The National Register.
London, England, 1814-01-30 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTV.H.

jr 41 N. • YY•

SEVERITY OF 7HE WEATHER,

On Wednesday morning the wind shifted to the south-
west, and a thaw ensued, which has continued. The countr)
we therefore hope, will soon be relieved from the great variety
of privations and inconveniences attendant upon the severe
frost with which it has been visited. All the accounts ftnm
the country, however, still contain the usual details of the
interruption of internal correspondence, the delay of the
tuails, and numerous casualties.

From the drifted state of the roads, the communication
with Canterbury and the metropolis was not until the 22d,
when the snow was cut through by the military at Chatham
dill, and near Gravesend, the stages proceeded with their
passengers which bad been detained from Wednesday
se'nnight,

On Saturday seinnOit there were seventeen coaches at
Dunstable which were not able to go forward on account of
the snow. Some of the passengers, who had left London, a
few days before, and who had calculated reaching their des-
tinations without much obstruction had only taken sufficient
money for that purpose; but in consequence of their deten-
tion at Dunstable for several days, they expended all the
money they had about them ; and their unpleasant situation
may be easily imagined.
The snow has accumulated in the midland counties, par-
ticularly on the borders of Northamptonshire and Warwick-
shire, to a height altogether unprecedented. In the neigh-
bourhood of Dunchurch, the drifts exceeded the height of
'24 feet.

On Tueiday, it was publicly proclaimed by the bellman
of Hammersmith, that there wouldrext day be held a fair on
the Thames, between that place and New Bridge, the whole
being deeply frozen across.
The snow was very deep between Puckeridge and Airing-
ton, but much cf the latter part of that toad has been cleared
by the exertions of I.ortl Hardwicke, who has had a new
constructed plough for clearing the load at work, with very
gteat effect,

As two bricklayer's men were clearing, the snow off the
roof of a house nt Highgate, on Saturday se'nniglit they
slipped, and both fell together: one came in contact mith
some wooden railing, the spikes of which entered his head :
the unhappy man lingered till the following day, when lie
was relieved from his misery : the other escaping the rails,
and lank; on the snow in the road was nut so severely hurt
but only a slender hope remains of his surviving any length
of time.

It is apprehended that the loss to farmers of their stock
will boscverely felt. A gentleman of Chard, Sotneret, has
lost above 100 sheep. Alen aro employed night and day in
digging those animals out of the accumulated heaps under
which they are buried.
A letter from Launceston, Cornwall, mentions a shocking
accident which happened in that neighbourhood. A gentle
man and his wife, wree proceeding one evening last week, in
a cluise, from Torpoint, to Launceston, when, from the
snow, they missed the road, and drove over a precipice into
z quarry. The gentleman and lady, with the driver, were
dug oat the next day, quite dead.
Betjamin Dunham, aged.7o, a poor man of exemplary
character and sober habits, returning to • his family, about
seven o'clock on Friday se'nnight, was frozen to death,
between liailton 4414 Barrington. Ile missed his way in
crossing the fields, in consequence of the snow, and being
benumbed, fell into ,a ditch, when he was unable to rise.
The most tamentable part of the story that two workmen,
kelonzing to a farm in lUrringtun parish, distinctly bev4

.70

him calling out " Lost ! lost !" without proceodin.; 'to the
spat and affording him as-istance.

On Sault day sennight, as a party of workmen, were clear-
ing away the snow, which was twelve fret deep, at llipton,
the borders of Northamrtonshire, a child, about three scant•
old, was discovered, and immediately after, the mothvr, as
was afterward ascertained. The poor woman turned out t:'
he the %vile of a soldier in the 16th reglment, and she was re-
turning home midi her child, after accompan% ing her hus-
band to the place of embarkation. It was supposed tlieg.
had been a week in the snow.

The dreadful state of the roads and streets was taken into
consideration on Monday, at the Secretary of State's Uffice
for the Home Department, Al lICIL it WAS agt ecd to issur,
instructions to all the Lords Lieutenants of Counties, desiring
them to convene meetings of the Magistrates, the Sorveefri
of the Roads, ang,l other officers, in their different dist, icts ;
and that a great number of men. should be employed, awl
every :method used to clear the roads, w.tter-course:4, &e,
-Instructioos were accordingly sent off with the greatei
CXpc-
dition.—At one o'clock Lord Sidimmth l'ad a consultation
with the Lord Mayor on the state of the metropolis, when a
circular letter was issued to the dilierent Police Milgistrates,
requesting them immediately to hold communication with
the several parish oMcers in their district, and represent to
them the urgent neces.ity of resorting to e% cry possible
means for the purpose of removing the obstructions