The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-06-20
Lost in the Fog.
CHAPTER 1,

ION lnsutance company 10 lnsuIo lue I'o VI
Mr.. Andrew Macfarlane, of Raw Material '
street, Manchester, for q very heavy sum- q
Mr.. Macfarlsne was not young man, being I
by himself as between forty and G
fifty, and the suuI was of such an unusual I
amount, that the company thought it neces. {
cary TO use more than ordinary caution
They therefore stipulated upon seeing the
gentleman personally, and having him ex.
amined by two Of their own medical men in
their own Office in London, in addition 10 the
usual preliminary Investigation. Mr.. Mac
farlane accordingly appeared one morning,
looking a most robust and healthy middle
aged gentleman, with a fine, broud, ruddy.
close shaven face and iron gray hair: the
examination was pronounced satisfactory in
the extreme. Mr.. Macfurlane was a more
than usually healthy person, and the policy
was granted without delay. .... j..
One morning in November Of the same
year, London was shrouded in one Of its
densest fogs. That combination of smoke
and vapor, to be met with in its full perfec.
ton in no other port Of the globe, pervaded
street and river. Fog had reigned supreme
over the metropolis the whole of the preVi-
ous doy, and had become 80 thick at night
that foot passengers had great difficulty in
finding their way along the streets, the
crossing of q wide street or square looked
like diving into some dark and unexplored
expunse all landmarks were swept away,
the lamps were scarcely visible one from
another; experienced Londoners found them
selves turning the wrong corners, and the
cabs and other vehicles had no chance Of
rea chi Dg their destination, save by adhering
to the curbstone.
That November morning the newspapers
bore witness TO the dangers Of the previous
day in many lengthy catalogue Of acci
dents. AS morning broke the fog seemed
likely to rule another day but as the sun
gained strength he brought with him fresh
breeze, and the fog lifting, like vast cur
tain, once more disclosed to the prosecuted
Londoners the features of their lost city.
Light was pretty we'll established when a
party of river men were seen carrying the
body of drowned man up the steps OF Lon
don Bridge. On coming to the top with
their ghastly burden, gentleman in dark
beard and moustuches, who had been watch
ing their movements over the parape', came
up, and looking steadily at the dead mans
face, exclaimed:
"Good God ! it's poor Macfarlune !"
The men stopped a crowd was presen
in on instant, us II by mugic and in scarce
ly less time the tall and unperturbed hat o
a policeman was to be observed, calm ant
stationary, ubote the swaying multitude.
f "Do you identity this body, sir :"
"I do"
4 "Your name and address, il you please
# sir I"
~ will 90 with you to the station, if yo'
please"
e "lhe body will 60 to the dead house. sir
|, perhaps you would have no objection to G.
d there with me first, Ond witness my remova
il of the valuables on the person OF the de
!. ceased"
The gentleman accordingly accompanie
h the party, saw the contents Of the pocket
n removed, and the body examined casually
There were no marks Of violence upon i
y and there was little doubt that it represent
!: ed one of the victims of the fog, an opinio
r. pretty freely expressed by the bystanders.
e The pockets produced little or nothin
.r leading to Identification a watch, with
n chain attached to it; a locket, conlainin
hair, and ornamented with blue cross
!. purse with money all in ,eovereigns; pocA
" ct handkerchief marked in cipher, ond
= bunch of keys, told little.
I. The next proceeding was to the static
8. house. The sergeant on duty heard II
- facts, took possession of the property P'
ut certain questions took down the gentl
a mans name and addrees-"Mr. Woodley,
of Liverpool, now at the Covenl Garden H
10 tel"-and informed him that he would
n, required at the inquest.
Tx II ehall consider it my duty 10 attend
,n but, in the meantime, must communica
he this intelligence to my poor friends wife
he they came to town only the dsy before ye
"a. terday."
%. "Her attendance will be necessary, cir
ne "Very well but first I must see how 81
ne bears this cruel shock"
an At the inquest, after the evidence of 4
th finding of the body, Mr.. Woodley steppe
so forward and deposed that he was we'll q
by quainted with the deceased, Mr.. Macfarlan
of Manchester that he and his wife b
come to London on visit only few do
er. previously /; that he had seen the wife--wI
50, was 60 dreadfully affected by the shock b
Fiy nervous system had sustained by this 8
lly event, that she was dangerously i'll, and
tally incapable Of giving evidence, of viii
:, fact he handed in doctors certificate.
q" held in his hand, he said. the marriage CT
-. tiicate Of the deceased, which he would Pi
o. duce if the jury desired to see it tina. he b
managed to procure from the distressed Ia
list of the articles on Macfarlane's Pers
when he left home yesterday, on busine
since which time he had pot been heard
until witness brought the sad Intelligence
are his untimely fate. ss5,a.il Ls,4 ..
the The divisional surgeon aeposed that tbh'
, wnvn - rcsrka ~ violaneA unon the h0dv