The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-04 00:00:00

THE WEATHER AND THE PARKS.

Yesterday morning, at an early hour, a great change
took place in the state of the weather. Instead of a
bright frosty morning we were favoured, for hours, by
a fall of sleet and rain, which made it exceedingly un-
pleasant and highly disagreeable for pedestrians to pass
to and fro, not merely in the City, but also at the
West-end, as well as through the Royal Parks.
Owing to the admirable arrangements made by Mr.
Williams, the superintendent of the Royal Humane
Society, the public, during the time the sleet and
snow were falling, were kept by the icemen from ven-
turing upon the Serpentine is Hyde Park. Had it
not been for the precautions thus taken, owing to the
snow falling and rotting the ice so quickly, there is not
the least doubt but a fearful sacrifice of life would have
occurred. Owing to the admirable precautions adopted
not the slightest casualty took place upon this river dur-
ing the day.
The thermometer during Tuesday night indicated 28
deg., being 4 degrees below freezing point. At sine
o'clock a.m. yesterday the glass registered 30 degrees,
being 2 degrees below frost ; but at noon, when the
sun was out, the mercury rose to 3 degrees above
freezing point. The barometer during Tuesday night,
and the greater part of yesterday, stood at 28.95 deg
The wind was from the east to the north-east. About
200 men and boys went upon the ice on the orna-
mental water in the Regent's-park ; but owing to the
icemen being continually employed in driving the people
off, no accident of any importance occurred during the
day. Oa the Long-water in Kensington-gardens not
more than frtim 150 to 200 hail the temerity to risk
their lives upon the ice, and no accident worth re•
cording happened up to
.seven o'clock last evening.
The Royal Bound-pond in Kensington-gardens was
patronised by nearly 200 sliders :and skaters, but al-
though some of the parties in disporting themselves upon
the ice were nearly ankle deep in water, no accident
of a serious character occurred. Clapham-common
and the Royal Victoria-park were not patronised
by half the number of sliders and skaters as on phe pre-
ceding day ; and the Crystal Palace, advertised for
affording accommodation to parties wishing to run no
risk of being drowned by the breakage of the ice, had
yesterday but few patrons. The water in the great
basins of the fountains, it is stated by the directors, is
not more than four feet deep, which will prevent any
one, even if he should break through the frozen surface,
from being drowned. About nine o'clock last night the
weather suddenly changed to frost, giving every indi-
cation of its lasting for some considerable time.

THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS AND
THE NEW STREET IN SOUTHWARK.

night a public meeting of the inhabitants 0'
1,V4 was held at the Hope Tavern, Gravel-lane,
Southw,Ve
Southwark, •on
1,,,,,' the purpose of taking into consideration
the proposal +,O
s' a new street in Southwark, from
the corner of Castle'--street to the end of Stamford-street.
Mr. Newman was CAllt‘d to the chair.
The CHAIRMANEIam 4
• th •t it appeared that the p2ati for
4 to by the Metropol:tan
a new street had been aglreb- ,ived the sanction of Sir
Board of Works, and bad fec,- for the meeting to con•
Benjamin Hall ; but it would iha • ,
A avour to obtain the
eider whether they should not en.'ut--
the Government
plan recommended by Mr. Pennetho.nlb,,
1t they should go
engineer, and if they were agreed upon
1,0 proposed by
to the Government without delay. The p. .. :
~,1 b
tl e pf. -
the Board of Works interfered with most \'''6u
perty, and left comparatively worthless pret,s7,.
touched—it behoved them, therefore, to see ."" the
best plan was adopted by the bard of Works.
Mr. REECE said the observations of the chairman ve.re
most appropriate, although he thought the line of M ''•
Pennethorne was as circuitous as that proposed by the
Board of Works. Still, as as it was a slight improve-
ment, he should support it in preference to the other.
He concluded by moving that a deputation should wait
upon Sir Benjamin Hall, for the purpose of supporting
the line proposed by Mr. Pennethorne.
1 Mr. DAY seconded the motion.
Mr. KIBBLEWIIITE °aid there was a street in the neigh•
bourhood winch ought not to pass without some notice,
he meant Ewer-street, which was nothing but a hotbed
of disease and crime. He would refer any one who
doubted it to the Rev. Joseph Brown, the rector, or to
the Southwark Police-court, for a certificate of the cha-
racter of this street. The parish of St. Giles had been
cleared of a rookery, arid why should not this be cleared
away in a similar manner ; He complained that the
Metropolitan Board of Works had kept all their inten-
tions as to the line of new streettothem
nsoelvetshe
themselves,
ofere
would have been a strong manifestation
the inhabitants against them.
Mr. ATIIAINES said this plan of the Board of Work.
was calculated to deceive the public ; if it was adopted
there was not a cabdriver in the metropolis who would
take it, but he would prefer the more direct line of
then put and a
Stamford-street.
The resolution was
On the motion of Mr. ATHAWES, fneCdiedtob
mously.
w - Mr.
Hall, consisting yunal
HART, a deputationas appointed to wait upon Sir i..
of Messrs, Parr, Purvis, Kibblewhite,
Reece, Day, Warms,
to the chairman and Painter, and a vote of thanks
terminated the proceedings.

CITY SEWERS.—Yesterday a court was held, Deputy
Peacock in the chair. Dr. Letheby, the medical officer
of the city of London, presented his report. The mor-
tality table for the week shows a great diminution in the
average death-rate for the season of the year, although
it exhibits the usually large proportion of deaths from
diseases of the respiratory organs, which are excited by
the damp and cold state of the weather.