Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-01-08
THE FOG IN LONDON.

THE FOG IN LONDON.
Loss ~ life In the Streets and On tho
canals - extraordinary aortsl ity
H H.mong the boa"ts At tho smiahncid
Correspondence Of tho Now York World,
LONDON, December l1.-This ia the
third day of the extraordinary TOO
which has almost paralysed all life il
London since Tuesday morning. On
Tuesday the fog caused the loss Of four
lives and injuries by the SCORE ; yestsr-
day four other persons were known to
have been drowned in the canals, and,
from the large number of missing
persons reported to the police, it is
feared that many others have met with
the same fate. But the most extraor
binary disaster caused by the fog, has
been the effect produced by it upon tho
cattle on exhibition at the annual show
OF the Smithtield club in Agricultural
hall. On Monday, when the show was
opened, there was not single case of
indispositi0n among the large number
of cattle that paraded before the judges,
and ut the present writing at least
third of the number have disappeared
from their stalls. The simple explana-
tion that is given is that it is the long
continuance of fog vitiating the mir Of
the hall that has occasioned such
wholesale destruction of beasts. ANY,
way, the dismal TACT is that siuce early
yesterday morning at least twenty 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 their carcasses,
while at 7 O'Clock lust evening care
full enumeration of the empty stalls
disclosed the startling truth that it had
been thought prudent to remove SO of
the unfortunate creatures. Barford
street, on which are the gates of the
cattle yard, all yesterday afternoon
aud evening presented q strange APP
pearance. In the fog and by link-light
there was ranged in long line that ex-
tended even beyond the Liverpool road
a large number of those peculiarly
shaped vehicles used for the convey
ance of sick and disabled animals
great numbering, Gathering boxes on
wheels, but known among the frater-
nifty that affect them as "floats and
each in its turn drew up to the yard
gates to receive its sony freightage
aud hurry off to make room for the
next, and the next, of q line that seemed
to be endless. Within the building the
spectacle was strange and striking.
The attendance OF visitors was as great
as is usual on q second shilling day,
possibly greater, on account of the ru-
NOR that had got abroad of the start
ling mortality that had seized on the
large animals; but the stalls were not
more than third Allied. Sight
seers naturally made for that point
where the beast of beasts, Mr.. Walters
light gray heifer, was to be seen; but,
had vanished, though l'u whether t to the
slaughter house or to more salubrious
quarters could not be ascertained. The
fog plague had stricken the poor crea-
lures in the most cratic manner. Here
in whole long row no more than half |
q dozen vacant stalls might be counted,
while in that Immediately adjoining as |
macy as five.and-twenty description
boards hung idle, many of them gaily
decorated With the rosettes and rib |
hons that denote animals that are
specially distinguished. Big and little |
oxen have alike fallen victims, the
giant of four.and-twenty hundred
weight, and the compact steer of barely
Even the tough and w1ry
natives of the Highlands, with their
breadth and depth of chest |
and healthfulness of lungs, had, in at |
least two cases, been unable to hold |
out against the deadly gray mist that |
seems to be almost as inimical to brute
life as fumes of charcoal are to human.
It is not easy to conjecture what will
be the result supporting that, az on
Tuesday, the fog increases aud grows
blacker and denser toward midnight.
It is quite evident that there are scores
of the unfortunate creatures who are
but ill-prepared for proiongation of |
the attack of the wondrous enemy.
Within IN hour of closing time last night |
there was not single beast on his legs
all were lying or kneeling down, and
many of them gasping, and with froth
on their mouth and nostrils, denoting
their pltiable condition. It was q |
sight that the great majority of the |
visitors had not reckoned on, and in !
stead of, as on ordinary occasions,
passing on with convenient speed along |
the various avenues, taking note as |
they went, now were to be seen in fifty |
different places groups of a hundred or |
so Of men and women crowling around
q luckless beast, and Internationally
diminishing his scanty chances of exis-
tence. Strangely enough, neither the
sheep nor the pigs are to any alarm.
ing extent affected by the fog. The
latter snore and gasp and make apo.
pletic gurgling noises in their throats
no less and no more than usual, and
the sheep, though far from lively, ex
hiblt no grave symptoms.