Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-03

Loss OF LIFE IN TIE STREETS AND ON THE
CANALS - EXTRAORDINARY MORTALITY
AMONG THE BSAsrs AT THs sNIrHPIELD
CATTLE SHOW.
London dec III Correspondence n. Y. World
This is the third day Of tue extraordinary fog
which has almost paralyzed all life In London
since Tuesday morning. Or Tuesday, tue fog
caused the loss Of four lives and injuries by the
score; yesterday four other pcssons are known
to have drowned in the canals, and, from the
large number OF missing persons reported TO
the police, IL is feared that many othess have
met with the same fate. But the most extra
ordinary disaster caused by the fog has been the
effect produced by il upon the attic on xhibi-
tion at the annual show Of the SmitAfeld Cub
in Agricultural Hall On Monday, when the
show was opened, there WAS not single case of
iDdispositiOn among the large number Of cattle
that paraded before the judges, aud st the pres
ems writing ut least = third OF them have dissp-
peased from their stalls. The simple explana-
ton that Is given liz that IL Is the long contn u-
ance Of fox vtiating the air OF the hall tn a, has
OccasiOned such wholesale destruction amongst
the beasts. Anyway, the dismal fact is that
since early yesterday morning at least twenty
five of the exhibited animals, many of them
the chief prize holders, have either died or been
slaughtered for the sake OF saving the value of
carcasses, while at O'Clock last evening a,
careful enumeration of the empty stalls dis
closed the startling truth that IL had been
thought prudent to remove ninety three Of the
unfortunate creatures. Barford street, in which
are the gates of the cattle yard, all yesterday
afternoon and evening presented strange ap-
pearance. In the fog and by link light there
was ranged in long line that extended even
beyond the Liverpool road large nuNber OF
those peculiarly shsped vehicles used for the
conveyance of sick or disabled animals,-great
numbering, cletterng boxes wheels, but
known amongst the fraternity that affect them
as ''fOats,-and each in its turn drew up to the
yard gates to receive its sorry freightage, an
hurry off to make room for the next, aud the
next, OF a line that seemed to be endless. With
in the building the scene was strange and strik
ing. The attendance of visitors was great
second daV.
greater, on account OF the rumOr that had got
abroad of the startling mortality that had seized
on the largest animals, but the stalls were not
more than a third sled. Sght-seers naturally
made for that point where the beast of beasts,
Mr.. Walters light gray heifer, was to be seen;
but, like many more, that renowned animal
had vanished though whether to the slaughter
house or merely to more salubrious quarters
could not be ascertasued. The fog plague had
stricken the poor creatures in the most erretic
manner. Here in whole long row no more
than half a dozen vacant stalls might be count
ed, while in that Immediately adjoining as
many as fve-and- twenty description boards
hung idle, many Of them gaily decorated with
the rosettes and ribbons that denote animals
that are specially distinguished. Big and little
oxen had alike fallen victims, the giant of four
and-twenty hundred weight and the contract
steer of barely IL Even the tough aud wiry ma
natives OF the Highlands, with their enor nous
breadth and depth of chest and healthfulness
of lungs, had, in at least two cases, been una
BILE to hold out against the deadly gray mist th at
seemed TO be almost as inmicable to brute life
as fumes of charcoal are to human 1t Is not
easy to conjecture what will be the result sup
posing that, as on Tuesday, the fog increas
and grows blacker and denser toward midnight.
IL is quite evident that there are scores OF the
unfortunate creatures who are but ll-prepared
for a prolongation OF the attack OF the wondrous
enemy. Within an hour of closing time last
night there was not single beast on his legs;
all we're lying or kneeling down, and many of
them gasping, and, with froth on their mouth
and nostriis, denoting their pitiable condition.
1t was sight that the great aiority OF the Wis
itors had not reckoned on, and instead OF, as on
ordinary occasions, passing on with all conven-
lent speed along the various avenues, taking
note as they went, now were to he seen 10 fifty
different places groups of a hundred or so OF
men and women crowding around a luckless
beast, and Internationally diminishing his scan
ty chances OF existence. Strangely enough,
neither the sheep nor the pigs are to any alarm
ing extent affected by the fog. The latter snore
and grasp and make apoplectic gurgling noises
in their Threats no less and no more than usual
and the sheep, though far from lively. exhibit
no grave symptoms.