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

THE SUN, LONDON', THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1836.

and continued. Withont intermission the whole of that day:
It adds, that at two o'clock on Saturday, the time at which
it is published, " Owing to the violent storm of wind, snow,
and hail, last night and this morninga the mail has not yet
arrived.,"
rl
iioni(Esi.oNDENT.)
The partial thaw of yesterday rendered travelling in the
metropolis and its environs more troublesome, if possible,
than 'oh citht e,r thirst The omnibuses and
Sh(k Staa!,i, Vare in general drawn by tutee Of fanf hones,
and the jaded condition of the poor atilt-brag tarts quite pi-
tiable., At PenkoOtiliq Old liiitEltfit'ath additional
1).6Mi4 WO'ti wain in o l'e4ttisition tti fltatrt the catiyeyetices
up the acclivity, which was then only effected with consi-
derable difficulty and danger; So idedflterfiOlt is travelling
in Kcntt that for tilt ptegent the propritiitifs of the Wes-
terhaiii and aottie other stageS have reaelted upon running
theth titilX dii gittitilate date. §c deep Was the snow in the
environs of MaicistOne on glifftiti, and Monday; that it is
stated that only two persons found dick entrance into
that lbik'n On the toil-tier day; tint' ()vet the fields
!Yoh) Chatham; and the other from The effects
of the storm appear to have been less felt in Essex than
any other part of the vicinity of. the metropolis, less diffi-
culty haVilia- been dkpei'ieheeit in the tftiVelling of the
stages. in the neighbourhood of Enfield, Mims, rotteta
Bar, and Barnet it is apprehended that considerable loss
will be felt by the farmers in the destruction of pigs and
sheep which were buried in the snow. The traffic in the
city was yesterday considerably diminished, and whilst the
Royal Exchange was almost comparatively deserted, crowds
of anxious parties Were to be seen at the Post-office, watch-
ing or inquiring after the arrival of the mails, the delay in
the arrival of which has been productive of very serious in-
convenience to the commercial interests, Within the last
few days in several parts of the country, and the western
districts in particular, the present weather has been preceded
by those harbingers of an inclement season, the northern
lights, and other electric exhalations.
(From the Brighton Guardian of yesterday.)
When the heavy fall of snow occurred in October, it was
generally anticipated that a hard winter would follow ; but
the thaw has been succeeded by many fine and beautiful
days, so that winter seemed to have passed away. During
the last week, however, the frost began to be felt again, and
about four o'clock on Saturday morning there was a heavy
fall of snow, so that by daylight it averaged a depth of six
inches. This was not thought much of, and was hailed
rather as a proof that Christmas had arrived at last, en-
suring additional pleasure from carousals round a warm and
comfortable hearth. The snow fell pretty thick at certain
times of the day ; but when the sun shone, the snow in shel-
tered situation facing the south partly melted, but soon
covered the pavements with a sheet of ice, and rendered
them very slippery and dangerous to pedestrians. About
five o'clock it set in for a regular fall, which continued
throughout the night. On Sunday the air was not so
keen. Nevertheless snow continued falling throughout
the day, and the roads were so slippery that the drivers
of such few carriages as were seen about were obliged to
lead their horses. Towards night the snow came on with
such violence that when the last coach, The Times,
started for town, the coachman fully expected to be
obliged to stop on the road. However, it is imagined they
arrived safe, as The Times down, which ought to have
been here by half-past nine, got in by twenty minutes after
eleven. He had no difficulty in making his way till he got
this side of Holley, when the coach began " to drag its
slow length along," and when they reached this side of Pie-
combe, near the Plough, they were obliged to drive on the
off side of the road, as the snow had drifted on the other—
the road being cut in the declivity of a hill—to a depth of
12 or 13 feet ; but even on the off-side it was two feet deep.
From this spot to Patcham was the worst part of the jour-
ney, and one of the passengers, a brother of Mr. Gibbs, of
Saint James's-street, was so fatigued by his exertions in
helping to get the coach along, that when they arrived at
Patcham he was taken very ill, and was obliged to be put
to bed. Ford's coach, which left Lewes at seven o'clock
on Sunday night, did not get here till half-past ten ; but
the late coaches did not attempt to return to Lewes. The
Worthing coach was also more than two hours behind its
time. The London mail started at usual at half-past ten :
when it reached Patcham the snow was so deep upon the
road they were obliged to return. A King's messenger,
