The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-05 00:00:00

THE WEATHER AND TILE PARKS.

Yesterday much interest was caused by the passing
through Oxford-street of a gentleman driving a sleigh.
The driver was well wrapped in furs, the sleigh gaily
decked with ribbons, and the neck of the fine horsedrawmg
it hung with silverbeUs. The rapidity with which the sleigh
passed over the snow was in strong contrast with the
snail's pace at which cabs drawn by two horses struggled
through. The anuthis who throng Oxford-street were
evidently delighted with the new vehicle, and followed it
in crowds huzzaing lustily.
The severity of the frost on Thursday night and yester-
day morning added materially to the thickness of the
coating of ice which on Thursday covered the waters in
the various metropolitan parks, and about Line inch and a
half wan the average thickness. In the more exposed por-
tions of the waters, especially on the Serpentine and the
east and western ends of the ornamental water in St.
Jantes'apark, the ice was very weak and dangerous. At
en early hour yesterlay morning large numbers of the
lovers of skating and sliding visited the parks,and for some
time the sport went on without any accident. As the day
advanced, however, and the numbers of people increased
the ice became generally unsafe, and several immersions
took place, though without any fatal termination.
In the Regent's-park there were about 3,000 persons on
the ice at one time, and the members of the Skating Club
mustered in great force. The ice on many parts of the
Bound Pond was very unsafe, and several of the most
venturesome skaters paid the penalty of immersion for
their temerity.
The banks of the serpentine and the water in Kensing-
ton-gardens were crowded with fashionable company, and
on the latter water there was a large number
of skaters, whose skilful evolutions were much
admired by the spectators. The Skating Club
had erected one of its spacious tents in the gardens,
replete Mich all the appliances for the enjoyment of the
sport, and one of the tents of the Royal Humane Society
was placed on the bank. The ice on the Serpentine was
very dangerous, as it invariably is for the first few days of
a frost, and the police, the park-keepers, and the Humane
Society were fully occupied in preventing numbers of fool-
hardy young men and boys from getting on to it. In
many cases where the parties evaded the vigilance of the
keepers, they were rewarded with a good ducking. There
was a report that a loss of life had taken place in the after-
noon. but it was not confirmed on inquiry at the receiving-
house in Hyde-park. At this establishment everyappliance
was kept in readiness to succour those suffering from im-
mersion, or to restore those apparently drowned, and a staff
of medical men were in attendance during the day.
The enclosure in St. James's-park was thronged with
people during the day ; and in the forenoon the ice on
the ornamental water was crowded by men and boys. As
was to be expected, the immersions were numerous, up-
wards of 40 persons having fallen in, but owing to the
shallowness of the water—not averaging more than three
feet in depth, and in no place more than four feet—they
were got out without much difficulty. It being known
there wai but little if any danger to those who fell in, as
each one underwent his cold bath it afforded considerable
amusement to the numerous spectators.
Between 3 and 4 o'clock a thick and cold fog spread
itself ever the parks, which had the effect of clearing away
not only spectators, but even the most ardent lovers of
the sports on the ice. The thermometers in the parks at
four o'clock registered 16 deg. below freezing point. At
eight o'clock last night there was much fog about, and
every prospect of the night being as cold as the preceding
one, when the thermometer stood _Ni deg. below freezing.
The works on the Thames embankment, the new Black-
friars-bridge and similar undertakings, are almost sus-
pended, whilst the masons and bricklayers employed at
the new Foreign-offices and other large buildings in the
metropolis have been compelled to give up work altoge-
ther. It is computed that the weather has thrown out of
employment at least 5,000 operatives in the building trades
lone.

About noon on Thursday, as a labourer in the employ of
Mr. Cooper, of Pyefurd, a village about seven miles from
Guildford, was passing through Pond Field, in the
neighbourhood of his master's farm, he espied an object
in the ditch which attracted his attention. On exami-
nation, the object, which was covered with snow, turned
out to' be a man named Tappin, the Ripley messenger,
who th•livers poet letters in the outlying districts of
which Fysford and Wisley form part. Mr. Cooper wee
at once communicated with, and he speedily arranged for
the delivery of the letters, whilst with equal prompti-
tude the messenger was assisted from his bed of snow,
where he had been for some hours. Tappin's account is
that he got into the drift and pitched headlong into the
ditch, whence he was too exhausted to extricate him-
self. The frost continues very intense in West Surrey.
The thermometer on Thursday night at the coldest pe-
riod registered 14 deg. Fahrenheit, or 18 deg. below
freezing point. Ye/Wiley, in the shade, it stood at 16 deg.
The snowfall in Liverpool, owing perhaps to its proxi-
mity to the sea, was not very heavy, but what did fall,
when frozen over, made the streets so slippery, that loco-
motion either on foot or in vehicles was both difficult and
dangerous, and the traffic in the chief thoroughfares has
been constantly blocked by prostrate cab and 'bus horses,
and at night cabs of the better class could not be had
for love or money. Yesterday the temperature in
the middle of the night was 15 degrees below zero, a fact
almost without precedent, as the climate of Liverpool is
generally much more mild and equable than that of Wend
cities. Yesterday a fog of metropolitan density and
Arctic chilliness overspread the town, making locomotion
more difficult than ever, and causing the gas to be lit about
three boars earlier than usual. The only serious accident
reported was the drowning of three boys while sliding on
a pow. I in the outskirts of the town on Thursday afternoon.
Devonshire, in common with the more easterly counties,
was on Wednesday visited with a heavy fall of snow.
Between Reading end Dideot, and also near Warmin-
ster, a prodigious quantity of snow fell, railway com-
munication being in some cases quite stopped by
a depth of from four to five feet of snow. On the
South-Western line, between Basingstoke and Salis-
bury, there was alscia heavy fall, and the midday express
was nearly three hours late in arriving at Exeter. In the
north of Devon, and down as far as Brent, snow was lying
on the ground to the depth of between four and six inches,
Dartmoor having been covered on Monday night. From
Tavistock, and from various parts of Cornwall, very severe
weather is reported.
. . . _ _

