Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1874-01-03
THE FOG IN LONDON.
Loss Of Life in the Streets and on the Canals
Extraordinary Mortality Among the Beasts
at the anitk6eld CATTLE Show.


LONDON, December 11th.-Thls Is the |
third day of the extraordinary log which /
has almost paralyzed all life 10 London /
since Tuesday morning. On Tuesday |
the fog caused the loss of four lives and |
injuries by the score yesterday four
other persons are kno Sn 10 have drowned !
In the canals, aud, from the large num-
Der Of missing persons reported to tue
police, II is feared that macy others have
met with the same fate. But the most
extraordinary disaster caused by the fog
has been the effect produced by it upon
the cattle on exhibition at the annual
show of the Smithd-ld Club In Agricul-
tural Hall. On Monday, when the show
was opened, there was not single case
OF indispOslion among the large
number of cattle that paraded before
the Judges, and at the present
writing Rt least third of the
number have disappeared from their
stalls. The simple ext lanation that Is
given is that it is the long continuance of
fog vitia'ing the air Of the hall that has
occasioned such wholesale destruction
amongst the beasts. Anyway, the dis
NAL fact is thai since early yesterday
morning., at least twenty i've Of the cX-
hibited animals, many Of them the
chief.prize hOldrrl, have either died or
been slaughtered for the sake Of saving
the value of the carcasses, while at seveu
o'clock last evening a careful enunert
tiOn Of the empty stalls disclosed the
sterling truth that IL had been thought
prudent 10 remove pinlty.tbree OF the uu-
fortunate creatures. BAri0rd street, in
when are the gates of the cattle yard, al
yesterday afternoon and evening pre-
sented q strange appearance. ln the log
and by ink-lgh there was ranged IN u
| long line that extended even beyond the
| Liverpool road. large number of those
peculiarly SHAPED vehicles used for the
conveyance of sick ard disabled animals
great lumhering, Gathering boxes on
wheels, but known amongst the ira'er-
nifty that effect them as flOats"--aud
each in It's turn drew up to the yard gat,s
to receive its sorry ireightage aud hurry
of to make room for the next, and the
next, of line that seemed TO be endless.
Within the building the spectacle was
strange aud striking. The attendance Of
visitors was as great as is usual on a
second shilling day, possibly greater, on
account Of the rumor that had got abroad
of the startling mortality that had seized
on the larger animals but the stalls
were not more than third dllei. Sight
seers naturally made for that point wnere
the beast OF beasts, Mr.. Walters light
grey hefrr, was to be seen but, like
many more. that renowned Ruimal had
vanished, though whether to the slaughter
house or merely to more salubriuus quar-
ters could not be ascertaiued. The fog
plague had stricken the poor creatures in
the most erratic manner. Here in a
whole long row no more than half a
dozen vacant stalls might be courted,
while In that Immediately adjoining as
many as fye-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 compact
steer Of barely seventeen. Even the
tough and wiry natives of the highlands,
with their enormous breadth and depth oi
chest and healthfulness Of lungs, had, IN
at least Two cases, been unable to hold
= out against the deadly gray mi.t thai
! seemed 10 be almost as inimical tC
brute life rs fumes Of charcOa
: are to luman. It Ia not cas-,
I to conjecture what will be thi
t result supposing that, as on Tuesday, thu
' fog increases and grows blacker anC
r denser towards midnight. II Is quite e7
e idtnt that there are scores Of the unlor
G tunnate creatures who are but III preparei
q for prolongation Of the attack of th
= wondrous enemy. When in an hour O
closing time last night there was not 8
single beast on his legs all were lyini
. or kueeling down, ard many Of lhen
r gasriug, and with froth on their mouth
\ and nostrils denoting their ptiahle con
g dtion. 1t was sight that the major.t'
y Of the visitors had not rcckoned on, an
4 instead Of, as on ordinary occasions
I passing on with all convenient s7eei
S along the various avenues, taking note
r as they went, now were TO be seen Il
Il atty different places groups Of a hundre'
A or so of meR and women crowdlnl
!. around luckless beast, and unintentlon
n ally diminis hing his scanty chances O
h existence. Strangely enough, neither Il
a .het nor the pigs are 10 any alarming
e exielt affected by the fog. The latte
d snore and gasp and make apopleJic gure
i ling noi-es in their throats no less aud ~
' more than usual and the sheep, thoug
i far more lively, exhibit no gray
r symptoms.