The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-23 00:00:00

Probably many persons living in this great metropolis
have never taken a walk along the banks of the Serpen-
ties River in Hyde-park ; if they have not, it is neces-
sary to state that the waters from the east end of the
park to what is termed the ornamental bridge, and which
separates Kensington-gardens from the Royal park, is
just half a mile in length, and some hundred feet in width.
A space of such magnitude, it is hardly necessary to
state, could afford accommodation for several thousand
sliders and skaters, but had it been known previously
that such an extraordinary performance as we are aboat
to narrate was to have take❑ place yesterday, there is
not the least doubt but as many persons would have bees
present as were in the park when her Majesty opened
the Great Exhibition in the year 1851. As it was, how-
ever, not more than from 2,000 t• 3,000 persons were
present, but the scene was of such magnificence that it
would be extremely difficult accurately to describe.
All of a sudden, after the Royal Humane Society's
icemen had finished the duty of the day, and had, with
few exceptions, left for their respective habitations in
different parts of London, the sound of music was heard
on the Serpentine, and on Mr. Superintendent Williams
hastening out of the receiving-house he beheld (to use
his own words) a spectacle he had never before witnessed,
for a splendid brass band came upon the ice, being at-
tended by upwards of a thousand persons, each holding
a lighted flambeau, or link, in hand. In the course of
a few minutes sundry tents were stretched upon the ice,
immense coke fires were made, innumerable barrels of
beer, and other creature comforts, were publicly exposed
for sale, which gave the ice the appearance of some
great fair.
Several hundred gentlemen, with lamps buckled in
front of their coats, in the first instance led the way,.ap-
parently for the purpose of examining the ice surrounded
by the torch-lighters, and the band at the same time
playing " Cheer boys, cheer." After passing from the
railings to the Kensington-gardens bridge, the parties
turned round, when almost simultaneously the whole of
the park became brilliantly illuminated, as hundreds of
rockets, serpents, Roman lights, squibs, catherine
wheels, and other descriptions of fireworks, were ignited,
and some other pyrotechnics were fired, which re-
sembled the discharge of a park of artillery, and which
made the frozen surface to heave to and fro like a ship
in distress.
Mr. Williams at once got Mr. Deputy-superintendent
Parsons to his aid, when right along a walk of consider-
able extent on the ice, red, blue, crimson, and green
fires were made up, which reflected a light over the
whole of Hyde-park. As to the several gentlemen (arid
it is understood there were several noblemen) on the
ice, skating, they looked far from being human beings.
The long skating space having been gone over, the
band struck up several quadrilles and polkas, which
were kept time to by those present, amongst whom
were not a few ladies. The whole performance, how-
ever, passed off without any accident beyond that of a
young person falling upon the ice, by which he broke his
arm. He was taken to the receiving house, and after-
wards to St. George's Hospital, to have the fracture
reduced.
It is intended, should the frost continue, to have a
repetition of this extraordinary performance.
The thermometer at the Royal Humane Society's re-
ceiving-house was during the night of Wednesday 161
deg., being 151 deg. below freezing point. At 9 a.m.
yesterday it stood at 19 deg., and at 12 at noon it was
28. j deg. At night it was descending rapidly. The
barometer was 29 deg. 87 min., just four hundredths
higher than the preceding day.
The wind yesterday morning was N.N.E., and at 9
o'clock a.m. a dense fog enveloped Hyde-park, so that it
was impossible to see across the Serpentine. The fog
cleared away about ten o'clock, when the wind changed,
and continued to veer considerably to differeet points of
the compass during the after part of the day. About
10,000 sliders and skaters are reported by the Royal
Humane Society to have gone on the ice in the park
yesterday, including many noblemen and gentlemen be-
longing to the Skating Club. Six persons were severely
injured by falling on the ice, who received attendance at
the receiving-house. The Round Pond had on it about
1,200, and the Regent's Park had between 13,000 and
14,000 ; at the latter place several received surgical
attendance at the marquee of the Royal Humane
Society.

