The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-19 00:00:00

THE WEATHER.

After the heavy fall of snow which took place
yesterday morning, the biting, northerly wind almost
departed, leaving the temperature much milder, al-
though the thermometer at the Receiving-house re-
gistered 25 deg. during the nighs and up tog o'clock
yesterday morning. After that hour it gradually
rose, until at noon it had reached 33k, but again
gradually decreased, and at 9 o'clock at night it
stood at 31, or 1 deg. below freezing point, with a
slight wind from the north-west. The following is
the report from the various parks :—On the Serpen-
tine the ice is in good condition, being from three
and a half to four inches in thickness. There were
10,000 persons on it during the day, without any
casualty having occurred. Last night at 9 o'clock
there were about 2,000 persons on the ice, either
skating, walking, or sliding, with a bright and clear
moon. The banks were crowded with people. On
the Round-pond, Kensington, the ice is also in good
condition—three and a half inches thick. About
6,000 persons were on it during the day, without
any casualty. On the Long-water the ice is sound,
and of the same thickness as above. About 7,000
persons were on it during the day and no casualties.
In St. James's-park the ice in many parts is dan-
gerous. Upwards of 7,000 persons were on it dur-
ing the day. There were 15 immersions, and 11
persons badly cut from falls. These cases were all
attended by Dr. 11‘Cann. About 8 o'clock in the
afternoon Robert Trowbridge, a private in the Scots
Fusilier Guards, had a severe fall, resulting in con-
cussion of the brain ; and about the same time John
Sheppard, 23, Burnham-street, Plaistow, fell while
sliding, and fractured his knee-joint.
The navigation of the Thames was partially
opened for lighters towed by steamtugs.

The traffic to Dover was resumed on Thursday
night on the South-Eastern Railway. The traffic
between Canterbury and Ramsgate on the South-
Eastern is entirely suspended on account of the
snow ; and on the same line yesterday the snow was
lying nearly six feet deep between the Saltwood
tunnel and Shorncliffe. The trains from Dover
arrived safely, however, at Cannon-street yesterday
morning, though a little behind time. The snow on
the Kentish coast has been very heavy, and the pas-
sage from Faversham to Ramsgate on the London,
Chatham, and Dover line is completely blocked.
The company have, however, obtained the sanction
of the War-office to allow all available men from
the garrison at Chatham to assist in removing the
snow. A train which left Ludgate-hill on Wednes-
day night now lies buried in the snow between
Bekesbourn and Adisham, and a luggage train, con-
sisting of the engine and 42 trucks, is in the same
predicament on the Ramsgate branch. I he telegraph
wires between Faversham, Herne Bay, Margate,
Broadstairs, and Ramsgate are broken down, and
all communication stopped. The traffic on the Great
Eastern Railway, interrupted on Thursday by very
heavy accumulations of snow on many parts of the
line, was reopened almost everywhere yesterday,
and the main line trains ran with tolerable punc-
tuality.

By far the heaviest fall of snow yet experienced
in the North Riding of Yorkshire occurred on
Thursday night, and the roads are all more or liss
impassable. The work of cutting out the imprisoned
railway trains in the Speeton cutting, which had to
be left on account of the exhaustion of the men, has
been undone, and yesterday morning the line which
had been cleared was again blocked up. There are
drifts quite 10ft. thick in places, and the goods train
which first stuck fast is quite snowed over, only the
top of the engine funnel being visible. The passen-
gers by the imprisoned trains have been got out, and
have returned either to Scarborough or Dritlield, and
some of them who wished to be at Scarborough, and
had to go round by Mahon, were about 30 hours on
the journey, one whole night being spent in the snow.
Yesterday a telegram stated that the line was ob-
structed from Sedmer Junction to Filey. Gangs of
men were at work at the Sedmer end and at the Brid-
lington end of the obstructed line; but as snow con-
tinued to fall, and was so light that the least wind
drifted it, it was not expected the traffic even on a
single line could be resumed yesterday. Fortunately
the Malton and Driffield line is open, though on the
Mallon slope of the \Voids a great fall of snow has
occurred. The trains get through, however, with
two powerful goods engines attached. The Hull
traffic is all worked the Mahon way. The line be-
tween Malton and Scarborough is in places greatly
drifted, but trains, though late, get through with
two engines attached. The Whitby line yet con-
tinues open, but the snow is so deep that the car-
riage steps cut through it. Oa the Thirsk line
there is also a great amount of snow. The great
snow fall is seriously impeding the coal traffic, and
supplies are very short. On the moors the snow is
stated to be some feet thick.

