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Leader (1850-1860), 7th January 1854, Edition 1 of 1, Page 3, Untitled Article

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      — . Hp . ] Dnfce of Wellington ... 430 700 Western Sooadron . ; Tlojal George i& > 400 Devonpor * . St . Jean d'&cre ... 101 6 £ > 0 Western Sauadron Agamemnon 90 600 BosphorusT Cses ^ 90 400 Not in commission Cressy 80 400 Sheerness . J « mes-Watt ... ... 90 600 Not in emission . Majestic ... ... . 80 400 Not in commission . JSile ~ . ... ... 90 600 Not in commission . Princess Royal ... 90 400 Portsmouth . ' , SawgMu ? eil 70 360 Bosphonu . Ajax ... N 58 450 Cork # S ! * JX 45 J GaardshipCPortsmoBQ , )! HQ ^ ue 60 450 Ditto ( DevonportY Edinbnrgh „ , .... 58 450 Ditto ( Portsmouth ^ Arrogant 47 350 Western Squadron . lmp ^ rwuse 50 360 Western " Squadron . : Amphion 34 300 Western Squadron . i 5 < " * t 10 24 250 Gaardship ( SheernessY ' Tnbune ... ... 30 300 Western Smadron . jBatmtleas 24 580 Portsmouth . -Highflyer 21 250 Mediterranean . Euryalus ... ... 50 400 The above are all screw steamships : ; but to these may be added the following , among the more powerful paflflle ^ iieel steamers mow afloat : « , ., „ Guns . H . p . TernbTe 21 800 Bosphorns . Sidon .. 22 560 Bosphftres . Odin .. . 16 560 Western Squadron . Retribution . ... ... 28 400 Bosphortus . Valorous IS 400 Western Sauadron . i Furious ... ... 16 400 Bosphoms , { Xeopard — — 18 560 Portsmouth . i Magicienne IB 400 Devonport . i Penelope 16 650 West Coast of Africa , i

      We ^ omit vessels of an inferior class , and those we have ( named all deserve to be ranked as powerful frigates . In addition to these lists the following screw steamships are building , and wi ll probably be afloat in a few rmoatb *;— Guns . Horse Power . Royal Albert 120 ... 400 Marlborough 120 Conqneror 100 Orion . 90 ... 600 Bepulse 90 ... 600 Hannibal 90 ... . 450 Algiers ... ... ... 90 ... 450 JEsmomth 90 ... 500

      Hero . „ , 90 Forte ... 50 Chesapeake ... ... 50 Curaeoa ~ . 30 ... 350 San Fiotenzo ... .. * . 50 It appears from , these returns that , setting aside the whole sailing fleet of England , we have at present afloat 11 steam line-of-battle ships , soon to be increased to 20 , 5 guard-ship 3 with auxiliary steam power , aad 7 frigates fitted with screw propellers , -which may be considered ( with one or two exceptions ) the finest vessels ever launched of their class . Of thes . e screw line-of-battle ships , only two ( the Sanspareil and . the Agamemnon ) are in the Turkish waters , and the former of these two vessels does not ,

      we fear , altogether answer to her name . The greater number of those already in commission belong to Admiral Corry's division , which is termed by the Admiralty the Western Squadron , though it may be considered to be on an experimental cruise ; and four are still waiting for commission . So that , independent of the British squadron now in the ; Bosphorus , that portion of the fleet which is not in the Mediterranean " consists of an equal number of newer and more powerful ships than those under the command of Admiral Dundas . This Tesultjs already creditable to the Admiralty , and it has been accomplished within the last few months on what is still a peace establishment .

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      CHEISTMAS WEATHER—SNOW STOBIMSTHE RAILWAYS . Fob many years England has not been visited by Old Winter , in his garb of ice and snow ; but this ¦ winter of 1853-54 is an exception to what had almost become a general rule . . We have had both frost and snow ; Christmas was celebrated , and the New Year has opened with both in plenty . Last week the ornamental waters around the metropolis were frozen over—thousands skated on the ice ; Prince Albert and his sons skated at Windsor ; and in all parts of the kingdom thousands enjoyed the same delightful exercise . There was a for all

      partial thaw on Friday week , ana one day but the moat adventurous and reckless avoided the ice . But in the afternoon frost returned with the shifting wind , and from that moment it has continued . On Sunday there was a fall of snow , driving before tho fierco north-oaBt wind . Skating , however was not suspended . On that day , and on Monday and Tuesday , there wcro some thirty thousand skating and sliding . The banks of the Serpentine , and the waters in St . James ' s , Regent ' B-park , and Kensington-gardens were lined with spectators of all ranks , ages , and sexes . The scene was like a fair Never since the Groat Exhibition have there been more persons in Hy de-park . Few accidents

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      occurred , and those only the result « f overcrowding : swift skaters "knocking dawn those wfto were 5 n their way , and clumsy fellows slipping to , bruising their persons , or breaking their heads . But Tuesday night , wi « h Fahrenheit ' s thermometer eight degrees below zero , the coldest night in England since 1809 , prepared a different scene . The north-east wind brought a tremendous snowstorm . When London awoke < m Wednesday morning , doors were found barricaded with adrift snow ; windows were covered as with a curtain ; pathways were blocked up—the snow lay six inches deep , in some placeB more , -upon theiground . On the "Wan&sworth , Camberwell , Kemringtonand Kent roadsin m i

