The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-01-14 00:00:00

DENSE FOG AND SHIPPING
DISASTERS.

As dusk was approaching on Monday the general
gloom of the day was aggravated by a thick white
fog which invaded the metropolis, settling mainly on
the S.E. and S.W. districts. The presence of the fog
in the City of London necessitated the lighting of the
street lamps half-an-hour before the usual time, the
City being the only part of the metropolis in which
the boon of artificial light is given to the public before
the alloted hour for lighting the lamps on dark or
foggy days. The atmosphere in the City, however,
became pretty clear by seven o'clock; but the fog
continued dense on the Surrey side of the river, and
caused much inconvenience and delay there to the
vehicular traffic, especially to that of the omnibuses
and tramcars which were bringing home those who
had finished the business of the day. The mildness of
the earlier part of the day disappeared when the fog
set in, and the temperature was much lower on Mon-
day night than it was in the morning. On Tuesday
morning the fog was very dense in London.
The fog which prevailed on the south Irish coast
since saturday still continued on Monday, and steam-
boat affic in Cork Harbour was suspended, owing to
its density. The Cunard steamer Gallia, from New
York, was detained for 12 hours in endeavouring to
make the harbour for the purpose of disembarking
mails and cargo, and the Samaria, of the same line,
from Boston, passed Rochester Point on Monday
morning, but did not attempt to come near the land,
The Liverpool tug Recovery, due at Cork on Saturday
evening to tow the American ship Eureka to
Liverpool, did not arrive until Monday morning,
owing to the dense nature of the fog in the
Channel.

A steamship, name unknown, ran down the smack
Conqueror early on Monday morning south-west of
the Girdler light. The Conqueror sank, but all hands
were saved and landed at Southend. The steamer
proceeded to London.
The fog on Monday made its presence felt in ths
provinces. During the whole of the morning it wa-
very dense at Liverpool, causing very much incon-
verience both to pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Ob,
jects could not be seen at above six yards' distance
and in consequence the speed of light vehicles, trams,
and omnibuses had to be reduced to walking pace.
On the river there was, as usual, great inconvenience
to shipping, but up to the latest reports there was
only one of a slight collision between a ferry steamet
and a steam-tug, neither of which sustained any note-
worthy damage. The fog lifted in the town about
noon. Manchester and Salford were enveloped in a
fog of the densest character on Monday morning. Rail-
way and vehicular traffic had to be conducted with
the utmost caution; gas was necessary everywhere.
Along the course of the Irwell the fog was intensely
black, some of the streets being plunged in absolute
darkness. There were some narrow escapes on the
part of foot passengers from passing vehicles at
street crossings. Owing to an engine having left the
rails at Patricroft, some delay was caused to the early
morning trains on the Exchange branch of the London
and North-Western Manchester system. As a result
of the precautions taken, however, nothing worse
resulted than a slight inconvenience to passengers.
At Bolton, also, the fog was dense on Monday night.
At the railway station it was difficult to see at ill, and
about seven o'clock a marble sculptor, named James
Greenwood, who was going home to Manchester,
missed his footing, fell on the metals, and before he
could be rescued he was caught by an incoming train
and terribly injured, his right arm being literally torn
from his shoulder. It was only by an almost
miraculous accident that he was not killed outright
for had he fallen on the other side the engine would
have passed over his body. In the Channel at Dover
there uNs a dense fog on Monday night.

Mist and fog which had been prevalent over the
greater part of England,
.half of Ireland, and over
Denmark, Germany, and France for the preceding day
or two, prevailed generally over the English Channel
on Tuesday. In some parts of the metropolis the
fog was very dense, but save at the East-end and
near the Thames had partially cleared at night. In
the Mersey many large steamers and other vessels
were detained for several hours outside the bar, and
the mail boats between Dublin and Holyhead were
considerably delayed. One or two serious railway
accidents occurred.