The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-12 00:00:00

2HE GREAT SNOW STORM.

At the Crystal Palace the fall of now yesterday was very
heavy. In many parts it drifted throe or four feet deep, end
it may be taken asogfair average that the fall throughout
was nearly twelve inches deep. At daybreak the plants apd
Aruba were hid from eight by the immense MIMS otwow
sawing to them, every twig and branch being loaded in a
wort astosishieg manner, presenting one of the grandest
tights ever seen. As the day ides:wed and the wind row
much of the snow wee blown off, but many of the lower
branches of the tress were broken off by the
peat weight of snow lodged epos them. The
?Woe itself was completely covered with snow
ewe inches deep, but through the warmth of the furnaces,
sad the long Hoes of gaslights extending throughout the
building, as well as the ps standards and other means of
imputing warmth, the roof was comparatively clear at
desk. No such wow storm hes hem seen at the Crystal
Palace sines the year it we. erected. Within the building
the temperature we warmer than usual from the additional
beat thrown into it. In the grounds the thermometer
steed at 33. Towards evening the barometer rose slightly.
Notwithstanding the state of the weather, 2,000 persons
availed themselves of the amusements of the Palace. A
wore extraordinary contrast then the brilliant appearance
of the Palace within and the wintry 'aped of the pounds
sea hardly be imagined.

, .
At the Oueral POl4oillee it was stated that the snow
tall had been general round the metropolis ; and that in
the north it had been especially heavy. An official notice
mar posted, informing the public that the Channel tallied
mails (Guernsey and J um) had not arrived in dtut mune,
though all the other mail trigs (with the exception of the
one du from Maher) had been received without say delay
affecting the delivery of the letters and newspaper&
Vp to the time of going to puss our usual paresis from
Liatalatol, Manchester, cad Birmingham had not arrived. ,
The barometric pressen on Wednesday decreased rapidly
ever Italy and the Mediterranean, with heavy falls of rate,
sad very strong mouth-west winds, and it was low over the
whale et Europe.
From the various amounts received of the latest of the
damage dons in the metropolis and its suburbs and in the
provinces, we subjoin the following partioulars :—Akag the
Brixton, Kennington, and Clsphsm roads the telegraph
Esse have been torn dews. In Newington Butts one of
the posts on the roof of a house, at the corner of Cross.
West, was forced from its position, which was followed by
the destruction of the poet upon the Black Prince Tavern,
Walworth.road. The weight of the entire length of wires
was thereby thrown upon the massive standard supporting
the wires at the Telegraph Mather, London-road, which,
with a loud crash, snapped, carrying away a portion of the
not The wires being thus freed, whirled about in all
directions, coiling around the housetops, and carrying away
chimneys and portions of brickwork, he., but fortunately
dieing no perusal Injury, though many persona bad narrow
emus. The posts on the house tope in the Loudon.
Blukfriars, and other roads and sheets, were more or
less broken or damaged. Telegraphic communication
yea almost entirely stopped, and it will be several days
before the large extent of damage can be repairel. At
Camberwell a wooden building of upwards of 36 feet in
length was all but demolished. At the time of its destruc-
tion a man named Charles Harris. a carpenter, was inside at
week, and was so severely cut about the face and otherwise
injured that he had to be taken to St. Thomas's Hospital.
A mu named Stephen Faulkner wee making his way
along Dulwich-lane, when owing to the depth of snow he
missed his path and fell down a steep bank, severely 'ajar-
* his right shoulder. Mrs. Mills, aged 45 years, lost her
footing in the Walworth.road, and falling heavily to the
ground, broke her right um, and injured her aides so that
she had to be attended at St. Thomas's Hospital ; and an
elderly woman named Elisabeth Streed likewise fractured
several ribs by slipping down In the New*.
ten-road. A young man named Robert Raw-
/imp was knocked down and run over, in the New
Yent.road, and sustained a severe injury to his right leg
sad shoulder. Owing to the weight of the snow, the trees
is the ground, of St. Thomas's Hospital and other places
were much liquid. The various roadways were next to
impeasaide, and In several instances a harvest was reaped
by men and boys in conveying persons by means of trunks
and harrows germ the thoroughfare. As soon as
ponsible the contractors for several pukka sent out
bodies of men to clear the drain, which had become
choked by the accumulated mud, tie., causing many of the
basements of house, to be inundated, and inflicting much
damage. During the whole of the day the traffic in the
streets wu carried on with difficulty and danger, and
numerous other accident, occurred.

