The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-17

Prom the chief Euronezn correspondent Of the
Lalan NeEs BuTeau-
London, Jan. H.-The rigoFs Of the Brit
ISL winter are greatly moderated BY those
who have never experienced them In
saying this no reference is made 10 the
extreme north Of these isles. There
something arctic in character might nat
uraliy be expected at this time Of year.
What the foreigner mas failed to grasp
IS the stupendous reality Of the south OF
England blizzard, especially as expert
enced in London.
The word blizzard was unknown in
England until some twenty-five or thirty
years ago. when IL was introduced from
America Then for the FIRST time the
London reporter learned what Il was that
the south Of England in general and Lon
don, in particular, suffered at least once
a year. Before that "a terrible storm
was about as far as ne would go The
word blizzard" brought him all the com
fort and satisfaction that the ola lady
found in 'the blessed word Mesopotamia."
Since then London has had its blizzard
every winter. This winters happened
last week. and as it was the worst and
severest experienced for a good many
years i deserves a little more notice tlan
has been given 10 il by the foreign press.
There were distinct signs Of its ap-
preach on Monday morning. The atmOs-
phere. which had Tor weeks been very
mild. grew colder. b midday hundreds
OF men could be seen wearing overcOats
Then the snow began 10 fail From that
moment We knew that the worst might
De expected. The blizzard was on rs
Snow Zen steadily throughout the
greater part Of Tuesday. The cold became
intense. As much as 10 degrees Of frost
was registered by Fahrenheit therm0me-
ter on the ground. On Wednesday morn
ing 10 these horrors was added that Of
fog.
In London by the time me snow ceased
falling on Nv ednesday morning the fall
on the level must have averaged from
three 10 three and a half inches on win
dow sills and against curbstOnes il had
drifted in many cases 10 a depth Of six
or seven inches The newspapers promptly
rose 10 the occasion.
The Chief Difference.
The first morning paper the writer took
up was one OF The few enterprisinE sheets
that devote the first page 10 news instead
Of advertisements. The first four columns
OF the front page were given up TO Lon
dons awful blizzard, the next three 10
the almost equally stupendous disaster
in the south Of Italy. The editorial Of one
OF the leading afternoon papers began
with a comparison Of these two demon
STATIONS of nature. the chief difference
IN which was apparently that the one was
= %
which the other was free.
That there nay Be no suspicion Of
exaggeration in tAis description Of the
blizzard which London has so recently
Undereone, and Ct which the traces are
now happily bit few. let the word be
taken Of the London correspondent Of
one Of the greatest provincial morning
Gailies- He gave the whole OF his column
By special wire to Wednesdays blizzard.
There Is no need 20 quote the whole Of
il one example win suffice
During the course OF a walk OF one
mile through the streets Of London this
correspondent saw no less than four
people fall heavily 10 the ground. the dis
aster in each case being caused by the
victim unwarily stepping on one Of the
ciTcUl.r iron plates let into the sidewalk
over coal chutes. The snow. Of course, had
hidden them 10 a great extent and rem
cered them dangerously slippery. Dur
ing this same adventurous walk the cor
respondent saw a large red motor wagon
laden with cases Of serated water unable
TO proceed for several minutes
Clearing the Snow.
BY o'clock on Wednesday night II
seemed safe to assume that no more snow
would fall. The county council had by
this time got its organization complete
and scores OF men were turned onto the
main streets. Working in relays TIL the
small hours Of the morning. they washed
the vast accumulation Of snow down the
cutters and 50 into the sewers by means
Of hose pipes. The side streets were left
10 nature and private enterprise, and in
them there were traces Of snow distinctly
visible SO late as Thursday afternoon.
Fortunately a genuine thaW set in late
on Wednesday night and released the
helpless city from the inexorable grip Of
the blizzard which had held it for two fun
days Perhaps hardly sufficient mention
has been made OF the intense cold we
suffered during Monday night, all Tues
day and Tuesday night. and throughout
Wednesday until midnight II NAV be
most readily understood from this single
fact-the weather experts were unanimous
in the opinion that if the extreme cold
had been protracted for two or at most
three more days there would have been
skating on many OF the open pieces OF
shallow water that abound in the neizh-
borhoOd Of London