The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-03 00:00:00

THE FROST.-STATE OF THE RIVER.

The severe frost of Saturday and Sunday brought a
vast accession of ice in the Thames, and yesterday morn-
ing it presented an appearance, both above and below
bridge, that has not been witnessed since the very in-
clement winter of 1838. The mid channel was almost
covered at times, with large pieces of driving ice,
thereby rendering the navigation exceedingly perilous
for small craft. The river steamers which ply between
Woolwich, Greenwich, and London, as also those from
Chelsea, &c., were compelled to cease running. Every
ebb tide floated down large frozen masses, which, set-
tling between the tiers of vessels moored in the Pool,
soon amalgamated with what had collected there before,
and formed one sheet of considerable thickness, in some
places as much as three feet. Should the frost con-

tinue another twenty-four hours with any degree of
severity, it is a question whether the navigation will not
be entirely stopped, and the sea-going vessels will hesi-
tate in attempting a passage through the difficult and
frozen channel. In order to afford the fullest protec-
tion to the craft lying in the tiers, the moorings have
been considerably strengthened, so as to render them
more secure against the pressure of the drifting fields of
ice. In 1838 a whole tier was carried away, and nearly
wrecked at London-bridge.

Much care and attention has to be observed at the
several entrances to the docks, in preventing the ice in
the locks from consolidating. As yet there has been no
impediment to vessels going in and out, but many of the
ships which are moored in the river basins, where the
water is not so often disturbed, are "nipped" in. Most
of the canals are frozen over, and the traffic entirely
stopped.

Lower down the river, towards and even past Graves-
end, vast quantities of ice are floating about. It is
brought down by the ebb tide, and being met by the
flood, is driven back with all the accessions of the nu-
merous small streams which abound both sides of the
Thames. A few days more frost will render the Graves-
end traffic somewhat difficult.

The sea-going steamers which arrived in the course of
yesterday report a general and heavy fall of snow along
all parts of the coast. On Friday night and Saturday the
wind blew a perfect gale from N.N.W., which added
much to the difficulties of the weather. The snow is
described to have fallen to a considerable depth along
the Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire coast.
During a heavy fall, on Saturday evening, the brig
Courier, Mr. Somers master, belonging to London,
went on the Scroby Sands, and became a wreck. The
crew happily succeeded in preserving themselves in their
long-boat, and reached Great Yarmouth in safety. A
Norwegian barque shared a similar fate, by going upon
the much•dreaded Goodwin Sands during the storm.
Off Rhyl, a melancholy loss is supposed to have occur-
red, by the striking of a brigantine on the West Hoyle
Bank, her immediate destruction, and the perishing of
all on board. It took place on Thursday. A boat has
been washed up, bearing the name of " Sophia Belfast,"
which it is conjectured belonged to the ill-fated vessel.
, None of the bodies have been found.