The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-04 00:00:00

THE FOG.

On Saturday night the western and northern portions of
the metropolis and its suburbs were enveloped in one of
the most dense fogs that has been remembered for many
years. In the western suburbs of town the fog began to
thicken shortly before six o'clock, and in half an hour the
darkness was so great that the omnibuses from Hounslow,
Brentford, Richmond, Ealing, &c., were unable to proceed
a single yard without the guidance and assistance of per-
sons with flambeaux and lanterns. Even then the collisions
were frequent, and it is feared that many accidents have
occurred, although, from the confusion which prevailed, it
was impossible to ascertain the nature or the extent of the
damage done. At Hammersmith an aged female, named
Jane Wilson, residing at Barnes, Surrey, while crossing
the Broadway, in th direction of the Bridge-road, was
knocked down by a cart belonging to George Dickens,
a gardener at Ealing, and severely injured. Very few
of the omnibuses above mentioned were able, on their
journey to London, to proceed beyond Kensington ; seve-
ral of their passengers got out at Hammersmith, prefer-
ring at all risks walking the distance to running the chance
of being dashed to pieces. From Kensington to Piccadilly
the confusion was beyond description, persons walking on
the footpath not being able to discern their way. Those
walking to town were repeatedly dazzled by the lanthorns
and links borne by those who were progressing therefrom,
and the consequence was that many persons narrowly
escaped being run over. Along the road many vehicles of
a light description were upset, among which was the chaise
of a gentleman named Phillips, residing in Smith-street,
Chelsea, who was thrown into the middle of the carriage
road, and before ho could be rescued from his perilous situ-
ation some cart passed over his right thigh, and fractured
it dreadfully. The long coaches leaving town were all
attended by a number of men with lights, and even
then they were unable to progress beyond a walking pace.
Most of those returning to London were detained on
the road several hours, and did not reach their respective
inns till a late hour in the night. Even the cabs and
hackney coaches at the west end of the town had lights.
The mails on the western road left the Regent Circus, Pic-
cadilly, in the usual manner, about eight o'clock, but they
had not proceeded a quarter of a mile out of town before
they found it necessary to proceed at a very slow pace, al-
though men with lights had been hired to attend them. On
the north-west and northern roads the darkness was equally
great. In the southern and south-eastern portions of the
metropolis the fog was not so dense as during the day ; and
from six o'clock until after eight, the Strand, Fleet-street,
&e., were comparatively clear. After that hour, however,
it began to thicken, and continued very dense during the
night.—Sunday Paper.

DREADFUL ACCIDENT FROM THE FOG ON SATURDAY
NIGHT.—About eight o'clock on Saturday night the com-
pany at Mr. Workman's, the Storey-gate Hotel, were
alarmed by the rapid clatter of wheels and a violent shock.
In rushing out to ascertain the cause, a phaeton was dis-
covered broken in pieces, and a horse stuck by his haunches
in the foot-path on the left hand side going into St. James's-
park. After a few moments a man about 35 years of age
was found under the feet of the horse, bleeding violently,
and speechless. A solicitor of the name of Henderson
next appeared covered with mud, having been thrown out
by the concussion, but only hurt in the knee ; then a cab-
man, also covered with mud, who had been thrown out
by the horse and chaise of the solicitor. The poor man,
who was injured, was carried to the Westminster Hospital,
where he expired in a minute and a half. The solicitor said
that his horse kad been frightened at the end of Great
George-street, and had ran away with him.