St. -James's Park had on the ice between 9,000 and
10,000, and 13 persons wore injured by being cut in the
head or temples.

At the least, three parts of the Thames are now frozen
over, and neither steamer nor small craft can be navi-
gated up or down the river. Ten thousand dock
labourers, employed only in the neighbourhood of Dept-
ford, are thrown out of work ; and, if the weather
should continue for three or four days longer, the priva-
tions of the poor will be very great. •
Up to a late hour last (Thursday) evening there was
no abatement in the frost. The wind continued N.N.E.,
with 8 degrees of frost. Lloyd's agent at Deal tele-
graphed to London yesterday, for the information of
Lloyd's, "that large fields of floating ice had been en-
countered by vessels in the Downs ;" while another
passage from the same port to Lloyd's states, " the
Downs is partly covered with large fields of floating
hummocky ice, about a foot thick, upon which several
persons have been walking."
The navigation of the Thames may be considered as
stopped, except to the large steam-ships, which continue
to force a passage through the fields of floating ice.
Upwards of 500 lalen colliers from the north are
lying at anchor below Gravesend, in the various sec-
tions, unable to come up the river.
The different basins in the East and West India
Docks, as also the London and Commercial Docks, with
the shipping in them, are frozen up.

LIVERPOOL—The wind has shifted about a good deal
during the last three or four days, and an early change
in the weather is predicted. There was less ice on the
river yesterday, but the wind blew piercingly cold front
the south-east. There were indications of an impending
heavy fall of of snow. Gangs of men continue to visit
the outskirts for the purpose of demanding mony, but
the police arrangements are so effective that daily appre-
hensions are made, and the peace of the town is pre-
served.

SOUTHAMPTON.—The frost at this pert continues, but
not with that severity hitherto experienced. Yesterday
men were engaged in breaking up and forcing into the
river large quantities for the purpose of clearing the
docks, se as to enable business to be proceeded with in
its usual way.

Yonfcsmit.2.----In all parts navigation is suspended by
the accumulation of ice in the rivers and canals, which
are now generally turned into skating grounds. Snow
has fallen in several places since Monday, but not to any
considerable extent. The thermometer in the daytime
has generally ranged within a degree or two over or
under the freezing point, and at night it has sunk to a,
minimum of 20 degrees.

LzaDs.—The fr-ost continues.' in this neighbourhood
with undiminished severity, and on Wednesday night
the Viermometer fell again as low as 9 degrees.
NEIVOISTLE-ON-TYNE.—The wind on Wednesday again
veered round to the N.E., with snow. The Tyne is still
covered with ice above bridge, and the traffic is entirely
stopped between Blaydon, Stella, and other up-the-
water villages and the shipping in the lower reaches of
the river. There was probably never so much shippingl
on the North Sea at one time as on Saturday and Sun-
day nights, as the favourable winds and spring tides
cleared the northeast coal ports on Friday and Satur-
day of very large fleets of laden vessels which had been
accumulating during several weeks.
KENDAL.—The intense cold still continues without
abatement. The canal and Kent are thronged daily
with skaters and sliders, especially those parts of the
Kent known by the names of Long Draught and Church
Dubs. 1 bonfire was lighted at the latter place on
Monday, to the great delight of a iumerous company,
including many of the fair sex. In the neighhourhood
of the town the severity of the weather seems to increase.
Windermere Lake has been frozen for rome days, and
has acquired sufficient firmness to allow persons to cross
it with safety.
HALISWORTH, SUFFOLK.— A self-registering, ther-
mometer, placed about three feet elevation from the
ground in a sheltered position, with north aspect.,
reached 5 degrees below zero (37 degrees of frost) during
the night of Saturday last, the 17th, and on Sunday
morning, half-past 8, marked 2 degrees below zero (34
degreel of frost).