled roads crack open with loud noise, jarring houses ; 

 cellars are freezing; little rivulets are lost in beds of ice. 15th. — Wind blew 

 violently all night ; calmed down at 7 a. m. Sleighing poor ; not over two 

 inches on a level ; ground frozen from two to three feet. 



Georgetown, MassarJmselts. — The cold term in the early part of this month 

 was remarkable for its length. February 8, 1861, far exceeded it in intensity, 

 the mean temperature for the a. m. being 19.2° below zero, and for the p. m. 

 •9.8^ below; but such a depression of the mercury Avas of short continuance. 



PucJimond, Massachusetts. — Up to January 4 the season was remarkably 

 mild and pleasant. On the morning of the 4th a dense fog hung over the low- 

 lands, and every tree, shrub, and spire of grass was thickly and beautifully 

 encased with frost. The morning Avas cloudy. Al^a few minutes past t\vo p. m. 

 the clouds gathered blackness in the northwest, and the wind changed from the 

 southwest to that direction, accompanied by a short snow-squall. Here the 

 ■cold time commenced, and continued till the 10th; the lowest temperature being 

 on the morning of the 8th. 



Wesfjield, Massachusetts. — The month of January has been unusually dry. 

 Streams are low ; some mills cannot run full time ; Avells are becoming dry. 

 There has been no such weather here for many years. 



WilUamstowm, Massachusetts. — At 10 a. m. on the 8th of January, the ba- 

 rometer was higher than before recorded here. 



Groton, Connecticut. — January 31. — The river at this place (opposite New 

 London, on the river Thames) has been open all winter, not even being skimmed 

 across Avith ice, and vessels haA-e been constantly going up and doAvn the river 

 to Allen's Point, fiA-e or six miles above this, place. Frost supposed to be about 

 eighteen inches deep in the ground. 



Pomfrct, Connecticut — This month has been very dry ; many of the mills in 

 this region have stopped for want of Avater. The amount of rain and melted 

 snow is less for this month than in any January for the last thirteen years. 



South. Hartford, New York. — January opened very mild and pleasant, and 

 during the first four days the little remaining snoAv upon the hillsides sloAvly 

 disappeared. The cold period from the 5th to the 10th is unequalled here, 

 both for its severity and duration ; the mercury remained beloAv zero for ninety 

 hours. Combined Avith the cold Avas the failure of water in many instances. 

 The Avells and streams filled up very late in the autumn, and then to a less ex- 