who was proceeding to town with dispatches from the Pa-
lace, cut the traces of the leaders, and, accompanied
by a postboy, continued his route on horseback. Whe-
ther he reached his destination we have not heard, as
the communication between this place and the metro-
polis is at present stopped. The Gloucester mail did
not arrive at the accustomed hour (which is seven
o'clock), but about half-past one in the morning the
guard and coachman reached the Post-office half dead with
cold, bringing with them the bags only with which they
had managed to get along the beach in a cart, leaving the
mail coach blocked up in the snow at Southwick. The
guard, we regret to say, lies very seriously ill from the ef-
fects of the excessive cold. The coachman was also se-
riously affected by the cold, and we understand that but
the kind attention of the Coast-guardmen both must have
perished. The Worthing mail-cart, when it reached this
side of Shoreham, was obliged to be led along the beach by
a flyman, whose carriage had unfortunately been buried in
snow between this place and Shoreham.
The snow, which had fallen incessantly all day Sunday,
continued with increased violence during the night, accom-
panied by a cold and very high northerly wind ; so that when
we awoke on Monday morning we almost imagined ourselves
among the Esquimaux, so completely were the houses
buried in snow. All business was out of the question ; nearly
every shop was closed, and those people who took down
their shutters very soon had their windows blocked up with
snow, which was knee-deep on the pavements, and lay in
every spot where it could accumulate in heaps five and six
feet high. The only business which seemed to engage
the universal attention of those abroad—excepting snow-
bailing and cleaning the snow away—was to ascertain what
mischief had been done. This of course was our chief em-
ploy, and we regretted to learn that about five o'clock that
morning a young man, apparently about twenty-three years
of age, was found by a lamp-lighter frozen to death near
the Cricketters public-house, in Black Lion-street. The
body was immediately conveyed to the Town-hall, where it
still lies, and has been recognised as that of a stranger who
had been lately helping in the yard of Mr. Bird, the stable-
keeper. About nine o'clock the same morning, a poor old
man, named Freeman, droped dead on the Grand Parade,
while carrying round milk ; but whether from the effects of
the cold, or a fit of apoplexy, is not ascertained, there hav-
ing been no inquest ; nor do we know when an inquest will
be held, as the coroner lives at Lewes, and the road is im-
passable. Not a coach left the town all Monday, nor did
any one arrive. Crunden, the mailman, attempted to make
his way to Lewes with the bags, on horseback, but could not
get farther than Fulmer, and was obliged come back. No pri-
soners could be fetched from or taken to Lewes on Mon-
day, so that our magistrates could not proceed with part of
their usual business. As the mail could not go to town on
Sunday night, the bags were on Monday put into a post-
chaise with the guard and a King's messenger. A number
of people assembled to see them start, which was at a quarter
after one ; but the post-chaise, although it had four
horses, could not get further than the Dairy. The King's
messenger returned into Brighton, but the guard-proceeded
on horseback with the mail bags, accompanied by one of
the post-bays, also on horseback, and two nien on foot, with
ropes and poles to guide and assist them along the first
post ; and so they intended working their way. A few
minutes before this guard started, the guard of the mail
down, which ought to have been here at half-past three in
the morning, arrived on horseback, having been obliged to
leave the mail coach at Piecombe, only eight miles distant.
He was so benumbed by the cold that he was obliged to be
led home. He got into Brighton by a circuitous route over
the hills, with the assistance of guides furnished by the sur-
veyor of the road.
There has been no fall equal to the present since 1806,
when the unfortunate Neville was frozen to death ; but the
atmosphere has not been particularly cold. The barometer
has not been more than two degrees below the freezing
point since Saturday.
A labouring man named Baker, living in Gardener-
street, slipped down on Saturday night, and we regret to
state, broke one of his legs ; and on Monday, another poor
old fellow named Turner, a wheelwright living in Suffolk-
place, fell and broke several of his ribs.
To-day a lad about sixteen years of age, returning with
his master, Mr. Lloyd, from Shoreham, sunk under the in-
fluence of the weather at Southwick, but was carried by
Mr. Nightingale to Copperas Gap, where, by the assistance
of Robert Cole and William Gale, he was restored, after
the application, for an hour and a halt; of the proper
remedies.

