The Sun.
London, England, 1836-12-29 00:00:00

THE SNOW STORM.

The snow storm still continues with no abatement, and
our intercourse with the provinces has consequently been
but very partially renewed. Very little additional snow,
however, has fallen in the metropolis and its neighbourhood
within the last twenty-four hours ; and as we hear that thz
roads in some parts of the country are partially
may hope the groat inconvenience to wh;.',4'. ;of classes have
been subjected by this unusual vi'llAtion will be speedily
abated. Many of the mails from the interior, especially from
the south and west of England, where the storm appears to
have raged most violently, are still missing, but l'Atm the
:north several have arrived. From the continent four mails
are due, but whether they are stopped by the snow ,:en
this side of the channel or in France we have not heard.
The guards who have arrived in London matte the fol-
lowing statement of the roads which are impeded by the
snow :

On the Bath Toad the guard was obliged to leave the
coach at Devizr.s, and proceed on horsA•ackrto Marlborough
across the fields ; the road from Marlborough to London
was passable, only by a light chaise ; a coach cannot travel.
The Liverpool road from Hinckley is very bad. The
guard -was obliged to employ six horses and men to cut
through the drift.
Yarmouth the mail-guard took the bags to Lowes-
toff on horseback, and from thence on foot to Wandford,
where be procured a chaise, and came up through Ipswich
ani Colchester. The snow was very deep, and the gale at
sea was tremendous.

The Exeter guard reports that the snow was very deep
at Yarcombe. The coach was obliged to be dug out of the
drift at Chard, and again at Wllinwhistle, when they left the
high road, and crossed the fields to Andover ; between that
place and Basingstoke they were again dug out twice.
The Worcester gulard left his coach at Morton in Marsh,
and took a horse across the fields to Woodstock, with a
guide ; from thence he procured a chaise and four horses
to Londe,n. The snow very deep and freezing.
The. Norwich guard left the coach behind, and came up
to London in a chaise and four. He reports that the snow
was very deep about Newmarket.
The Manchester guard brought his coach through from
Leicester with six horses. All the way the snow was very

The Stroud road was very deep with snow ; but with the
assistance of six extra horses the coach was brought through.
The Edinburgh guards found the snow very deep
throughout the whole way, but the greatest obstruction is
at Grantham. The coach was several times cut out of the
drifts near that place : but by getting the assistance of the
neighbouring farmers' horses, and by crossing the fields for
some distance, they were enabled to get on, though fre-
quently obliged to leave the road during the journey.
The snow on the Falmouth road, and also on the Ply.
mouth road, is very deep, but not so bad as on this side of
Exeter.

The Gloucester road was very much obstructed, but by
the assistance of the contracter, Mr. Day, of Northleach,
who took the coach across the fields, with the aid of several
other persons, they contrived to force the coach through,
although the regular road was impassable. The journey
from Oxford to Bensington, only eleven miles and a half,
with every possible exertion, occupied two hours and a half.
The guard considers it impossible for a coach to get to
Gloucester.

The Brighton mail was forwarded on horseback to Craw-
ley, it being impossible to get the coach on a fresh drift,
since the guard left on Sunday night, near Patcham ; but
from Crawley a chaise can travel.
The postmaster of Rochester brought up the bags from
that place himself, and he states that troops to the number
of two or three hundred men are employed on the road to
Dover : it cannot be opengd before Friday next, the snow
is •sovery deep.

The Halifax guard states that he was obliged to leave
the coach at Heath, and take the bags on horseback. He
met the guard going down, also on horseback, between
Mansfield and Nottingham, and exchanged horses with him,
with which he got to Nottingham. From thence he pro-
cured a coach, which stuck in the drift four miles from Mar-
ket Harborough. He took one of the horses on to that
town, and, having procured assistance, brought the coach
on to London all the way with six horses.
The Glasgow guard was obliged to leave his coach at
011erton, from whence he took three horses, and with the
bags on them he made his way to Kemsall, where he was
stopped for six. hours, the snow drifting so as completely to
block up the road ; and, it being midnight, could not pro-
cure a guide before six o'clock in the morning, when he pro-
cured a chaise and four, which brought him to Grantham,
where the London guard took the mail, and conveyed it to
Wan'asford, where the coach had been left, which he
brought on to London with six horses all the n ay.
The Devonport mail due yesterday morning arrived at
'Five P.M. The guard states that the road is very deep ; in
many places they were obliged to leave it ; but be suc-
ceeded in bringing up the coach, bavinc, a pair of leaders
all the way from Exeter. This is the only coach that has
make its way up the road. The horsekeepers, not expect-
ing that any coach would attempt it, were not ready with
'the horses, and this delayed him very much.
The Manchester mail due yesterday morning, arrived at
fifty minutes past 5 P.M., bringing the coach through from
Manchester with six horses most of the way. The snow
was very deep, and the road badly cleared from below
Leicester. In several instances they were compelled to de-
viate from the main road between Manchester and Lon-
d-on. No other coach had passed.

