The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-07 00:00:00

THE WEATHER.

A sudden change in the weather took place
early yesterday morning. On Saturday afternoon a slight
thaw set in, the thermometer having risen to 8 deg. above
freezing point. About seven o'clock in the evening the
frost set in again, and the slippery state of the roads and
pavements made them very dangerous for passengers, and
many serious cases of injury occurred. At midnight a
strong and biting wind rove, accompanied by a fall of snow
for about half an hour. This was followedby a complete
hurricane of wind, hail, and sleet, which continued until
an early hour yesterday morning, and then another change
took place ; the wind ceased, the atmosphere became many
degrees wanner, and • heasy fall of rain occurred,
which continued more or less during the re-
mainder of the day. As might be expected,
the streets were in • very unpleasant state, the rain
and melting snow mixing together, and funning a slush
ankle deep. The omnibus and cab traffic was almost en-
tirely suspended. The state of the streets, andthe absence
of the public conveyances, kept many persons within
doors ; and materially affected the number of the congre-
gations usually present at the fashionable and popular
churches and chapels. The change in the weather, as
may be supposed, was a great disappointment to those
lovers of skating whose occupations prevented them enjoy-
ing the diversion on the week days, and were looking
forward to )esterday for the opportunity. In anticipa.
lion of the immense crowds in the parks, orders were
issued on Saturday for a large extra force of police to be
in attendance, to assist the parkkeepers in preserving
order, and the Humane Society had strict orders to
double the usual staff of icemen, and had provided for the
attendance of several additional medical men at the receiv-
ing-house on the banks of the Serpentine and at the tents I
erected in the various parks. Notwithstanding the un-
favourable state of the weather several hundreds of per-
sons assembled on the ice in the different parks early in
the forenoon, although it was in some places very rotten
and dangerous, and in all parte covered with water to the
depth of from two to three inches. The continued rain, !
however, and the ice gradually getting worse, even the
ardour of these devotees was cooled as the morning ad-
vanced, and by 1 o'clock there were not more than a few
mores left,and these were at last driven off by the dense fog
which spread itself over the parks shortly after 2 o'clock.
Several immersions took place in each of the parks during the
morning, but those who thus got into the vrater were but little
more wet than their more fortunate companions. The
spectators of the evolutions ou the ice, usually so nu-
merous on a Sunday, were few and far between, and before
three o'clock in the afternoon the parks presented the
most dreary and desolate spectacle imaginable, affording a
strange contrast to the busy and animated scenes of the
last five days, being entirely deserted except by • few
doom ragged urchins, with fusees for sale, and some ven-
dors of peppermint; sal even these were compelled at last
to abandon all idea of dlspoeing of their wares, and left in
the moat disconsolate mood.
. . .

Skating was carried on in Kenaington-gardens on Satur-
day, despite the warnings of the Humane Society men,
and dunng the afternoon four persons broke through the
ice on the Round Pond. On the Long Water at Kenning.
ton forty ladies accompanied the Skating Club. Two
immersions took place there also, but in shallow water.
A great many skaters were on the Serpentine, and also on
the Ornamental Water in Regent's-park. The ice gave
way in many cases, and about twenty people were im-
mersed, but the icemen succeeded in rescuing them, though
in some eases with difficulty.
The weather since Wednesday has been most severe in
the county of Berke, and the intense cold and sharp frosts
have occasioned several casualties in the district. On
Thursday a coroner's inquiry was opened at Hungerford on
a man named Johnson, employed on the Berko and Hants
Railway at that town as a policeman. In consequence of
the heavy snow storm the trains were greatly delayed, and
while deceased was turning the points for a goods train
he slipped and fell with his legs across the metals, and
the wheels severed both legs just above the knees. The
unfortunate man was earned to the Railway Tavern close
by, but immediately expired. A verdict of ".accidental
death" was returned. Deceased has been • steady servant
of the company for a number of years, and be leaves a
wife and family. At an early hour on Friday morning •
goods train was passing from one line to another at the
Abingdon Junction of the Great Western Railway,
when • fast down goods train approached at con-
siderable
speed, and dashed with great force into
the crossing train. The engine was quite disabled, and ;
several trucks were smashed to atoms, blocking up both
lines. The traffic was, notwithstanding the exertions of a
large stsff of railway labourers senously interrupted.
Fortunately the driver and stoker e.caped unhurt. The I
cold was moat trying on Thursday night and Friday, and
at several puts of the county the thermometer registered
two or three degrees below the freezing point. The Ken. I
nett at Reading is frozen over, and frequented by boys ,
sliding and skating, and the extensive lake on the White-
knight's estate at Earley has been frequented by hundreds
of skaters from all parts of the neighbourhood.
In the eastern counties the weather continued extremely
severe on Saturday. At Cambridge a special distribution
of bread and coal is being made to meet the necessities of
po
thA e or.
Guildford correspondent writes that there has been a
complete break up in the weather. During the whole of
Friday the frost continued with unabated intensity, and
in the course of that night the greetest cold was expe-
rienced which has occurrtd in this neighbourhood since
1860. At the coldest period of Friday night, exposed
thermometers in the town registered 10 deg., or '22 deg.
below freezing point, whilst in the open country adjacent
they marked 6 deg., or deg. below freezing point.
On Saturday, at 11 o'clock, the thermometers in the town
stood at 11 deg., and so severe was the frost that strong