YESTERDAY (TUESDAY.)—No mail started last night for
London, nor has any come to-day ; but intelligence has
arrived that the guard, who set out yesterday afternoon,
only got as far as the Plough (about six miles distant),
having been five hours on the road. He started from that
place this morning at eight o'clock, the surveyor of the road
having set fifty men to work to cut a horse track through
the snow, and sent orders forward for the same to be done
farther on.

No communication has arrived from London, even at the
Palace, since the guard came in yesterday afternoon, and
brought a small parcel of letters for the King, which were
immediately forwarded to his Majesty.
The mail bags from Lewes, which should have left that
place at six o'clock on Monday morning, did not start till
five o'clock in the afternoon, when they were brought by two
men on foot, who arrived here at ten o'clock at night. Mr.
Fergusson, the post-master, who has evinced a most anxious
desire to prevent the public suffering inconvenience from
the stoppage of communication with other parts of the
country, yesterday morning forwarded the mail bags for
the eastern part of the county to Lewes, by the same

Hit n who brOttglit the Lewes hags, Crunden and his son
bleed algid dievateted with the bags for tile Western division,
end set out on hormbaelt, with the intention of reaching
Worthing; if poSsible.
strOw held #phetWeen five and six yesterday evening,
hilt ft:li tittain dating iii 6 right; though not heavily. No
coaches have attempted to leave 66 foOn today, nor can
it be said with certainty when they will be able W do so.
Some coachmen think they may make the trial this week
others consider the roads will not be passable for carriages,
unless there is a sudden thaw, for at least a fortnight. The
snow has evidently melted away considerably to-day, and
the roads are becoming more thronged with passengers,
though very few shops have ventured to take down any
shutters except those of their doors. A few men are em-
ployed here and there clearing the gutters ; and then will
set to work at the roads themselves, which are so clogged
that the few flies seen about are obliged to be dragged at a
walking pace by two horses. The town almost resembles
the silence of a tomb, so little noise is made by those stir-
ring) Cron the approach of horses cannot be heard.

tc; hatts.tor Loudon and towns on the road were
dit,00404 to-day n.`,
noon, carried by six men, who deter-
mined to maid iffigi way through the first stage,
and then hoped to send diem dri byspost.
of the
We are glad to report that 1011Ofi the g 60.7-1
alotiecgtet m„;1, is nearly recovered. He speaks 111 tern;.!
of unbounded praise and gratitude of the admirable conduct
of the coast guard, but for MAW timely, humane, and per-
severing aid and attention he feels 11t3 must have fallen a
victim to the inclemency of the weather.
The mail bags have just arrived (half-past 3 o'clock,
p.m.) from town, The mail coach, left London last night,
and reached Crawley at 12 o'clock ;: but it being impossible
to proceed further in the dark, they petit up for the night.
This morning the bags were brought it/ a post-chaise to
Hicksted, where it was found absolutely necet,Sary to aban-
don the chaise, and the bags were consequently brought in
by a guard on horseback. A person who came with ti: °m
states that a horse tract has been cut through the snow
(which was lova:4 with his horses ears), from Hicksted,
and that any perkiti choosing to ride through it td that
place will then be able to get on post to London. He
states that Mr. Luton (son-in-law of Mr. Perkins the
great brewer) the gentleman who set out for town on
Sunday night in a post-chaise, was obliged to abandon
the carriage near Clayton, and proceed with the post-
boy on horseback, and that he has arrived safe. The
carriage was dug out of the snow this morning. 'The
Sovereign coach down from town got to Hicksted yes-
terday, and there it sticks. Our informant describes the
road as being very bad indeed this side of Hicksted, and
says that it can be passed only on foot or horseback ; but
that it would be impossible for any person to find his way
without the assistance of guides well acquainted with the
country.
We have received no intelligence from the country since
Saturday, as a stop has been put to every means of com-
munication. Even between this and Shoreham, a distance
of only six miles, no road has yet been cut; and should this
weather continue much longer, fuel may become very scarce.
Several attempts have been made, but without success, to
get carts to the harbour to fetch coals ; the sea will there.
fore be the best channel of communication.

One of the King's messengers arrived here at four
o'clock this afternoon. He left London yesterday morning
by coach, and states that with great difficulty they got to
Cuckfield by five in the evening, and just before reaching
that town they were obliged to obtain the assistance of
twenty-five men to help them in. Two other coaches were
also stopped there, the snow lying across the road ten feet
deep. The messenger came on at one o'clock to-day on
horseback, and describes the snow through which a track
has been cut, as resembling in some places a wall of six
feet on each side. Such a sudden influx of unwilling visi-
tors into Cuckfield, made lodgings so scarce that many
were obliged to sleep two in a bed. Several coaches were
also locked up on the Cuckfield road.
We hear that thirteen miles of the road have been
cleared as far as Piecombe, and that the Sovereign coach
has been got thus far, and several of the passengers have
since walked into Brighton. If no more snow falls, one of
the coach-masters says he expects to run a coach to-mor-
row (Wednesday). This, however, other coachmen very
much doubt.