CITY OF LONDON.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 December 1927, Page 2

CITY OF LONDON.

A HUGE SKATING RINK. 'Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, Doe. 21. " Tt is estimated that two thousand jiorsons were injured, and treated in hospitals, following the mast remarkable weather freak in London, within memory. Snow liegan to fall at midnight in the frozen city, when a warm air current was wafted from the AAest, making a difference of 12 degrees between the upper and lower temperature, and turning the snow into rain. The ground howe'er, was so frozen that the rain was immediately turned into ice. Thus by morning, London was converted into a gigantic skating rink. AA itli a quarter of an inch of glazed I rest, walking was impossible, and people were falling everywhere, like ninepins; or were to he seen clinging to railings, unable to move. Many tied newspapers or rags around their boots to prevent them slipping. Thousands did not venture from their homes.

The traffic was an indescribable chaos, motor vehicles sliding dangerously and turning completely round. Horses were quite unable to proceed, and trains were thrown into entire confusion. the wheels not gripping the frozen rails. Thousands of workers stranded, streamed out seeking buses which were standing helplessly in the street. Scores of vehicles which did brave the impossible conditions, were overturned. A thousand buses were unable to leave the garages. The hospitals were converted into scene's resembling casualty clearing stations in France, during the AA’ar, all previous records for ambulance calls being broken. There were many serious eases of fractured limbs, and even several deaths.

Later in the morning, rain fell rendering the roads temporarily more treacherous, but. a thaw set in in the afternoon.

Similar scenes were witnessed in Paris, where four hundred persons were sent to hospitals, some with serious fractures and four or five fatally injured. Midnight revellers at Montmartre found taxis unable to move. Hundreds of vehicles were hacked against the kerbs to prevent their sliding downhill. The morning milk and newspapers were not delivered owing to the impossibility ol walking or driving. One motor ear skidded the full width of the road on to the footpath, killed a woman and injured four other persons. Hundreds of vehicular crashes are reported throughout the city.