From the Nov. 17, 1939 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

‘Twas cold on Tuesday morning. The “bright, blue weather” mentioned by the poet arrived, somewhat late according to his calculations, but thoroughly bright, blue and crisp. With an average temperature around the Island of above 21 above zero, there was ice everywhere and occasional steaming radiators, not to mention occasional burst water pipes and some mittens in evidence.

The prelude to a mild winter, explained the weather prophets, who severally declared that the cold spell was a freak of weather. This freakishness was further accentuated by the appearance of a few flakes of snow on Monday. Snow was seen in most sections of the Island during the afternoon.

Whether anyone agrees with the prophets or not, it has been many years since skating or sleighing was enjoyed on Thanksgiving day. Forty years ago and less, it was expected that both sports would be in full swing on that date, and the pendulum may be on the returning swing.

The heavy breeze that hit Skiff’s and Chappaquiddick last weekend, kept Sidelinger from messing up with the Skiff’s Island mail. Sidelinger isn’t afraid of weather. But with a head wind, he is about as bad off as one of Cap’n Columbus’ ships, and for the same reason. He just can’t work to wind’ard under those square-rigged whiskers that he always wears in winter. We have tried to argue him into trimming them over into a fore-and-aft rig such as we wear ourselves, but it is useless.

“Square-rigged whiskers, with stuns’ls for Sunday, were good enough for my grandfather, Cap’n Montgomery Sidelinger,” says he, “and by God-frey, they’re good enough for me! If the wind breezes ahead, I’ll anchor and wait for it to shift!” That is the reason that the Wheelhouse Loafer has no adventure to report in connection with obtaining our last week’s mail. It really was a simple and peaceful excursion.

The rescue of two unidentified fishermen in Vineyard Sound was effected by Paul B. Bangs of Vineyard Haven and J. H. Hughes and John Campos of Oak Bluffs, last Monday. News of the exploit did not reach the Vineyard until last Friday night when the trio returned from Cuttyhunk, where they had been storm-bound for nearly a week.

The three left the Vineyard on Monday afternoon planning to do some work at the Banks store at Cuttyhunk, and return the following day. The wind breezed up heavily and the sea in the Sound was about as high as a small boat could stand by the time the party had reached Bow Bells Reef. It was already dark when they made out the form of a small boat near them, with men waving. In the high sea it was a difficult task to get the boat alongside, but it was accomplished at length, and the two men were taken aboard Mr. Bangs’ boat.

They were fishermen, who had anchored their larger craft on the reef and had put out in a ten-foot skiff to set a trawl. The wind had breezed up, and for nearly three hours they had rowed against wind and sea, striving to regain their anchored boat but being set to leeward of it steadily. The Vineyard men put them safely aboard their boat before leaving the to proceed to Cuttyhunk.

Cap’n Zeb Tilton, who made port last weekend after a wild run from Nantucket before a no’theaster, arrived with his mainsail torn to ribbons. It was an old sail and has been due to be condemned for some time, which is the reason for a new one being made in a New Bedford sail loft. But the coincidence, as Cap’n Zeb declares, is that the new sail was completed on Thursday night, and his old sail blew out of the bolt-ropes on the following day. “We timed things pretty close,” he opined.

A number of Islanders have remarked conversationally this past week or two that the cold seems to take hold this year. We have noticed that ourselves.

Looking back in the weather records, which are now available because of the U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratories at Vineyard Haven, we find that the average temperature for the first eight days in November in 1938 was 57.7. And the average temperature for the first eight days of this November was 46.6. No wonder the cold takes hold. By this comparison we seem to have a right to shiver, and it looks a little as if the climate might be going down hill fast.

In years past whenever there was a pleasant warm spell during the winter months, someone was likely to rise and talk about the Gulf Stream. It was supposed to be getting nearer, or running faster, or something. But whenever the weather was chillier than usual, no one said much of anything. All the talk about the Gulf Stream was forgotten, as it is now.

But we are likely still to have some balmy days, and when the sun shines warmly we will forget all about the cold beginning of November, and perhaps someone will dust off the Gulf Stream yet once more and begin parading it anew as the cause of a real change in climate.

Compiled by Hilary Wall
library@mvgazette.com