The Express.
London, England, 1854-01-04 00:00:00

THE WEATHER, THE PARKS, AND THE RIVER.

The coldest sight experienced in this country for
snaey ran was on Mrday. Tb thermometer t►en fell
13 U. tu mg one degree sod • half lower than it was laai
'I bands! eight, when the saran" indicated 164 Fibre.-'
tea At half-pan 8 yesterday moreing, the glue was quite.
as low 14 os the readies sight, but during the middle of
the day the memary rose as high as 30, sad to the errs'
et "r o'clock it stood at 31, bet alertly after that hear it
eras• hIl to 20. The barometer et t►e is.. time stood at
deg. The wild blew very string is this early pert of
the day, Its. east to sorth-east, but haters 7 and 8 o'er&
is the rising it veered towards the meth-west, sin irks-
Gm of • change woos taking place is the weather. The
different parks were naked during the day by several
threes& of sliders and skaters. The Serpeatine, in Hyde-
put., bad the appearance of • fair or the selebratios of
NM public festival, for the footpaths were crowded, sad
carriages filled with members of the aristocracy lined the
firs where • view could be obtained of the skaten.
The greatest order prevailed throughout the day, and no
•ccidest of importers reccurred, although the number of
dukes and skaters is reported to Mr. Charlie, as being
11.000. The members of the Bkatiag Club mustered
strongly, and amoogst those present were the Revs. Meson.
Antrobus sod Crade, sod • large number of noblentes.
The Round Pood had 3,000 skaters cud sliders on the ice,
iselsdiag several members of the Skstiag Club, but no
ercideste aroma dialog the day. The Long-water in
Keriegton girder wee hers ever to the depth of
71 main, sad 3,800 gentlemen, and a member of ladies,
sassed themselves by skstieg cm this pat of the park, but
fortrately the only ossidere that resned were frees
pumas falling upon the ice, and oevinely cutting their
heeds. St. Junes sad also the Rogers Park were
eiorted by about 14,000 persons. The foot promenades
errs likewise crowded by spootaton,.bot wit► the exception
of a somber of pumas falling, sad nesiviag severe ►eed
nu, so accideate took place.
la the upper tributaries of t►e Thames the dredged Ise
ha. accumulated to eac► se first as to reader the rivet
almost unanngable. Os the river, sines the years limn,
sects as appearance of Is. has not bees rimmed. Tlr
stamen, hell above sad below bridge, tried to ply,
unladiag the Margate. Bouthesd, Shernuses.and Grareend
beats, with three of Woolwich, Orrawir, sad Clashes.
Tr,. Besieges sad 11011 beets, after berg delayed tar sumo
hours, .unneeded in arriving at their eiestrations. Preen
Piclte Herring Stain to East-toe Stoles, es the meth side
of the river, all vereh an blocked up. Os the south elide,
from the Conorresse to St. Katherise's Doer, the river
a choked with lee, as also the bight from Deptford te lest
Greenwich, and at Blackwell Reach and between that sad
titeenwich the ice is so sommaidated es to peeler savigo-
Goo (reptile the middle par the shermele From Rich-
mod to areittlerd the is flak all ISM Iftleals ware
seen netts' between these

rUIT$3401:111, Jam. 3.—The weather ises hien ea-
ceediagly severe here fur the pass week, but tivelay it has
been euessively so. Snow has fallen ell day loop without
intermission, whilst the frost is very hard. At noon to•dsy
the glass was down as low as 30, and continues at that point
se,th every prospect of its continuing there, and indeed of a
further fall. The wind has tallest a gale from the north-
west ail tiny, and boats CIIIS hardly get ou‘of harbour.

Telepaphie

is reosesterily interrupted

between Paris sad Rouen, the intense frest having is say
places tamed the wine to snap. The Debate tatatitme a
etry smiths impediment to the nauseating"' One Op. OS
some of the byes—" The snow accanalates sa the wine,
cad when slowly melted by the sun, fame Midis which
CJIMIttt One wire with aunties. These hisses serve as eon.
dooors, and blend separate despatches in inextricable con.
fuion.'• I suet leave your scientific readm (says our
Puss corespondent) to judge of the probability of this state-
ment. As osse of the and d public I was not prepared
believe that the such trusted metallic threads patted
with their secrets .o easily.

GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY AT
THE SOUTHAMPTON DOCKS.

la 1546 shear. were erected on the eastern sick
of the Sosthamptia Docks, for the purpose of lilting the
steam machieny, such as boilsn and engines, in and oat
of the mail packets. The ahem were formed of three legs,
consisting of balks of timber, girded together with iron,
placed triangularly. Each leg was about 70 feet high, sit
to right feet in girth, sad the whale weighed between 40
sad '0 toss. They wet about 2,0001., and they were proved
capable of biting 50 tows, and would lilt 70 or 80 tons if
ctcersiry. For some days past the Peninsular and Ori-
total Company's steamer Madrid has been saeored by the
sale of the shears, for the purpose of having her maehiaery
pot to by them. Two legs of the shears were teed Wow to
the dock wall, end almost between then the Madrid was
;peg. At half-pact five yesterday morales a terrific crash
ass heard within slid around the docks, at • distance of
half a mile. numbers of persons were alarmed is their
beds by the noise. It was satin discovered that tie
crash UM from the felling of the dock shears.
Ili) feet of massive masoury, five feet in thick-
mu, beloaging to the north-eastern wail, gave way,
sad fell into the dock, and is eossegamsee of the
►hears Wang their support, they tumbled down. The south-
ern leg losing its support, fell perpendicularly, and did no
damage to the Madrid steamer. The northern leg falling
Wow., just greased the paddle-box of the steamer. The
other leg, although falling forward, did not reach the
rettner. Oa viewing the debris of the wreck of the shears,
the force of their fall appeared to have been tremendous.
The gigantie legs and massive chains end wheel work mast
have snapped In pieces es if they had been rotten sticks.
To repair the dock and erect other shears, eo as to restore '
whit U. been destroyed, just as it was before the accident,
would wet about 11,0001. Captain Peemsek, the superia•
modest, het, howerne, suggested • plan by which the
damage can be wade good in 3 er 4 menthe for about 4,0001.
or 5,000/. It was melt providential the accident happened
whin it did, for it might at other periods have caused a
frghtful destruettea • r human life. As soon w possible
news of the aseldant wee telegesphed as Colonel Barlow,lthe
charms of the Ibintliaspeoi Dock Cowpony, and to Mr.
WM, the Company's engineer. The latter arrived at
hadiewpwa by express train yoWerday. The accident
yeast interrupt the Imams' at she docks, except that
Ilia requires the aid of the sheen. It is supposed that
he water behind the desk wall wee farmed into e,e, sad
swig like • wedge, tweed eat the wall, and the Weis
Mang their nipper*, tall in eseesgaanee.