London Fog.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 130, 26 February 1887, Page 2

London Fog.

Tin: fog fiend invaded London for f-ix days together toward the end nf December, and it was? generally conceded that it wai the most acute aUank ever known in the great m&tropolie. Thia fog is almost of a litrht pea soup colour, and as an instance of its don°ity it may be mentioned that nothing cm be seen at noon save the link" and gas lamp** at a distance of «ix feet The fog /hi* year was of unusually acrid flavour, " .i tine, full-bodied species," as the cockney Mark Tapleys remarked, compo-ed of a pleasant medley of smoke, sewer and river ga«. When it ia computed that there are 200,000 people who visit the city every day on business purposes, and that all traffic with horees is impossible, pome faint idea may be had of the misery of the visitation, which is enhanci-d by the closing of many of the store?., as it would be impossible to prevent open theft in such a Cimmerian gloom. To add to their discomfort the inhabitants of the West End were driven into a state of panic by the sound of cannon one day at early morn, as they thought it was in consequence of an outbreak by the Fenians or the anarchists, and in thiconnection an amusing incident is related by a London correspondent. He st^te* : 44 Attracted by the tiring of the ealute in honour of the accouchement of Princess Beatrice, I entered St. James's Park, but the fog was so den°e that it was scarcely possible to distingui-h a light at a distance of ten yards. I carefully crept along, however, and in a few minutes found my self in the centre of a small knot of loiterers. The firing had ceased, but I could hear the rumble of the wheela of the gun carriages and every now and then a s-nort from a startled horse. Cries of 'Where are you, Sergeant?' 'Where are vo», gunner?' were heard on every side. Then I realised what was happening. A squad of Life Guards trying to change its formation were getting more or le-e in hopeless confusion, f could just distinguish the helmets of a dozen soldiers in line, and now and then a lantern was Been darting in and out among those who were to take the lead in the march home. To move the cannon was, however, impossible, as a few paces brought them in contact with some obstacle. Everything was then at a standstill, save an officer or two who wanted to know in what direction was Whitehall, the exit from the Park. One informant was positive it was to the right, while another was positive it was to the left. In the end the officers adopted the latter advice, and in a few rods they rode into the iron palings. IN over were Her Majesty's Guards in a more awkward dilemma, and how they would have extricated themselves had the tog not lifted it is very difficult to say,"