The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-26
LONDON FoGs.
An Element OF Danger to Persons I'm
accustomed TO Them.
london Letter in Philadelphia Telegraph.

London Letter in Philadelphia Telegraph.
The first real fog of the season has come
10 town, and while it was not quite up 10
the mark of what is known as "a London
particular, it was sufficiently dense to set
the peoples tongues awagging on the sub
1ect and cause four or five accidental deaths
ana score of more or less serious injuries.
1t was likewise a fog of unusual persist
ency IN its grip, for there was brilliant
sunshine all around London and the Gay
was as mild as May. yet the sun was pow
erless to scatter the white pail, and night
fall found it even thicker than at dawn.
The fog sharps, however, criticised the
marked that it lacked color and hadn't
tne good old greasy feel about it" There
an overwhelming love, are actually heard
TO bewail what they consider the sad de-
generation of London fogs during the past
lew years, and to greet each particular"
EFFORT on the fog hendS part as vista
ton to be greeted with grim good humor.
Under it's clammy influence they develop
all the characteristics of an American old
est lnhabitant," discussing the weather and
dlscoursing on the meteorological phenom-
ena of his earlier days, and the hoary and
pewnlskered fog jokes and stories are trot-
TED out Tor their annual airing One of the
pets of the collection has to do with the
man who was mailing states on a sloping
roof and who failed TO notice the edge when
he reached it and went mailing states
on on the fog until he found himself down on
the ground.
Personally I found the experience from
the tops Of several omnibuses very inter-
OF 1t came under my notice in the after
noon when went out to the Crystal Pal
ace, on the Sydenham heights, with man
Kennel Clubs show. We left London hid
den in the fog and found the palace spark
ling in bright, clear atmosphere, but its
interior was almost as foggy as the Thames
itself. In the morning the Sydenham hills
had been visited by the fog, and the vast
a London fog's power of penetration is
something remarkable. Then the outside
display had been blown away
A man learned in the ways of fogS told us
that this was often the case, and that the
palace was sometimes foggy for day or
two after short but severe attack from
the outside.
To turn to the serious side of the matter,
1T Is interesting to read how the railways
cope with the dangers which come in the
fog's wake. The superintendent of the
southwestern line, in an interview in one
of the evening papers, says that the fogs,
in addition to the anxiety they cause to the
officials costly visitors as well. 1.-THE
| principal expense, he said, lis the fog
signalling arrangements, which are very
| elaborate. AS soon as the man in the Sig
nal box cannot see clearly $50 yards ahead
| of HIN the machinery is at once put in mo-
| ton. Each signal man has the address of
| a number Of fog signaIers, who are at once
| summoned TO their posts, whatever the
| hour of the day or night. These men are
| taken from those usually employed repair
| ing the permanent way and are only
| chosen if they are acquainted with the ele-
ments of signaling. Each one knows, then,
WHERE ne mas 70 SIdtIOu i1inSeiI' anu d !
once repairs to his post. They are disposed
| in large numbers all along the line; others
stand in reserve to relieve them, while
many more have to be engaged to bring re-
| freshments to those on duty.
Between Waterloo Station and Wimble-
don alone two hundred men are employed
| merely to lay the torpedoes on the line; be-
tween Waterloo and Clapham, again, there
/ are $50, and so on as far as the line eX-
| ENTHUSIASTICALLY, indeed, as far out as
Weymouth. Every signal box has four fog
| sgnalers attached to it. Those at a juno
| ton have eight men. AS they receive not
| only their ordinary pay, but also bonus
| overtime money besides at the rate of eight
! pence or ninepence per hour, you see our
| fog precautions run into money
Then the torpedoes or detonators are
considerable item. They are little round iron
| objects containing inside three caps filled
tin handle to the railway. Every signaler
places two of them before every advancing
] train. The cost is Is Sd a dozen, and many
| thousands are used in the course of q day.
And what is the system employed by the
| signalers?' queried the reporter.
1T is very simple. They are provided
| with lamp and green and red flags, and
| then follow the lead of the signal box. AS
| the decorators explode the train slows
down or stops. The SigTaler Oh duty then
| displays to the driver green flag II the
| line is clear and a red one If blocked. If
| the flags are not visible in the fog the red
| or green lights of the lamps are used
Great precautions are also taken at the
| docks, and large placards headed Special
Notice as to FOgS" are to be seen on the
fences near the dock gates and in the public
houses near by. Many persons nave walked
| overheard and been drowned during fogs,
| and the notices have been in use for several