The Blizzard in the West: Being as Record and Story of the Disastrous Storm which Raged Throughout Devon and Cornwall, and West Somerset, On the Night of March 9th, 1891Unknown
History
The Blizzard in the West: Being as Record and Story of the Disastrous Storm which Raged Throughout Devon and Cornwall, and West Somerset, On the Night of March 9th, 1891
Unknown
Blizzards -- England -- Cornwall (County) -- History; Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Devon (England) -- History
For many years to come residents of the western counties will have
tales to relate of marvellous incidents, involving both great and small
consequences, that occurred in connection with this memorable blizzard.
The remarkable tenacity of life exhibited by birds and animals had been
probably wholly unsuspected, until this recent sudden storm supplied
the opportunity for its discovery. We have already heard of lambs born
under the snow; of geese hatching their young within a day or two of
release from days under a heavy snow coverlid, which not only covered
but enwrapped them; and of horses being dug out alive and well after a
night's chilly burial.
An experience of this kind, as curious as any, was that of Mr. J.
Trant, of Redlap, Stoke Fleming, who dug a lamb out of a snow-drift,
where it had lain buried for sixteen days. To quote the words of our
informant, "the little creature seemed none the worse for its long
imprisonment, but began to graze as soon as it was released. I have
just seen it, and it was busy making up for lost time." Mr. Trevethan,
of Beer Barton Farm, Beerferris, also met with some instances of this
kind. After he had succeeded in releasing his lambs, of which he had
missed a large number, he found them generally weak, and rather
drowsy, but they at once bleated for their mothers, and their call
being answered, they trotted off in the direction from which the call
came. A bottle of gin was kept on hand for the resuscitation of the
recovered creatures, and its efficacy in imparting the needed warmth is
highly spoken of.
Mr. Trevethan's shepherd was making for his cottage on Monday evening,
carrying with him a basket of provisions which he had been into the
village to purchase. In attempting to get over a gate, within a short
distance of some outhouses that stood between him and his cottage,
he was separated from his basket by a violent gust of wind. Picking
himself up, he reached his home in safety, and his basket was found,
after a few days, empty. In the course of the following week, while
clearing up his garden, he discovered, under some feet of snow,
a package of tea, which had formed part of the Monday's stock of
provisions, lost from the basket. The package, which was unbroken, and
in good condition, had evidently preceded him to his home more than a
week before.
"Mrs. Hatherley, living near Bickleigh, missed a hen, which she
naturally gave up as lost. After a lapse of ten days, a cackling was
heard to proceed from under a heap of snow. On going to the place, Mrs.
Hatherley was surprised to find the long-lost hen force an exit through
the snow, and, flapping its wings, make its way home to the house with
all speed. Mrs. Hatherley then examined the spot, and found on the
ground two eggs which the bird had laid whilst held prisoner by the
snow."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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