      , , any places where it drifted , there were mountains < of snow . In almost ' all places , where there vas . nodrift , it fell to the thickness of ftoni nine to twelve j inches in and round the metropolis . Meet-street , the Strand , and Ijjfoibom , ytete hy < three o ' clock in the morning all but impassable , and yet the snow ' was falling as fast as ever . TJntil daybreak thej snow continued , the ^ wind meanwhile howling andi drifting the flakes in all < 3 iEecMons , and with « uch ] violence , that the police could not perambulate their ' beats , and were compelled to seek shelter under } doorways , arches , porticos , or any attainable projec-f tion for several consecutive hours .

      When morning came , and business called its to- j taries from their homes , walking was found to fee im-• possible , until mile after anile of footw <* y had been ! reclaimed from the invafieT by an imposing corps of pioneers , operatingawyth shovels-and broems . The -masses of snow thuso ^ sposed of being thrown into the roadway , immensely increased the difficulties which previously opposed themselves to the passage of vehicles . At no period -of the day wasihe number of omnibuses equal < to ( the usual supply , while cabs , at first utterly invisible—few proprietors being "willing to sent their vehicles into the streets , and &w ill

      drivers willing to take charge of them—were only obtainable with great difficulty . Most of the omnibuses which ran drove three , and in some instances i four , instead of two horses . Of the cabs , full y one 1 half of those out drove two horses , ^ generally 'tandem . 1 As might naturally be expected under these circum- j stances , an adherence to the ordinary fares was but ; of the question . The long stage omibuses , instead \ of 6 d ., charged is . and is . fid-, and the twopenny ! omnibuses along Holborn and Oxford-street raised , their fares to 6 d . Gabs were diffioult to procure '

      at any price , the ranks being almost entirely deserted , ' " Cabby " arguing , and in this instance with justice , j that " once upon the Tank lie would be nailed for ! the 6 d ., which wouldn't pay in such -weather . " Those vehicles * therefore ; winch were out , were generally ' hired direct from the yards , or . picked up vsijilatI loitering about , so as to -make their ' own teems with , the hirer , The railway stations were as deserted sea the street stands , and passengers arriving -from the country were fireqjuently compelled to leave their luggage at the stations , and proceed on ibot to their various destinations . In some ( instances as much as

      5 s . was given for cabs for a distance barely exceed * ing a single mile . Great inconvenience was experienced il > y the City merchants and clerks residing in the suburbs , many of whom , in consequence of the difficulty of ) procuring conveyances , were compelled to walk through the snow to their respective offices .. As evening drew on the omnibuses gradually decreased in number , until at nine o ' clock they had entirely ceased running , and therstreets crelapsed into a state of silence , alike unwonted and monotonous at such an hour—the silence being , the more marked from the fact that few of the heavy waggons employed in the heavy goods traffic-of the railways were ( or had been ) abroad , those that were visible requiring five or mx horses to do work for which three or four would < have been sufficient under

      ordinary circumstances , and for one or two waggons which ascended Holborfl-bill eight hor&es were found to be necessary- . But the most serious interruption to the course of metropolitan business arose from the effect of the snow blocking up the various lines of railway , owing to which , the mail and other trains were delayed to an extent unknown far many years past , and prSbably never since tie introduction of the railway system . ____ _ . . ..

      London and North Western . —Early in the morning a telegraphic message from Tring announced that the up line was blocked in the cutting , and the down line in a very bad . state , a luggage train , followed hy the mail train being almost embedded in the snoie . Several hundred men ^ wece at once set to work to clear the line , but after several hours' arduous labour only partiallv succeeded . The first train arriving at the Euston ' station was from Northampton , considerably behind its time , the guard reporting that the snow had drifted three " feot high in the streets when he left Northampton . This train was followed by one from Wolverton , due at 9 , and arriving at 12 .. Al half-past 12 came in the mail train from Liverpool and Manchester , eiglit hours behind , its time . The guard Toported -a heavy fall of snow , and constant delayi as fax ft » Tring cutting , where ft train came to

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      « deadblock , and Tetnained embedded in ^ flie unow flTO * anw . XHttmateTyitwasfotinfinajcasarrtoirt ) back to the-next station , and shm the tnan to the down -raite , along which it finished its Journey . TOte other drains conthraea iso arrive flaring fl ^ day from one to two hours behind liheir times . The down trains , mffii the excerption of the * rst , which was two honors late , started nearly as timed on the conmanV tables . v Great Western . ^^ he South Wales mail train , au » « et 4 ^ -na ., saTrtvedatatstime ; irat ^ eiPlymouthnuSL due at the same time , oidnwt conaa ' inaontil 7 o ' cto ^ t subsequent trains keeping ' t ime pretty Tezularlv