One of the wires caught a man round the waist in Wal.
worth, and dragged him into the Grand Surrey Canal, but
he was fortunately extricated in time to save hie life. On
the different linen of railway leading into and out of the
metropolis the snow bad such a blinding effect upon the
firemen and driven, that they could scarcely distinguish
the signal-poets, an 4 in many places fog signals were used.
The guards upon the Mid Kent and South Western lines
assert that during their experience they never encountered
mach a fearful snowstorm. Taking the river Thames from
Teddington-looks to Battersea-bridge the eye could detect
all aorta of small craft aunt in the water, and only held
together by their ropes ; and even coal bargee had bees
forced under water by the weight of the snow and sleet
that had fallen into them.

ILEADLNG, JAN. 11.

There was a very heavy hailstorm in this locality
en Monday, and many of the hailstones were as large as
marbles. Immediately afterwards a fearful gale ensued.
causing much damage. An island in the Thames, near
Oaversham Mill, belongs to a hard•workiog man, named
%night, who gains his livelihood by cultivating the ground
partly as a garden and partly for the growth of within ; his
wife being an industrious laundress. This couple managed
a short time ago to erect a house on their land, the cost
being defrayed by their hard earnings ; and they had
scarcely furnished their home and rendered it comfort-
able. before a sad misfortune was their lot, for the
wind of Monday blew so furiously that it completely
raised the roof, which fell with such violauce that it forced
down the brick walls of the structure, and the staircase and
internal fittings, with the furniture, became a perfect
wreck. This occurrence has placed the family in distressing
circumstances, and a subscription on behalf of the sufferers
bite been commenced. Io the village of Cavenhani a lofty
chimney at a fellmonger's establishment was blown down,
hayrick' were severed and drifted for a considerable dis.
tance, while tiles and slates were flying in all directions.
PORTLAND, THURSDAY.

One of the moat destructive gales which for many
years put has visitedlthis coast took place on Wednesday
night and yesterday morning. Seventeen vessels are on shore.
The g►le commenced shortly before midnight, the wind
blowing from the northeast a perfect hurricane, mom-
ponied by a very heavy sea and snowstorm, which lasted
watil eleven o'clock this morning. The shipping, of which
there is a large number in the roadstead, suffered severely,
there being about 17 vessels on shore, some of which have
either parted from or slipped their anchors. Amongst these
are the smacks Beads Simmons (Hicks), Ply-
mouth; Charlotte, Guernsey; Amanda (Weymouth),
Plymouth ; Eliza (Harvey), Plymouth ; Charlotte, Guern-
sey ; Amanda, Weymouth ; Turk, Weymouth ; Alarm
(Hoskins), Southampton; Alexander (schooner), Weymouth;
and Arrow (ketch), Brizhatn. The names of the other
vessels on shore cannot as yet be ascertained, but it is
anticipated that as soon as the gale subsides, of which
there is now every indication, they will be got off without
sustaining any serious damage. The most serious case
which has toms to the notice of our correspondent is that of
the sloop Sarah (Chapple), of Goole, which parted from her
moorings about six o'clock this morning, and
was dashed by the fury of the waves against the govern.
went pier, smashing in her bulwarks, stanchions, and in-
flicting other damage. At the present time, although the
gale is subsiding, the sea ia making clean breaches over
her, and it is more than probable she will be rendered
worthless. The captain and crew escaped, and indeed,
notwithstanding the number of vessels on shore, no lose
a life has occurred. Such a heavy gale as that of
today has not been witnessed on this coast
for a number of years, and the number of
vends on shore has, we may say, never been equalled
hare. Animist the smaller craft anchored near the
shore there has been a great deal of dastructioa. The heavy
Month belonging to her Majesty's ship Si, George has filled
and capsized. The yacht belonging to Captain Rice, of the
St. George, has parted from her moorings, and is sow QS
above. The harbour master's boat is also awaked. There
in a peat deal of wreck floating about in t►e nada, and
nankleal man say that the gale in tie Chasse was the
heaviest which they have ever experisseed. The gale was
not essioad to the oust, for may canalties are reported
Woad. On the railway a put number of telegraph posts
lan bun Wawa down between Weymouth and Dombenter,