The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-12-25

WORST FOG EVER KNOWN.
| England ana the Channel Enveioped I'm
Dense Representations Trace Ruined.
LONDON. Dec. 24.-Early on Tuesday q
dense fog settled down over London. COM
pelling suspension of traffic on the river
! and a great curtailment of the traffic on
the streets. There were the usual grum-
blings and many were the maledictions
hurled against the weather But London
ers are accustomed Co fogs and it was
thought that after a day of Inconvenience
the yapor would lift and allow a resump-
tion of trade. These hopes were d,ssp.
pointed. however. for the fog still holds
The city In its cold. clammy embrace anc
shows no sign OF breaking away. Gas and
electric lights are kept burning. but 90
black and heavy is the fog that they only
serve to make the darkness visible. The
vapor permeated dwellings, and stores snc
the darkness is as intense inside as out
side. OF course business has been very
seriously interfered with and the money
loss is severe.
| This morning, instead of there beng any
improvements. the fog is worse. 1t was
thought it would be impossible for the fog
10 be any worse than it was yesterday and
| the day before. but to-day the weather is
SO thick that it is absolutely dangerous TO
| attempt To GO about the streets. It is i'm
| possl ble to see for more than q few inches
IN any direction. All traffic Is greatly
hindered. as IL is impossible for the driven
| of vehicles to see their horses. The fog iG
not only prevalent in London, but it ex-
| tends over wide sections OF the country.
1t Is without exception the worst vista
ton of the kind that has come TO England
in years. 1t is hardly necessary TO say that
all river traffic is stopped. Fears are en-
tertained that if the thick weather pre-
walls OH the coast it viii be the cause of
down the channel With a fog
that has already lasted for nearly
three days il would be impossible fSr ship
masters to determine their positions, and
| In comparatively narrow body of water,
| like the English channel. where there are
| many currents ano counter currents TO
upset all the dead reckoning calculations.
the position of vessel would be extremely
dangerous.
| CHRISTMAS TRADE RUINED.
The fog could not have come at q worse
time for the London shop-keepers They
have been building hopes on their Christ
mas trade. but the weather is so bad that
| few people venture into the streets, unless
they are absolutely compelled TO, and the
result will be that the shop-keepers in
stead of reaping profits. will have TO sub
nit to very heavy looses The saddest
| feature of the situation is, however, the
| great loss OF life that has been caused by
persons losing their way and wandering
| into the river and ponds. Already seven
bodies of unfortunates who had fallen into
the river and been drowned have been re-
| covered, and the c0roners are holding in
quests upon them. Four other men and q
| girl have been reported to the police
as missing, and there 10 scarcely any doubt
| that they became lost in the fog. inadvert
emily wandered into the river and mIser-
ably perished. OF course 1t is impossible
| to make O close search of the waters in the
| vicinity of the docks at present. but il 10
expected that when the fog lifts many
bodies will be found floating in them. At
an inquest last night on the body of a man
| found drowned the coroner referred 20 the
! increase of deaths in London during the
| past two or three days. and said that the
| increase In the mortality was In great
measure due to the fog The cold damp
weather was particularly severe upon per-
| sons suffering from lung diseases. and q
| large number of deaths ascribed 10 pneu-
monia and other diseases of the lungs had
been recorded. dispatch was received
| from Leeds THIS morning stating that thfve
men while walking on the paths along the
| canals lost their way in the fog and fell in
| to the water and were drowned.
Over the Thames the fog is 80 thick that
| the Oldest river man cannot remember
| when it was equaled. From London TO
| Gravesend it appears to be even heavier
! than at othor places and none of the boat
men dare venture out. Several persons
| have been killed on the railways, and
| altogether it is believed that London has
never before been visited by q fog that has
| been so productive of death and disaster.
| AS an illustration of how business is affected
by the weather conditions prevailing. the
opening of the Stock Exchange was greatly
delay ed tins morning owing TO the density
OF the log which flled the rooms. The
operations of the railways are greatly
| hampered by the weather, and extraor-
| dinary precautions are taken 90 guard
| against accidents. Ii is impossible for the
trains TO run on schedule time and as q re-
| suit many business men, clerks. etc.. who
| live In the suburbs were greatly behind
| time In reaching their Offices this morning.
| Many OF the trains from suburban points
| did not reach London until two hours
after they were due. The business of the
| city Is suffering because OF the phenomenal
| density of the log. and in some Cases 1t IL
| entirely suspended.
TOO DENSE TO SAIL
Advices from points In the eastern part
of England show that the fog is prevailing
along the whole length of the eastern
coast. The captains of many vessels
thought the safer course would be 10 make
for some haven of refuge. there TO lie until
the fog lifted. but they found the greatest
| difficulty in making their ports On the
river Tyne the shipping industry Is at =
stand-still. il being deemed too dangerous
10 send vessels of any description away
| from their wharves. The trains on the
trunk lines have been greatly delayed by
| the Jog. The atmosphere is so thick that
| the usual signals can hardly be seen and the
| engineers are compelled 10 use the greatest
| care In order TO avoid collisions. The Scotch
| express came in to-day five hours late.
| Walking about the docks Is extremely dsu-
gerous. even TO those who are well Sc
| quainted with them. Three dock constr
bles. than whom no one IL supposed 10 be
more familiar with all the intricacles of
were stationed at the West India docks,
and while performing the duties which de-
volved upon them. they lost their sense of
locality. became bewildeyed. walked into
the river and were drowned The steamers
| engaged in the channel service are making
their trips. but thew are greatly retarded.
Quite number of skating accidents have
been reported. The fog. rs is we'll known.
causes the ice TO become rotten very rap
| Idly, and the result has been that many
skaters have broken through and been
drowned. Near Elgin, the capital of tho
! county of that name IN Scotland. three
boys who were skating on the Lossie were
| drowned through the breaking of the tce.
The fog 10 a boon O. the gas companies
Every body who uses gas has been CON-
PEELED 10 burn it oil day. and an enormous
quantity has been and 10 still being con-
| suned. The gas supply at the general
postoffee failed to-day, and for some time
4 IOndono mail service UAs 1n r etato Of