The Halifax mail due this morning arrived 20 minutes
past 5, P.M., with saddle horses and a gig, below Notting-
ham, and a chaise and four from Nottingham to Leicester,
and on horseback from Leicester to Market Harborough,
and from thence in a chaise and four.

The Hull mail due yesterday morning arrived at 30 mi-
nutes past 5. P.M. Snow very deep on Lincoln-hill. No-
thing had passed Slr..aford since Sunday night. The guard
took a horse and chaise to Peterborough, from whence the
London guard_ brought the coach up to London.
Stroud.--The mail due this day arrived at 40 minutes
past five, p.m. The snow-drift was so bad between Abing-
don aD Bensington that the coach was obliged to leave the
road. and go across the fields ; the coachman refused to go
on, and the guard took a chaise and four, and brought the
mil up to London.

Two mails arrived from Brighton yesterday morning : the
report of the guard is much the same as before.
Eight o'clock, p.m.—ln order to obviate the inconve-
nience which might be experienced by the detention of the
foreign snails, the Dover road being now the only one
through which a passage has not yet been effected, a steam-
vessel bas been specially hired by the Postmaster-general to
convey the bags to Ramsgate, Margate, and Dover.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

The only roads that have been clear throughout the
storm arc the Portsmout and the Poole ; along these the
difficulties hay's: been comparatively trifling ,and have princi-
pally existedl within the last twenty miles of the approach to
the metropolis.
The depth of snow in drifts in the hollows of most of the
roads is reported to be from 12 to 20 feet. In the high open
roads there is no snow lying, it being blown away by the
wind as fast as it falls.

Inspectors were on Tuesday and yesterday sent out in
all directions by the Post-office, and it is hoped, by the ex-
ovations that have been and are now making, an end will
be put to the obstacles that have caused this sudden and
disastrous suspension of all communication with the
provinces.

- The effect commercially it described as very embarrass-
ing. Bills previously in London have been dishonoured in
many instances, from the remittances depended upon from
the country not ha‘Jing come to hand. Where the bill and
the remittance had both to be sent from the country, the
storm has from its universality worked a remedy for the evil
it caused, by ;,like delaying the arrival of the bill and of the
remittance, Thus, to mention one transaction :—A bill
was sent prom Halifax, which ought to have arrived for pre-
scntnte•.it and payment on lionday—the money to meet it
was duly posted at Manchester—neither came to hand till
yesterday.

The mail contractors yesterday were ready generally to
book passengers, but with a stipulation that they should
bring no luggage. No packages beyond parcels were re-
ceived to be forwarded by the mails.
The guard of the Edinburgh due on Monday, which ar-
rived on Tuesday nisnt, states the great difficulties to be
overcome were at Waltham-cross and Puckeridge. At
both places several up and down mails and coaches were
left fixed.

Tuesday one hundred and fifty men were em-
ploy/,d in clearing the road between Puckeridge and Bunt-
in'Ard, a distance of only four miles.
Between Slough and Salt-hill, on the Western-road,
sixteen mails are said to be stopping, being unable to get up
or down.

A. St. Alban's many are reported in like manner to be
fixed.

The inconvenience to passengers, guards, and coachmen,
beyond detention, and consequent heavy expense, is believed
i
not to be great, as n most instances the passengers are
known to have been got to some adjacent inn or public-
house. The bags have been removed, and the horses
extricated, and the mail coach then abandoned till a change
of weather commences. _

Fourteen mail coaches are said to be abandoned on the

various roads.

The Brighton mail due on Tuesday was brought to its
destination with great difficulty. The guard, James Wake-
field, was obliged to be left at an inn on the road, being ex-
tremely ill from the severity of the weather. The coachman
Newman, arrived in a state of much exhaustion.
About a mile from St. Alban's, on the London side, a
chariot without horses was seen on Tuesday nearly buried
in snow. There were two ladies inside, who made an

earnest appeal to a mail guard, whose coach had gttt in a
drift nearly at the same spot. The ladle* !laid tlio post-boy
had left them for St. Alban's, to get fresh cattle, and had
been gone two hours. The ttAlfe to assist
them ; and his nipil l• •
his ,
ev-k-cl)te, 1r pat suetjourne),
for L,- '
pony Ica\'ikiVr the Oiafiut antt ladies in the situation
wt...0`,46 they *ere seen.
The following notice :yeSleMay afternoon exhibited
at the Post-eMeei-=:-
. . ,