A collision occurred on the Blyth and Tyne Rail-
way on Thursday afternoon, near the Backworth
station, through the line being so much blocked up
by drifted snow. The drifts had been heavy during
Wenesday night and Thursday, and as there is a
heavy coal traffic on this railway great efforts were
made to get it clear and keep the traffic open. Not-
withstanding the best efforts of the manager, the
trains could not be got to Tynemouth before the
afternoon, and one of the up-trains ran off the line
between Whitley and Earsdon, blocking up that part
cf the road, and the up-train passengers had to be
transferred to a train on the down line. The pas-
sengers by the 1 30 p.m. train from Tynemouth were
thus transferred, and were run up to the Backworth
station, the engine pushing them up from the rear.
At the Backworth station the Tynemouth branch
joins the main line. The engine was detached from
behind and ran ou to the main line to be put in
front of the train, and to bring it on its proper line
of rails. While this was being done the train, hav-
ing got a push, ran down the line of rails between
Tynemouth, and could not be stopped. The car-
riages were met by an engine which was sweeping
the line of snow, which ran into it, smashing up the
hindmost carriage, and severely injuring several of
the passengers. Mr. Donaldson, the engineer to
Backworth Colliery, was taken out of the broken
carriage which was knocked off the rails. He was
quite insensible, and blood was pouring from a
number of wounds in his face and head. One
of his eyes was much injured, and his
left leg was out of joint. He is in a
most critical condition. Mr. Nicholson, farmer,
Monkseaton, had some of his ribs broken ; and Mr.
hall, of Cairnside, another farmer, was badly hurt,
having had his legs jammed between the seats of the
carriage. Other persons were hurt, but not seriously.
The snow was lying deep in the county of Northum-
berland yesterday, and there had been another fall
during the night.
The 'Scotsman of yesterday says of the storm in
Scotland :—" The snow continues seriously to inter-
fere with railway traffic over the country. All the
through trains from the south were detained yester-
day again considerably past their time. The express
from Carlisle at 6.28 a.m., and due at the Waverley- ,
bridge station at 9.38, did not arrive till 10.51,
being a detention of an hour and 13 minutes. The
express from London by the east coast route, due in
Edinburgh at 8.30, was 31 minutes late. The fast
train from Carlisle to Edinburgh, leaving at 2.16
a.m., and due at 5.40, was 20 minutes late. The
train from York was 29 minutes behind time. The
train from Perth by the Scottish Central line, due
here at 9.45, arrived punctually. In consequence
of a fresh fall of snow the Aberdeen line has been
again blocked up. We are informed that in the
Vale of Yarrow the snow is lying to a depth of
S feet. In Inverness, we learn from the Courier,
the streets are partially blocked up, and to vehicles
almost i passable."
The following appears in the Dundee Courier of
Thursday :—" A train which left Peterhead on Sa-
turday at 12.20 arrived at Ellon about 40 minutes
late ; but about 3 o'clock, when about a mile on this
side of Udny,. it got fast in a snow drift. Some 30
men were put on to try and clear the way, but very
little progress V 7,19 made. The engine was detached
from the train and went ahead to make way for its
passage, but when a short distance from New Mach ht.
it got into a heavy drift and stuck fast. The passen-
gers, about 30 in number, remained in the carriages
for a time, hoping the engine would return oranother
would be telegraphed for; but after, several hours,
there being no signs of help, most a thew repaired

to a small house at a crossing and got their toe,
warmed by turns during the succeeding night- ;
while some of them remained in the carriages alid
roughed' it as best they might, without either light
or heat. We have been informed by some of the
passengers that had it not been for the kindness
and hospitality of the woman in charge of the cross-
ing, who supplied the ladies with tea, some of them
might have perished in the carriages with cold.
They were constantly in the hope that an engine
would soon be sent to take them on, and were, on
the one hand, afraid to go back to Udny lest they
should lose their fare, and on the other to go to
New Machar, which was not far distant, lest they
should be met unawares by the returning engine.
It would appear that, although word had reached
the passengers that the engine was sticking among
the snow, no one told them that they would not be
relieved till morning, or advised them where to seek
shelter over the night."

The Earl of ilarrowby o I Education.

• -----

The annual general meeting of the subscribers to
the Birminghaux and Midland Institute was held
on Monday evening ; the Earl of llarrowby, K.G.,
the president, in the chair. Ilis lordship was ac-
companied by the Mayor and by several officers,
past and present, of the institute.

