Collections of the New Hampshire Historical Society Volume 5 (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: COLD FRIDAY -- 1810. One of the most memorable cold days within the recollection of the present generation, occurred on the 19 January, 1810. From a mild state of temperature, the weather suddenly became cold, the mercury descending to thirteen degrees below zero in less than sixteen hours. The change was accompanied with a high wind, cold and piercing in the extreme, and of such force as to prostrate many trees and buildings.. One of the most distressing cases of suffering at this time, occurred at Sanbornton. which will be related. On Friday morning, the 19 of January, Mr. Jeremiah Ellsworth, of that town, finding the cold very severe, rose about an hour before sunrise. It was but a short time before some part of his house was burst in by the wind. Being apprehensive that the whole house would soon be demolished, and that the lives of the family were in great jeopardy. Mrs. Ellsworth, with her youngest child, whom she had dressed, went into the cellar, leaving the other two children in bed. Her husband attempted to go to the nearest neighbor, which was in a north direction, for assistance; but the wind was so strong against him that he found it impracticable. He then sat out for Mr. David Brown's, the nearest house in another direction, at the distance of a quarter of a mile. He reached there about sunrise, his feet being considerably frozen, and he so overcome by the cold, that both he and Mr. Brown thought it too hazardous for him to return. But Mr. Brown went with his horse and sleigh with all possible speed, to save the woman and her children from impending destruction. When he arrived at the house, he found Mrs. Ellsworth and one child in the cellar, and the other children in bed, their clothes having beeu blown away by the wind, so that they could not be dressed...