From The Gazetteer of the State of New Hampshire (in three parts), 
compiled from the best authorities, by Eliphalet Merrill and the Late 
Phinehas Merrill, Esq.,
Printed by C. Norris & Co. , Exeter, NH, ©1817, pg 7,

Part I - General View-

Air Climate & Seasons- The air of New Hampshire is generally pure and salubrious; 
northwest, west and southwest winds are the most prevalent, east winds prevail along the 
sea coast, in the spring, which are extremely piercing and disagreeable, but not 
unwholesome.  The weather is less variable than in the middle and especially the southern 
states, and more so than in Canada.
	The extremes of cold and heat, according to Fahrenheit’s Thermometer, is from 
20° below to 100 above 0.  The medium is from 48° to 50°.  The winter commonly 
commences in its severity about the middle of December.  Cattle are sheltered from about 
this the 20th November to the 1st of May.  There has been frosts in every month in the 
year, though not in the same season; and not in a very injurious degree.
	Instances of sudden changes in the weather are noticed in the earliest accounts of 
the country. In 1658, when the apple trees were in blossom, there came on such a sudden 
and severe cold, that in a fishing boat belonging to Hampton, one man died before it could 
reach the shore, another was so chilled that he died in a few days, and a third lost his feet.  
This instance is remarkable.  The common time for the apple trees to blossom, is about the 
third week in May, but they blossom earlier or later according to the degrees of heat. On 
the 11th day of may, 1769, and again on May 8, 1804, when the trees were in blossom an 
unusual flight of snow covered them, and continued two days, so as to produce sleighing.
	In a very warm autumn the earliest apple trees have produced blossoms; and roses 
have bloomed in the month of October; but these appearances are rare.
	In the spring, the trees which have been cut down the preceding year, are burned in 
the new plantations.  If the season be dry, the flames have spread in the woods, and a large 
extent of forest has been on fire at once.
	From these numerous fires, arise immense clouds of smoke, mingled with burnt 
leaves of the trees, which are carried to a great distance by the wind. These clouds 
meeting with other vapours in the atmosphere, sometimes produce very singular 
appearances.  The darkness of 19th May, 1780, was probably caused by such a 
combination of vapours.  Fires had spread very extensively in the woods, and westerly 
winds had driven the smoke over the country.  It was so thick for several preceding days 
near the horizon, that the sun disappeared an hour before its sitting, and in the low 
grounds it was almost suffocating.  The morning of the 19th May was cloudy, with some 
rain; and a black cloud appeared in the southwest, from which was heard thunder.  The 
rain water and the surface of rivers, was covered with a sooty scum.  The remains of a 
snow drift, which had been clean the preceding day became black, sevreal small birds flew 
into the houses and others were found dead abroad from suffocation.  About two hours 
before noon the clouds assumed a brassy appearance; after which their colour became a 
dusky grey; and at an hour after noon, it was necessary to light candles.

	At the greatest obscurity the smoke of a chimney was observed to rise 
perpendicular, and then decline to the west.  A thick fog which came in from the sea, 
moved along the hill tops in the same direction.
	The extent of this darkness was more than two hundred miles from north to south.  
To the westward, it extended beyond Albany, and it was observed by a vessel at sea, 
fifteen leagues eastward of Cape Anne.
	The darkness varied its appearance in some places through the afternoon; but in 
the maritime towns of New Hampshire, there was no variation of it; and the evening 
presented a complete specimen of as total darkness as can be conceived.  Before midnight 
the vapours disappeared, and the next morning there was no appearance of them.
	The Aurora borealis was first noticed in New Hampshire, December 11th, 1719.  
The aged people say it is not so common now as formerly.  It sometimes appears in the 
form of a luminous arch extending from east to west, but more commonly rises from a 
dark convexity in the north, and flashes upwards toward the zenith.  In a calm night, and 
in the intervals between gentle flaws of wind, an attentive ear, in a retired situation, may 
perceive it to be accompanied with a sound.  This luminous appearance has been observed 
in all seasons of the year; in extreme heat and cold and all intermediate degrees. The color 
of the streams is sometimes variegated with white, blue, yellow, and red, the lustre of 
which reflected from the snow, is an appearance highly beautiful and interesting.


Submitted by T.C. Parziale 5/30/00
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