Country Frozen And Traffic Held Up

Chronicle (Levin), 23 February 1948, Page 5

Country Frozen And Traffic Held Up

( N.Z.P.A. — Reurer

CaDvrtahi)

Reeeived Sunday, 1 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 21, A new blizzard, struck southern Epgland this afternoon, bringing traliic to a halt. As snow piled up hundreds of snow ploughs began an all night battle to keep roads and yailways open. Although the home counties suffered worst with talls of 6 tq 12 inclies, Dqrbyshire, Yqrkshire and Gentral Wales were also badly affected. The snow has Aqw spread to ScotlandTwo men have so far died in the blizzard, One was found dead in the snow and ihe other- coliapsed. Eieven people in a bus were injured when it skidded and erashed into a railway arch in Sussex. Several yiilages in Keni and a number of West Denb|ghshire hill xqrms and villages are isoiated. Many sheep are feared buried in th the snow. About 50 ships are stormbound in the Thames Estqar-y. Avlantic ■ iiners have been w-arned that gales y;ould delay ar-riyal in Britain. Lqndqners, went, to work Ayearing ski boots, Wellingtons, balaclava^, service gr-eatcoats and flymg jackets. Ghiidkeh hegan tqbogganing in the open spaces., but the onzzard sooh droye' many halffrozen ind.oo.rs. Some piilkmeh in , novth-w-est London - improvised • sleighs, . Frost, ice and snow . brought ho\yn tefegraph ve-ires, blqcked Lhads and caused a widespread electricity out. Fifty- London Uni-v-ei-sity students, half of them girls, helped clear the snow from Holborn streets at trade, union- rates. The- Mlnistyy of Agriculture has asked the public to help fead hungry birds with bread crumbs— but . not. bread— fish . heads", fish skin, cheese rind and bacon rind. Frost and snow has also gripped

large areas of Eire, Denmark, France, Germany and Italy. . The River Spree in Berlin froze. Raveriing wolf packs in Northern Norway raided cattle herds, causjng such losses that miiit'arv planes were sent to strafe them. pold and siiow d'rqve packs. of welyes dqwn from the Squtherh Italian rqountains and caused many schools to close. The authorities in big German cities opened pUblic war^ping halls. which families from the unheated'homes fiiled; Snow covered Paris, where thp temperature was ' 15.8 degrees Fahia'pheit.