[TWOPENCE

solutions of salt and water, confined in close apartments.
rveesedireli freezed. Towards evening the wind gradually
round to the south-east, and the temperature
became milder. In the night sleet followed by rain fell
in considerable quantities. Yesterday the wind had got to
the south, and the thaw bad been rapid and continuous,
the melted snow streaming down the steep incline of the
High-street in rivers scarcely fordable by pedestrians.
Our Southampton correspondent, writing last evening,
says:—" There is quite • change of temperature to-day.
Early yesterday there was • slight change, the cold was
not quite so intense as it had been for the last few days,
but there came on afterwards • piercing south-easterly
wind, which increased to • gale, accompanied by snow,
sleet, and rain in succession. Several vessels on the quay
were in jeopardy, the Isle of Wight 'teenier* encountered
fearful weather, and • report was brought here that •
waterman was drowned off Portsmouth harbour ; a heavy
sea capsized his boat, he clung to the bottom of the boat
for a short period, when • sea washed him off, and he was
not seen afterwards. A lull in the wind came on about
4 o'clock this morning. The rain has washed amity a peat
portion of the snow, but there are symptoms of more
herd weather, and the wind is shifting to the
north-west. Immense flocks of wild ducks were
met with in Southampton-water this morning, and
which were grown quite tame through the coldness
of the weather. Great numbers of wild fowl have also
been met with at the pondi in the New Forest, which the
birds frequent during high water, when the surrounding
mud shores and beaches are covered. Such severe weather
has scarcely ever been known so far south as this. On
Thursday the thermometer touched 4 degrees above zero.
Sledges have been seen in the streets, business has been
almost suspended, and fires have been kept burning in the
streets to thaw the water and gas pips'. There has been
plenty of skating and sliding for men and boys, and
=have crawled about the streets, slipping and sliding,
in Arctic costume. Just as the change to such
cold weather was coming on, curious cracking loud sounds
were beard in the town and neighbourhood, and which are
believed to arise from the contraction of woodwork in the
roofs of houses. Such sounds were heard once before, and
were considered very mysterious. Great damage has been
done to house property through the great weight of snow
on the roofs of houses, and from its falling off in ava-
lanches "

On almost all the lines of railway the progress of the
trains was greatly impeded by the large quantity of water
which had flowed on to the rails in the cuttings from the
melting mow, and is some places the depth of this water
was so great as to paitielly extinguish the engine fires.
Snow fell heavily in Dublin on Saturday afternoon,
followed by a thaw and rain.

DESTRUCTION OF A PORTION OF THE PORT-

LAND BREAKWATER.

WEYMOUTH, SUNDAY, NOON.
A furious gale, equalling that which occurred in
the early part of oinery of last year for diasstrous re-
melts, has again visited the Rooth western portion of the
coast. Although the hurricane of Saturday last was not
so destructive on land as that of last year, at sea it was
felt in all its fury From as early hour on Saturday
morning the wind blew great guns from the south west,
accompanied by one of the roughest and highest tides that
pas been known since 1824, when in November the espla-
nade was partially destroyed, and three men drowned.
The sea had been breaking over Portland Breakwater all
the morning with great power, when at about three
o'clock a portion of the staging which con-
nects the two portions together, and through which
ships are destined to pass when the work is completed,
was washed away, as was also a staging around the cir-
cular fort at the outermost end. About three hours after-
wards another portion succumbed to the strength of the
storm, leaving only about two-thirds of the staging unin-
jured. In consequence of the heavy sea which at this
time was raging, great fears were entertained that the
lamp at the extreme end of the breakwater could not be
lighted, as no communication now existed with it, by
reason of the staging. being carried away. In such wea-
ther as prevailed during Saturday this would have been
attended probably with the most serious consequences, as
vessels would have been sure, if possible, to have made
for Portland Roads, and with no light to guide them, it
is only too likely that many would have struck
on the breakwater and become total wrecks.
In this trying extremity, however, Captain Ball,
harbour-master of Portland, accompanied by a few
brave fellows, risked their lives iu a Portland boat,
and succeeded in effecting • communication and lighting
the lamp. A light well known to mariners as the •• Jack
in the Basket," situated at the entrance to Weymouth her-
' boar, was also washed away and the coast strewn with por-
tions of timber from this structure and the breakwater.
Considerable auxiety was felt for the safety of the ship-
ping outside as well as inside the breakwater. A large
barque at its extreme end was Li great danger throughout
the whole of Saturday, five of her crew having left her •
week previously, and the captain being on shore en-
deavouring to get others. It was feared that
she would drag her anchors and come ashore, but
happily she contrived to weather the storm. In Weymouth
harbour several vessels drifted from their moorings and
sustained damage, including the schooners Harnbill and
Humility. Amongst the small craft wore serious results
occurred. A large wherry, belonging to Mr. Vertue, drifted
from her anchorage, and was dashed to pieces, as was also
a lighter belonging to Mr. Weirton!. in Weymoth Bay
the sea broke over the esplanade, and several houses
were inundated, whilst the violeuce of the wind was
so great that many people were completely car-
ried off their feet. ho loos of life less fortunately
occurred. At the time of our writing the wind has consi-
derably abated, blowing gently from the south-west, and
Weymouth Sands are covered with persons maximal, look-
ing for any valuables which the ground sea might have
cast on shore. The Commodore steanitug has been lying
for the last 48 hours with lior steam up in readiness for
any emergency.