The sun., 1897-12-12
TRAGEDIES OF THE LONDON FOG.
Queer Things That Happen when tho Old
Town In Under an Atmospheric Pail.


From the Philadelphia Erenfng Telegraph.
LONDON, Nov. GA wrotched woman, tired
of her husbands brutality ard the pangs of slow
starvation. jumped from London Bridge a
night or ago to end her misery in the Thames.
Only one person saw her go. for the fog was
densely thick, and the suicide vanished
the rail like gray spectre. There was not
even the sound of splash.
The man who the figure go over the rail
met policeman:a few yards farther on and
told him. and the police man blew shrill and long
on his whistle as he leaned out over the water.
and soon there was a responsive whistle from
the thick Of the fog. 1t from q patrol
boat, and soon there was blur.of light where
its search light was turned on theriver.
TRY the buttress; there was no splash"
called down tho policeman and the beam OF
light found form on a ledge of the stoncwork
twelve feet above the water and twenty feet
below the sidewalk Of the bridge. The tide
was rushing down around the pier and the
little boat was pinned against 1t by its rush.
Two of the river policemen held it as steady as
possible, and one was hoistcd on the shoulders
OF another and managed to scramble to tho
ledge where the woman lay, breathing family,
but insensible. To those pcering down from
| above even tho scarchlght could but make dim
| shadowy fl CURES on the ledge, and those on the
| boat were Invisible.
| Just as tho man who had climbed to where the
woman lay was about 10 drop her into the up
lifted arms arm Of one me below; there was cry Of
the boat was gone and a huge barge crashed
into tho pier, grinding its heavy timbers against
cape. 1t had come out or the fog ana would
have ground the boat and its crew TO pulp had
| not the lookout given the warning cry which
| was meant for both the man on the ledge and
| those in the boat.
Tho barge swung around with the rushing
| and faded another a
utter darkness, while the woman hung like lead
from ,,i the arms OF the man above. who called
in, and the doctors said: You might as well
the tide was IN, and YOU could have lifted her
on without risk to yourselves for she could not
That is one OF a half dozen or so fog tragedies
the last few days have seen. although its only
| connection with the fog are the dramatic incl
| dents surrounding its main feature-a London
] Bridge suicide. But at tho docks there have
been some four or five drowninps, both Of men
and women and IN the streets the danger has
| been great, save where the utmost care was ex-
| erCised.
The last fog wrote about was white fog.
This has been dense yellow pail. streaked with
wWhisps and sinudges Of brown whore n smoke
blot unable to scatter for the moment has hung
nearly, day the yellow blanket hung high
enough TO rclieyc the streets OF danger, and the
iS INDEED d. it Raa ia the cy
but with little effect SO far as increasing the
u
| 10 A. NJ. and all London seemed. not ghostly,
as have heard people describe il, but MS n city
| given over to the spirits OF gloom. The yellow
| foRs are picturesque to a degree when they
hang high. and can understand how people
come TO have n sncaking fondncss for them.
Twice, however. saw II settle down." and
then there was a smother that had no touch OF
anything but Oblivion in il. II was at Hyde
Park corner first. The bus 1 was on Just
grazcd as lively n tang!c OF mixed-up vehicles
aS have ever seen, and we pulled up In prefer
ence to climbing over IT,. A private brougham
| had banged into growlcr, wrecking both: n
hanson had Joined in the smash. a heavy fur.
niture van had ambicd into il also and my
bus was stopped more by the general luridncss
| Of the language coming out OF the tangle than
by any visible warning. Tho thickness blow
away In about minute. and the wreck was
found to he a bad one, and as we drove away 1t
Mas surrounded by circle OF dcnonke figures
who vanished utterly before the bus had gone
thirty yards
To-day it is darker and ycower than ever
and the mouth Of the pit effect Is almost OPP
pressive unless you are in a crowd. From the
upper window OF u hotel where lunched my
host and i could just make out the shadow
traffic far below. and the yellow dots OF lights
faded in and out OF the view like freNios.
One man / met yesterday went racing near
by. but the meeting had to be given UP on nc
count OF the fog. and football match here In
London was played in the presence of 200 peo
pie who could not sec IL,