Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-03-25
LONDON FOG.
IT PRODUCES EGYPTIAN DARKNESS
AT MIDDAY.

An Old Bus Driver Tells Some of His Ex-
periences Frequently the Wrong Road
is Taken and Cabbie Gets Lost-Collisions
Frequently Occur.
Talking of fogs an old bus driver
had an interesting chat with me the
other morning on my way from Ham
mersmith, says a writer in the Pal Hoh
Bulget
These ere fogs is dreadful" he said
Zone day I'm thinkin' of was bad 'un;
l couldn't get the osses to go at all, SO
turned back at Piccadilly. But that
doesn't pay, for if the company don't
think-and they mostly don't think
it's thick enough to stop running the
BUSES and you do stop without any
official telling you they'll make you pay
for the half of the journey that you
missed. L had to pay for that half
journey from Piccadilly."
Have you ever got on the wrong
road through the fog?" I asked.
oh, yes; lots of times. I've often
turned to wrong street, but I've gen.
orally found my way again. But one
time-about three years ago-I got
quite lost. 1t was going from Ham
mersmith to Liverpool street. You
could have cut the fog it was so thick.
We passed Kensington and Knights.
bridge all right, and then got some
where where [ didn't know; my mate
behind looked about a bit, but he
couldn't make out where he was, so he
went to p'liceman. He was on point
duty and told us we was in the park
somewhere, but he didn't know where.
But I've made plenty of mistakes like
that. Why, the first run this morning
| nearl " went the wrong way.
Now, look there" he said, pointing
to street lamp that was glimmering
quite close at hand, "those are the
things that puzzle you. You think
that's on the pavement and go sharp of
to the right to miss it, and you find
yourself at the wrong side of the road,
with traffic on all sides of you and a
p'liceman swearing and waiting to take
your number for causing an obstruc,
ton. That's in the middle of the
road; it isn't on the pavement at all.
I've often wished that big lamp at the
corner of Hyde Park far enough it al.
ways balks me-
Are there many accidents in foggy
weather? ?"
Il don't think there are more than in
clear weather, for every one drives care
ful-they have to do or they'd soon
have smash. Sometimes, you know,
cabby will pull up sharp and your
pole will go through the back of his
'kerridge, but then them things always
happens. The 'osses, too, get fright
ened when it's extra thick, and they'll
jib, but they're often not so bad as
some of the passengers. who nudge you
and pull you and tell you to please
drive careful. The fog doesn't hurt the
'osses much it might give em cold,
but its us that suffers When there's
a frost and fog together it's awful.
give often had my 'osses led, but
we don't like any one to touch our
animals heads It's like an insult to
us, Policemen are always at that
game, because they know we don't like
it. But it's very bad when they fall
down in fog, for no one can see you,
and it's quite likely that another bus
will come sailing along right onto you,
but in all my experience I've only seen
one 'oss down in fog, and he was
shot. I'd sooner drive anywhere on a
thick night than up to Hammersmith
or Bayswater. You have the park all
along one side of the road, and you
know how dark it is. I think Bays
water is the worst of the two. L once
drove a three-'oss metropolitan bus
into the middle Of row of hansoms,
but it's surprising what little damage
is sometimes done in collision.
But how do you manage to find
your way ?"
why, we grope, was the significant
answer. Il think the best way is to
get the left-hand wheel of your bus
against the curb and let her grind
You won't know what this is. Well,
| mean keeping alongside the pave
ment. Never mind the wheels they'll
be all right. On some routes men go
about with lanters to guide you, but
that's too slow work. I once went
Journey when the conductor took one
of the lamps in his hand and ran along
on the pavement to show me how far 1
was off the curb but all men haven't
the same disposition, and I've had
conductor who wouldn't move off the
step to tell me which side of the road
was. Why, sometimes can't see the
whip I have in my hand, it's SO thick.
Some buses have bells, but I don't
they don't show you where you are
that's what you want to know. The
fog's only good to the pirates. People
can't see which bus they're getting
into, and a good many grumble when
asked to pay the extra fare. But it
doesn't do them very much good, for
some folks are frightened to ride in
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