The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-06 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL—DEc. 5

So severe a winter has not been known in this dis.
trict since 1842.

Snow fell the greater part of yesterday, and during
the whole of the night. There has been a cessation this
morning, but the atmosphere threatens a further down-
fall.

We have had no arrivals of trains from London since
an early train yesterday morning ; in the afternoon a
telegraphic despatch was received at the Lime-street
station of the London and North-Western Railway from
Crewe, stating that the line was blocked up with snow,
and that the 7.30 and 9.40 trains from Liverpool for
London were standing there unable to proceed, while
the London down trains were detained from the same
cause at Stafford. Mr. Norris, the chief engineer, had
gone with 100 men to clear the line at Standon ; of
course, all the trains which afterwards arrived at the
two points, Crewe and Stafford, were unable to proceed
further. A second telegraph message, received last
night by Mr. Ilberry, the station-master at Lime-
street, station, reports that nothing had passed Crewe
since the down mail train on Tuesday evening. " The
line," it is stated, is " blocked up between Whitmore
and Stafford. Mr. Norris, the engineer is there, and we
are sending by daylight 300 men to his assistance."
These men would get to work the first thing this morn-
ing, and hopes are entertained by the railway officials
that they will be able to clear so much of the line as will
enable the 9 p.m. train from Liverpool to London to get
through without stoppage. The mail train which left
Liverpool at the usual time last night was unable to
proceed further than Warrington. A telegraph from
Warrington states that the line is snowed up between
that place and Crewe, and that they would be unable to
clear it until this evening,

The non•arrival of the London trains at Liverpool
caused the greatest inconvenience in all circles, but per-
haps to no one is it a greater cause of anxiety than to
the provincial editor; he is at his wits end to know how
to dish up a presentable bill of fare, and fervently prays
for a speedy thaw.

A lady residing in Liverpool was yesterday morning
to have been married to a gentleman from town, who
was expected to join the guests assembled at the mar-
riage feast in the morning. Instead of his bodily pre-
sence, however, the bride received a telegraphic mes-
sage conveying the intelligence that her intended was
" snowed up" at Stafford.

Nineteen or twenty trains 'from all
_directions have
come to a standstill at Bolton.

An accident happened on the line near Holyhead
yesterday, the train getting off the rails, and running
it a snowdrift. The driver and stoker were suffocated.

In the absence the London journals, the merchants
on 'Change had recourse to a snowballing match, which
ended in a riot on a small scale. They were ranged in
two sides—cotton-brokers versus share-brokers, the
latter section being marshalled by a leader of prodigious
proportions. The melee raged thickly and furiously,
and a dense crowd assembled to witness the encounter.
Ultimately, the head constable, Capt. Greig, entered on
the scene of action, accompanied by a section of police,
and attempted to put the belligerents to flight. They
were, however, upon their private property, and asserted
their right to do as they liked with their own. They
renewed the match in the captain's presence. He or-
dered arrests to be made. An indescribable scene fol-
lowed. Several merchants were taken into custody, and
marched off to Bridewell, amid the yells and groans
of the infuriated " merchant princes," who wreaked their
vengeance upon Captain Greig and the " Blue coats "
by hurling at them showers of well-aimed snowballs.
The head constable's hat was repeatedly displaced; he
was several times times thrown down, while he was
picturesquely bespattered with snow. The snowballing
was renewed, and the head constable returned with a
larger force, who attempted to take possession and clear
the flags. They were vigorously hustled, however, and
speedily broken up into units. The captain then walked
into the news-room, with the intention probably of ad-
dressing the merchants, but he was surrounded by a
crowd of menacing faces, and literally hustled from the
room. He was ultimately compelled to withdraw
his men, who left the ground followed by a smart
shower of snowballs. The ringleaders who had been
taken into custody were liberated—their names had been
booked. The matter at one time had a somewhat seri°
ous aspect, several windows in the police-office being
broken, and the crowd assuming a threatening attitude.