" 'There tbill l,w t second delivery of the city leiter§ kjo,
the kiAtil'-carriers at three o'clock. All leo;ets Which ar-
rive by the late mails that lime will be delivered by
the tivopiMS--Pi.:4,q. All the mails will be dispatched to-
nigh4- ut Inc usual hour."
'The following arrivals wet.* in the course of
the evening
.Glakti.l,\`•!- .07 7-Tuesday, at 15 minutes past twelve pan: i
Bristol of yesterday, at 25 minutes past three 0:111. ; Ugh
of yesterday, at 46 minutes Mee p.m.
The following ellu arrired in the course of the evening :
The ifatirax bags were brought in about half-past five
o'clock in a post-chaise and four.
The Devonport came it's at half-past rout o'clock.
All the mail guatals rettiveck Otters to be in attendance
at the Post-ofitce at sik o'clock last night, to receive in-
structions.

The Bath and Bristol mails doe j,'7fOster(lay morning were
abandoned eighty miles froni London, and the mail-bags
brought up in a past---Ofte and four by the two guards, who
reached London at six o'clock yesterday morning. ror 17
miles of the distance they had come atoms the fields.
The Exeter, by Yeovil, due on Monday evening, arrived
at one o'clock. a.m., yesterday, and the mail from the same
parts due et! Tuesday evening came in at ten o'clock, a.m.
The guard of the Monday's mail states that they left on
Monday night, and were at five different places buried in
snow, and had to be dug out. In one place a kind-hearted
farmer after lending his team and men to release the mail,
intivtod that its coachman, passengers, and guard should
partake of refreshment at his farm close by. He placed
before them cold fowls and bacon, with good home-brewed
ale, and added a glass of brandy and water each, by way of
a digester, as he called it.
All the mails went out last night.
At the Foreign-office the following notice was affixed :

" General Post-office, Dec. 28.—The French mail will
be forwarded by a steam-boat to Dover at the usual hour
to-night."

Tie Manchester mail came in at five o'clock last night.
The Bath at ten minutes to eight o'clock.
The Gloucester at five minutes past eight.
Taber, guard of the Devonport, who left London with
the mail on Sunday nights and returned with it yesterday
afternoon, says, that on going down they experienced very
little impediment on this side Amesbury. At a mile and a
half beyond they got completely blocked. The leaders
dropped down, but rose again ; the near-wheel horse fell
and could not be got up. The coachman went back on
one of the leaders and returned with a pair of post-horses.
The only good they could do was drawing the wheel-horsa
out of the snow ; they could not get him on his legs. The
post-boy was sent back, and returned with four more post
horses, and four fine waggon horses were gratuitously fur-
nished by Mr. Long, an extensive farmer, residing close by.
With these combined assistance the mail, after being de-
layed three hours, was got loose by day-light. Leaving
their own jaded horses behind, they travelled onwards with
the six post-horses across the Downs, and stopped to break-
fast at Deptford Inn, Wilts. The near-wheel horse left
behind could not be got on his legs for two hours afterwards.
From Deptford Inn they went on with four mail horses, and
two post leaders, towards Mere, and were again blocked at
Willoughby turnpike-gate. About 100 men were at this
time employed a little below in digging out the Subscription
and Defiance coaches. The guard left the mail in care
of a fellow-servant, and walked to a farm-house, whence
he got two labouring men, who assisted in releasing the
mail, and, by crossing the downs, and, at places, fields, they
reached Mere, whence they renewed their progress with
four fresh mail-horses and two posters. They got to Win-
canton without meeting with any particular difficulty. They
there obtained fresh horses, and went on as before to ll-
chester, and here again changing their cattle, at last reached
Ilminster, where the guard resigned his arduous trust to
another. Between Ilchester and Ilminster the post horse
leaders fell in a snow-drift, and were run upon by the mail
leaders. The Solicitor-General was inside the mail, and
gave his card to the guard, expressing at the time his
readiness to come forward, if necessary, to prove the great
exertions made to carry on the mail through so many diffi-
culties. On the return, the same guard received the mail
at Ilminster at half-past nine o'clock on'Tuesday night, being
about four hours behind time. The difficulties in reaching
London were comparatively light. They experienced fre-
quent impediments from snow-drifts, but nothing serious,
and were also delayed by not finding the changes of horses
in readiness.