The noble PRESIDENT; in moving the adoption of
the report, said the report had informed them that
the institute was going on increasing, and it was, in-
deed, most satisfactory to know from that exceedingly
able document that the most intelligent progress
was being made, not only in one direction, but in
all directions. It had appeared to him at a meet-
ing that he had attended that morning that an
institution of their town—the Children's Hospital—
was in a very satisfactory state ; and he was re-
joiced to find that that institution was also in a
sound condition. In the first place, the subscribers
last year were 611, now they are 710—a notable in-
crease. The industrial department showed an increase
of nearly 30 per cent., there being about 300 persons
in attendance upon the classes. Indeed, this was a
most remarkable increase, and one calculated to en-
courage in the highest degree those engaged in
the good work. At the corresponding period of
last year there were 1,067 in attendance upon the
industrial lectures, and there appeared to have been
at the corresponding period of last year an attend-
ance of no less than 1,371. (Applause.) Indeed,
the figures disclosed a very satisfactory state of
things ; not only was it encouraging in regard to
the number, but it was also encouraging in regard to
the gravity of the subject. There was, besides, a
very considerable increase in one of the more enter-
taining departments--in a department not sc purely
intellectual. The singing class had increased from
169 to 278. That was very well—(hear)--it was
pleasing to see progress made in one of the great
accomplishments which are a charm to existence.
(Applause.) He was glad to see this, because it was
not merely an ornament, but an aid to intellectual
development. There was one very satisfactory in-
crease—or what he should rather term a creation
and that was the class for Latin. (Hear.) Although
he wag no worshipper of.,Latin, and although he had
denounced the practice of compelling the learning
of Latin in preference to other languages, yet still
when he found that at once, after the starting of
the class, in the first term, there should be so large
a number as 93 in the Latin class-93 who without
any immediate hope of reward sat down to the
learning of a difficult language, the benefit of which
was in the future, in the development of their men-
tal capacity, of the understanding, of the power of
thought and expression and style—when, he said,
he saw these results they were very encouraging,
and left no doubt whatever of the benefit to be de-
rived from the Latin class now in full operation.
(Applause.) The increase also of the French class,
which had always been a very popular class, showed
that it still maintained its popularity. Then as to
the lectures—the penny lectures were an increasing
attraction. They had been delivered from time to
time by persons eminent in science and literature,
and no doubt they had b2en the cause of attracting
considerable numbers to their walls. The increase
in chemistry was very considerable, and the class
presented all the features which one would look for
in a satisfactory v, ork of the kind, which was not
merely an exercise for the understanding, but a most
charming pursuit, that could but interest every one
who joined in it, and promote not only a better
knowledge of the subject, but lead to new disco-
veries. (Hear, hear.) It was not only desirable,
but it was necessary that a knowledge of chemistry
should be spread among the population of
Birmingham, a population composed of so many
industries with which the science was connected.
There was one point which struck him as a stranger,
and perhaps it was because he was a stranger, and
that was the small number who attended to study
practical mechanics. (Hear.) He believed, if he
read the figures correctly,they only numbered about
20, out of a population of two or three hundred thou-
sand people. It was singular, at least it appeared so
to him, that out of so dense a population, out of so
vast a number of industrial people devoted to
practical mechanics of all kinds, there should be
only so small a proportion as 20 willing to devote
themselves to the study of practical mechanics.
This seemed at first sight rather remarkable ; but
perhaps it was attributable to that desire which
most of them had when learning their work to get
rid of " shop" as much as possible. (Laughter.)
Looking at the increase in the numbers under all
the other heads—looking at the- very pleasing state
of the Institute from all the other points of view
which had been presented to them that day, per-
haps this was the real explanation of the very small
amount of attendance upon the practical mechanics
class. Well, so far, he was saying that they had
been making progress. First, ho had remarked upon
the large increase of subscribers ; secondly, he had
dwelt upon the large increase in the attendance upon
the classes—upon many of the most useful and se-
rious classes as well as upon those classes which con-
tributed to refinement and entertainment. But
there was one new element which he should be very
sorry to pass by without notice—that was the ladies'
class. (Hear.) He confessed he looked with great
I favour on this new department of instruction, and
he was glad to see that it had proved successful, and
that it was increasing. He did not dread the import-
ing of anything like a masculine character into the
female mind by the labour necessary to obtain sound
and well constituted knowledge; on the contrary,
there was no fear whatever of interfering with the
feminine characteristics. It was an advantage to hus-
bands, brothers, and sons that women to the peculiar
qualities which distinguish female character should
add the advantages of a sound and well-conducted un-
derstanding. And he confessed that he should be ex-
tremely glad to find that the ladies did not neglect
the study of Latin. He believed it to be a great help
and assistance in promoting accuracy of thought and
expression, and that anything which induced in the
female mind sound thought and accurate expression
would be very advantageous to their intellectual
character. It was, as they knew, one of the subjects
of the day how to dispose of female labour ; how to
discover the most advantageous mode of employing
the great amount of female capacity which was very
often lying idle for want of a proper field and a pro-
per opening. By carefully availing themselves of the
advantages offered by that institution the ladies
would become properly qualified. teachers ; and even
if this should not be their scope of labour, they
would reap great advantages through life from the
study which they had undergone. He thought there
were several of those young ladies present to whom
he should in a short time have the privilege of offer-
ing prizes, and he was sure that nothing would oc-
cur in the presentation of those marks of honorary
distinction which would in the slightest degree be
calculated to repel the finest nature or prevent the
ladies coming forward to receive the mark of their
zeal in the pursuit of knowledge. (Cheers.) He,
therefore, after looking back at the past, felt himself
able to encourage them to go on in this goof work,
extending it from time to time, feeling their way to
new branches, enlarging the sphere of their opera-
tions, and while at some times they followed the
public mind they would try at other times to guide
it. He believedthey had already encouragement
before them. He was convinced that this was SO ;
they saw the results that had followed---were they