The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-05-20
A London Fog at Night.

The London correspondent OF the New
York Post writes Apart from its super
natural aspect, dense London fog at night
brings out some queer phases OF human
life. The street boys hold high revel dur
ing the mists Buying for small sums long
pieces of hemp, stiffened with tar, they light
the ends, and party of them earn good
stock of sixpenses by escorting home way
farers. At the stations of the underground
railroads. and at the centres of cab traffic,
gather dense crowds, unable to get their
bearings and utterly helpless without aid
The cabmen, who in ordinary times, know
all the ips and outs Of London streets, are
as helpless as the rest. If they take pas
sengers at all, it is for short trips and big
prices. and even then they venture only at
a walk. leading their horses by the brides.
On the occasion of one Of these fogs | re-
member almost tumbling over prostrate
horse which had fallen across the foot
pavement on which his careless master had
led him. As rule, passengers caught in
the denser mists leave cabs and omnibuses,
preferring foot travel as equally fast and
as a safer style of locomotion. The abso-
nte helplessness of almost everybody, the
blind leading the blind, the lost seeking
their bearings from the lost, and the uni
versal confusion and chaos fill in the details
of a curious picture out of doors. In doors
there are scenes well nigh as grotesque.
The smoky mist has a singular penetrating
quality. and only needs keyhole to get in.
! 1t the theatres the actors all counterfeit
I the ghost in Hamlet at large indoor
Z places, ike the reading-room of the British
/ Museum. half the interior is entirely OBJ
seured. and even in the smaller rooms OF
dwellings objects appear dim and ghost-hke.
+ The fog is usually accompanied by chill
in the air that cuts To the marrow, and the
smoke breaihed in by sleepers is thrown Oh
frnm the lungs in the morning as black
secretion Of phlegm. Another quality OF
the London smoke-fogs Is disclosed by the
singular fact that the electric light make'
les imprcssian On it than gssS fame Of the
same candle power.
During a London fog some hve week
auo. which several residents said was 'h'
dens,.s, they had ever known, the writel
was at some pains to test the thickness o
the mist on Baker street. thoroughfare
from curb to curb. about a. wide SIS Broad
way. and opening ON Regent Park From
the middle Of the roadway the bright hight
Of che shop windows were quite impereeP
iible. Standing under gas lamp one eoul'
barely see a foot passenger htteen feet away
or RAISING cab in the middle Of the street
At ten feet distant the jet became com
pletely separated from its surroundings
The lamp with the supporting iron pos
disappeared and the flame changed To
salphuruns blue tongue of vapor, was pro
ierted in the air and hung ON nothing
Oncr outside the light Of the street lamps
the range uf vision became much more cir
cuu,>cribed Large vehicles passed tel
f,.et away un-,,en and sesrc,,ly heard. PAS
er, by could BE- disoerncd at a distance q
perhaps six feet, and then cHly the uppe
part> 1T their bodi,s could he made out. th
iegs and ie-t b.ing hidden BY a Still dens,.
stratum If misi which seemed tn wrap tn
pavement. Al distinction Of color wa
gone, and even opposite a street lamp, darI
buildings a wcll a. thn>e OF light hue
,onk On ,h, universal duh tint ot the smok
utl.f