The Liverpool mail guard arrived with the bags at half-
past three o'clock yesterday morning, having left the mail-
coach a little on this side of Dunchurch. It there got
buried in the snow, but it was dug out, and, with the pas-
sengers, returned to Dunchurch. The guard came thence
in a post-chaise and six horses, and in addition to his own
bags brought those of the Holyhead mail.
The Norwich up mail coach of Tuesday night made no
attempt to perform the journey, but Marshall, the guard,
started with the bags in a chaise and four. Two miles on
the London side of Barnham he got into a drift, and was
obliged to leave the chaise. With the assistance of the
post-boy he unharnessed the horses, and putting the bags on
them, got safe to Bury. He got there at three o'clock in
the morning, and horses were refused him to proceed with
till daylight. He left Bury in the morning by stage coach,
but had only proceeded one mile and a half before they
were stuck fast. He took off the leaders, and putting the
bags on them rode to Newmarket, and from there came to
London in a chaise and four.

- -
The old Exeter mail came in after nine o'clock last night.
There then remained seventeen mails due, exclusive of
the Leeds, the Liverpool, and the Exeter by Yeovil, which
became due at six o'clock yesterday evening.
His Grace the Duke of Wellington arrived at Marl-
borough on Monday evening, in his travelling carriage
and four, with out-riders. It was understood his Grace
was journeying to the mansion of the Duke of Beaufort,
where he was at the marriage ceremony to give away
the daughter of the late Duke of Beaufort to Mr. Cod-
rington, son of Sir Bethel. His Grace was anxious to
pass onward from Marlborough directly, but learning the
roads were impassable, he stoppod for the night at thc Castle
Inn. The next morning his Grace started, but the car-
riage got fixed in a wheat-field between Marlborough and
Babbington. Fortunately the surveyor of that line of roads.
Mr. Merrifield, was not far distant, being instructing a body
of labonrers ; and on one of the outriders coming to him,
he readily came to the assistance of the Noble Duke, whom
he piloted across the country till they came to sound-bot-
tomed road. To Mr. Merrifield the mails also on the same
road have been much indebted. He is an elderly gentle-
man, but fears nothing. He rode before the Bath mail for
two hours without his hat, which had been blown off by a
gust of wind.
No other mails had arrived up to midnight.

During Monday and Tuesday not one half of the omni-
buses and coaches from Kensington, Hammersmith, Brent-
ford, Islcworth, Hounslow, Twickenham, R:chmond, and
other places about the same distance from town, were able to
travel, and those which did were drawn by one or two extra
horses, and were double their usual time in performing the
distance. On several parts of the great western road, between
Hounslow and London, a number of men were on Tuesday
employed in clearing a sufficient space for two vehicles to
pass abreast, and in scraping the snow off the footpath, it
being in many parts from 18 inches to two feet deep. Brent-
ford market, which is held every Tuesday, presented a more
sorry appearance than it has for the last thirty-one years, the
occupiers of only four stalls being able to reach the spot
with their produce. The lanes between Chelsea and Bromp-
ton, and between Brompton, Earl's Court, and Kensington,
are totally impassable, the snow having drifted in some
places to the height of four or five feet, and in no part is it
lower than knee-deep. Along the high road from Kensing-
ton to London the walking is extremely dangerous, the
park side being upwards of three feet deep in snow, while
the south side is like a polished mirror. About twelve
o'clock o❑ Tuesday a serious accident befell Mr. Moore, soli-
citor, of Sloane-street, who, while walking on the park side
near the Halfway-house, slipped, and fell with such force on
the frozen snow as to break his right arm. He was imme-
diately assisted by police-constable Fuller, T 149, and other
persons, to the shop of Mr. Monah, surgeon, in Sloane-
street, who set it ; after which he was conveyed to his resi-
dence. The Retaliator, Gloucester, and Cheltenham day-
coach, on Tuesday, after proceeding as far as Gerrard's-
cross, was compelled to return, the road being impassable.
The Oxford coaches only went as far as Uxbridge ; and the
Erin-go-Bragh, Birmingham and Liverpool coach, after pro-
ceeding as far as Henley, was compelled to return. Between
one and two o'clock yesterday morning a very gentle thaw
commenced, which continued during the morning. About
ten o'clock the Exeter mail coach, which ought to have
arrived on Tuesday morning, reached the Gloucester Cof-
fee-house, Piccadilly, at which office the Bristol mail also
arrived shortly before five o'clock in the afternoon. The
bags of the former were brought by the guard in a post-
chaise and four to the General Post-office, about half-past
nine o'clock on Tuesday evening. During the day, with
the exception of the Exeter, none of the long coaches left
London, and the omnibusses were compelled to travel with
additional horses, as on the previous days. In the afternoon
a sharp frost set in, which confirmed during the evening, the
wind blowing very keen from N.N.E., accompanied by a
slight fall of snow.
The North of England and Scotch papers give no de-
tails of the storm, but the Scotsman mentions that the
snow had commenced in Edinburgh on Saturday morning,