The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-01-07
A London Fog.

To appreciate the rich gift of bright skies
and clear atmosphere, We Americans have
received from nature, we probable should
90 to London and see the fogs the English
grope in, &c, lost in, and killed in, at noon
day A capital specimen Of the article was
visible and tangible within sounds Of Bow.
Bells. on the 18th of November-yes, and
on the 18th too. IT was case OF protracted
enjoyment Its effects will surprise those
Of our readers who have not been in Lon
don in the tal Of the year.
SO impervious was this fog to railway
signal lights, that passenger train upon
the South Western line, was driven into
freight train ahead Of il upon the track. The
driver could mol see il at all, until his loco
motive was right into it.
On the same road track-layer was killed
in the forenoon by passenger train which
he did not see. The Thames steamers all
stopped running. Coal barges, cropping
about, or drifting with Micaw ber-like navl-
CATION, went ashore. or smashed into vessels
at anchor at the wharves. The Camden
town omnbuses discharged their passen-
gers at the Elephant and the Castle, on ac-
count of the danger of farther conveyance,
and left them TO feel their way home as they
could Hacks and cabs got on to the side
walks, TO the severe injury OF one pedestrian,
and the fatal injury Of another, woman.
The Times saws that a man named George
Barrow got fog-bound near Deptford, and
thinking that he was at the side of raft OF
logs, stepped forward from his vessel, fell
into the riv er and was browne
man named Griffin also missed his way
and fell distance of nearly twenty feet IN
to one of the dry docks Of the New Suny
canal, and was so fearfully hurt that he was
taken to the hospital, without the least
chance of recovery. A woman was Knocked
down by town cart She was taken to
the same hos pital, and died in q few minutes
after her admission.
The accidents Ut the docks to sailors and
lsborers were numerous, and many Of them
fatal. In the East India, at O'Clock P.
M a dock laborer mstook his way and
walked of the North quay into the water.
His cries for help were heard by the crews OF
the ships lying near, but owing to the dense
fog, prompt aid could not be rendered, and
the man was drowned. Another accident
.ook place about six O'Clock. The fourth
mate Of the King Lear solicited the as.
sistance of custom house oflcer named
RYAN. who had been on duty at the Bruins.
wick pier.gate, to find his ship, when they
both fell into the lock which connects the
basin with the dock. The dockmaster and
his foreman. who were near the spot at the
time, cropping their way, on hearing the
smash fastened with life lines and succeeded
in rescuing the custom house officer, but the
mate was drowned,
In the West India locks two seamen
persisted in endeayoring to get on board
their sh ps, both bearing the same time-the
Florence Nightingale.
In the London docks d custom house Of
fcer, named Matthew Conner, lost his life
by walk ng off the Brandy quay into the
water. He had JUS, parted with friend in
the dock, and was about returning on board
his ship, when in the darkness which pre-
vailed he overstepped the wall.
The stranges, incident of this fog was the
unchecked and bold highway robbery and
burglary which prevailed. Men, women.
and children were assaulted and plundered in
the fog with complete IMMUNITY to the
thieves. II was impossible for the sharpest
police officers to see the outrages at ten
wards distance. Among the burglaries is
mentioned one upon the shop of the halter
and ieweller in the Blackfriars road, named
Cnenn One Of the shutters was taken
out, and plate of glass broken worth II.
or 81, and wedding rings, time'keePers,
gold ear-drops, and other property taken
AWAY, worth SOl.