Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-16
CHRISTMAS SIGNS
RARE IN LONDON
SHOPS AND HAWkERS lNDI-
CATE HOLIDAYS ARE NEAR
Already Tide Of Wealthy Tourist
Travel Is Setting in for the
South-Plaees That Are
Favored
Special cable to The Herald.

Special Gable to The Herald.
LONDON, Dec. 15.-Were it not for
the window dressing in the shops and
the long strings of hawkers of penny
novelties who line the cutters all the
way UP Ludgate hill from Fleet street
to st. PauIs, there is not much sign in
London that Christmas is so near.
The weather certainly doesn't sug-
gest that Christmas is coming, though
the temperature has fallen to a certain
extent during the last couple of days.
Covent garden still presents evidence
OF the marvellous gentleness with which
winter has made it's advent. Flowers
are still plentiful and wonderfully
cheap, and one reads in south country
papers how in Sussex roses, chrysan
themums, daisies, mignonette, jasmine,
dahlias, marguerites, VioletT, primroses
and other flowers are still in bloom.
The end of the second week of De-
cember sees London under q clear blue
sky, bathed in bright sunshine. This
is much different from the weather
which is being experienced in the north
country, where storms of snow and
hail have been raging. In fact, on
Wednesday so furious was the gale
which swept the northwest coast of
England and the north coast of Wales
that the rare spectacle was witnessed
of a huge American liner storm bound
to sail from the Princes landing stage
at 8 O'Clock, but when the passengers
arrived from London they found cabs,
omnibuses and wagonettes waiting to
convey them through the city to Hus-
kisson dock, where the liner, to protect
itself from the fierce gale, was double
moored to it's berth.
Epidemic of Fires
But, mild as the weather may have
been in London and the south, the adj
vent of winter has been marked by the
usual epidemic of fires, with more or
less disastrous results. Just take one
days record. The fire which broke out
in the early hours of the morning in
a street in Whitechaple resulted in a
widow and her four children losing their
lives. Another in the East End left
between eighty and ninety poor people
hcmeless So rapid was the progress
of the fire after it was discovered that
they had barely enough time to escape
with their lives without attempting to
save any of their few belongings
An old Crimean soldier named Mel
son, with his wife, both nearly 80 years
old. were found suffocated in their bed
after the extinction Of fire in Devon
street. Another old couple, living above,
were rescued in an UNCONSCIOUS state
and taken to the hospital.
st. James school in Enfield went on
fire lust after the pupils were dls-
missed for the day and was burned TO
the ground.
Seven, horses were burned to death
in a fire under the railway arches III
Church street used as oil stores.
There is no saying what would have
been the result of fire in the Baltic
chambers had it not been for the bark
ing of a dog, which reused the tenants
% hi fhnf fn
None of these fires can be called huge,
by any means, but they just show be-
tween these and the numerous need
less alarms what a busy time the Lon
don firemen have at the beginning of
the winter months. Nor are they
helped in any way by theanew auto fire
engines which have beeh introduced.
One was seen to skid in an alarming
fashion the other day when slackening
speed, owing to the congested traffic in
narrow old Fleet street. One of the Of
ficers of the fire brigade vigorously con-
demns them. He asserted that this
type of engine is not suited to the
streets Of London, where it often be-
comes necessary to pull UP suddenly,
and these sudden stoppages have led to
many accidents. A horsed engine can
be pulled up by, it's powerful brakes
sharply without the slightest skidding.
The weight of the motor engine, how
ever, sends it in unexpected directions
as soon as the brakes are jammed hard
on Neither would this official admit
that the increased speed is any ad-
vantage since in a crowded street it is
impossible to drive the engineI at it's
fnll power without running the risk of
serious accident.
Rushing Out of London
One reads in the society papers how
full the town is just now, what great
crowds are to be seen in the west end,
doing their Christmas shopping, how
delighted are the trades people, the
jewelers. especially, with the business
they are doing, and how crowded the
leading restaurants are every night for
dinner. This may be all true, but there
is no galnsaying that the town, from a
social point of view, is rapidly thinning
down., for according to tourist agents
there never was such great rush
p for the south known at the beginning
OF winter, and this despite the fact that
the weather here remains so wonder
fully fine. Boats and trains are packed
with travellers for the Riviera, Swift
zerland, Morocco the Canary islands,
the West Indies, Egypt and India.
Many berths are being booked for
months in advance.
One tourist agent says this is going
to be a record winter for Switzerland,
while the Riviera will be crowded with
English visitors. The earl of Crawford
is one of those who will seek sunshine
soon in the West Indies, while numer-
Gus are the bookings for the Canary
islands, Egypt, like Switzerland, looks
like enjoying a record season as far as
the English are concerned. Cairo al
ready is filed with English people.
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