9058. WEATHER, Extreme cold.—
It is
so cold that the ink freezes in my pen, so that
my letter will scarcely be legible. * * * In
the winter of 1779-80, the mercury in Fahrenheit's
thermometer fell at Williamsburg once to
six degrees above zero. In 1783-84, I was at
Annapolis without a thermometer, and I do
not know that there was one in that State; I
heard from Virginia, that the mercury was
again down to six degrees. In 1789-90, I was
at Paris. The mercury here was as low as
eighteen degrees below zero, of Fahrenheit.
These have been the most remarkable cold
winters ever known in America. We are told,
however, that in 1762, at Philadelphia, it was
twenty-two degrees below zero; in December,
1793, it was three degrees below zero there by
my thermometer. On the 31st of January, 1796,
it was one and three-fourth degrees above zero
at Monticello. I shall, therefore, have to
change the maximum of our cold, if ever I
revise the Notes on Virginia; as six degrees
above zero was the greatest which had ever
been observed.—
To Mr. Volney. Washington ed. iv, 157.
(M.
Jan. 1797)