With regard to the weather in Scotland the Scotsman
says :—" The snow storm which blew over the city of
Edinburgh on Wednesday evening gradually subsided as
the night wore on, and by Thursday morning the sky was
clear. The frost, which had not wholly departed with the
coining of the snow, set in with greater severity, and,
combined with • keen northerly wind, rendered outdoor
exercise exceedingly uninviting. The fallen snow was
quickly frozen, and the streets became twofold more slip-
pery and uncertaiu for pedestrians than before. On Thurs-
day, the falls were numerous, and in fact kissing the snow
was almost • matter of course to the foot-passenger. In
the suburbs • more expeditious, as well as • more
novel, mode of traversing the streets was observed.
Many of the boys put on their skates, and moved,
if not easily and gracefully, at least more speedily over the
hardened snow than simply with their boots. The con-
tinued frost strengthened the ice on the lochs, and from an
early hour St. Margaret's, Lochend, and Dunsappie lochs
were thronged with skaters, who pursued their sport with
good humour and enthusiasm until darkness set in, not-
withstanding a piercingly cold northerly wind, which blew
all day, but more keenly towards evening. As usual, there
were a number of slight accidents, occasioned by falls ; and
at St. Margaret's loch a few immersions took place through
the ternerityof the skaters venturingon dangerous portions
of the ice. At one time a lady and two gentlemen were
precipitated into St. Margaret's by the ice giving way while
the trio were proceeding to the centre of the loch. The
watt'. was deep, and they were rescued with seine diffi-
culty—the lady at first being overcome with terror, and
failing to grasp at the rope thrown to her by the attend-
ant policemen. As on the previous day, constables were
in attendance at each of the lochs with ladders, ropes, and
cork jackets, for use in the event of accidents taking
place. The ice on Duddingston loch did not appear to be
strong enough either for the roaring game or skating as
no one was allowed to go on. The private curling Rich*
in the neighbourhood were all frozen over, and • bonspiel
was enjoyed on the majority of them in :he course
of the day. The ponds at the Royal Patent Gym-
nasium, which cover four acres of ground, were,
notwithstanding the high rate of admission, largely
patronised—fully 2,000 ladies and gentlemen having
visited the place during the day. The ice was strong, and
the surface being continually swept by a staff of workmen,
capital sport was enjoyed. The frost was as keen as ever
on Thursday night, and the appearance of the sky gives
indications of • continuanx of frost." From other Scotch
papers we learn that the violence of the steno seems to
have been most felt along the valley of the Tweed.
Travellers by the Tweedside line of railway between
Galashiels and Innerleithen were exposed to great priva-
tion.. The train which left Gambrels for Innerleithen
at 5.10 p.m. stuck fast in the snow ac Ilaughherml, near
Innerleithen. The engine belonging to the train which
runs between Peebles and Innerleithen came to its assist-
ance, and in the attempt to pull it away broke the
couping. After much exertion the train was got to
Innerleithen, but from the damage sustained by the engine
it re,uired to be taken to Peebles to refit, and before
it got hack to Innerleithen it was ten o'clock. The pas-
sengers for Galsahiels, ten in number, then started for
their destination. The train made but slow progress till
C.adiloidee was reached, and when on the hill-face opposite
Ashierteel, it was found impossible to make further pro-
pees. The passengers were in a miserable plight, the
night was bitterly cold and raw, and the situa-
tion exposed them to clouds of suffocating drift.
It was as impossible to go back as ahead, the
engine being firmly inth.a.led in the snow. A
aheph. rd's house was the only dwelling. within a mile of
the spot, and it was considered the wisest plan to keep by
the co rnages. The passengers speak in highest peals.
of the Londuct of the men in charge of the train, who did
everything possible in the circumstances. The steam
whistlo was kept blowing for an hour. Help at length came
from Thornilee and Clovenfords, when the snow was cut
away, and the prisoner* extricated. It was half-past two
o'clocl. a.m. when the train reached Galashiels. One
femur passenger was in • most helpless condition from cold.
The j, crncy from Innerleithen to GaLishiels occupied four-
and- calf hours, though the distance is only twelve miles.
On Tt irsday the roads were all open, and there was nu
drip..

Thousands enjoyed on Wednesday the healthy and ex-