      The down trains started as ^ meel , anflliad it rato 1 > eeH « o , no great inconvenience would Tiaveresalfced , because , as stated by an official circular of -the company , "there was hardly anyone to carry . * ' Some seven or < eignte * bfl ^ belonging to , or hired by , 'the ^ company plied daring the earlier- port of "fttn "dajr , b « t their norses soon getting ksockea up , pawengtorB arriving were left to get along as they ^ jonffl . : Great Northern . —A . message fey electric telegmpli early in the morning "" intimated to the authoritiM a * King ' s-crosstnat the fine onlwtliiiides of < G « Biffianl wae completely blocked , and tffl traffic impowbl © between Peterborough and Newar 3 & ^ Fbe nst % tt&&

      arnv 3 a » g ^ was »> oml ^ t ^ boroti ^ art 7 o ' taoek , flue at 415 arm . At 10 o ' clock two ^ etber ^ iort 6 ! istancJ& trains arrived , one ofthem % eingalKrat anhouran 9 -a half late . Attain from Peterborough , > flue aft I ! , arrived at 12 . 45 ; and f . 10 p . m . a train came in from Cambridge nearly to its time ; no tidings , however , having then been received of the ? nail train from $ north , due at 4 a . m . At 3 o ' clock in the aftemoon <« 'second telegraphic message nras T ^ ceiTea , stating that the line between Newark and Beterboroagh « n st completely blocked , arid lihat the « n < yw , whicn bad continued'throughout tbe day , ^ ras then faffing faster than ever . 3 Phe -arrival ifc the mail tralii , therefore , was regarded as exceedingly improbable

      tor -many bouts . The amnt trams wtertea sit-the usual timeB , irat the company declined' t& liook jmtt CTpon inquiry at the Xing ' s-cKws -station \ Ot % tii the evening it was oiscevtaS ^ S : that no trains ^ firam beyond Peterborough nafl arrivea , oT ^ wereBkely tD arrive . A tele ^ rapMc message "was recewed ^ by ^ a « aperltflendent « f the < Mne at m o ' clock stating that traffic ' between PetertiorotigTi satna lirewaft ^ te still impossible—ithe loop line « 0 t being epeni sftntF * fti&-twrtin lice remaining closed , B 6 twrihstajnaiai : « heiB ertions made to clear it ; the snow in the ctttftmog having taccumiuated ito an ahnost vmlform tHepEkL of six feet .

      Extsttem GourtiiBrt . - *• This Ime , ffisto ihc Qicmtb NooMiiern , ^ wasaseraonslyiobstraotedtby ihe ^ mmBBiJ masses tof snow , rhorled / into the ^ nttlttga % y tthe storm-early in the morning ; gjwcial engiBeS ; Convey < - ing large munbers ; of labourers were { desjpatcliad down the line for the purpose ^ of olesriBgitheiBSilfi ^ ^ Erxira . the Colchester / faranoh ^ uf ) > to a o ^ Aliook , on )^ « ne £ nam hod arrived ut Shoreditcli , < n < on ^ y ^ jatl ^ bij&olobfiHrtar mail , at balf-past 4 , wbioh was # nee ^ btenpss Andm half flate ; while &em tiaa fGambc&ige vB » e > no traim whatever had arrived fitqm beyond Bro « b « iirne 4 % to the « same hour , 1 ^ e'Ssow < b «» inff « cci ] muU {| ecL , &

      that j > pint to Chesterfbrd 4 o an u ^ pceoed ^ ited ¦ ,. & * tent . In the'Chesterford oaXti ^ ff ^ oarhigg ^ g&tanSmM were < completely imbedded in fthtit snow ; , . with < tne muSL trainfrom Yarmouth ,, JJopwiQh , « nd Cambxii ^ g ^^ iw in London at 4 . 15 a . m ., waiting behind th ^ m * Hfbto cn ] y down traffic during the day was . firom Shoreditch to ^ Broxbourne , / Sertibrdy . and ^ nt ^ ripfff p ftti ? stations , the first train being deBpatchedat 10 insteaS of 8 o ' clock . On the NorChern TJnion Xilne , from Colehester to Xpawich and STorwich , txafllc was entirely suspended . The Norwich mall arrived at the Shorexlitch

      stfctionron Wedaesday Jiight fourteen hours behind ita time , and at nine o ' clock a . train drawn by « ome powerful engines was despatched to Cambridge— - beinj ? the first started to that town , with £ he viewot making another attempt to force through the snow . The down mails left Shoreditch last ni ^ nt , but it was not anticipated they would rreaeh their oes'Un a ^ tion at the usual time . Tlxe officials of this line were working arduously from 2 o ' clock in the morning assisted by nundreds of men endeavouring , td clear the line . South-JEastem . —The great obstruction along TOb line commenced at Ashford ,. the line from whence * to Dover was blocked so early on Tuesday night , thai

      the mail train which , left Xondon at 8 ^ : oi ., ana ; ought to nave arrived at Dover about 11 ^ . nw * wtts dehxyed until- half-past nino yesteraay morqi « g / betljjj ten hours behind its time . Then $ mail © omPovtet due at Xondon-bridge at 8 / 6 a . nu did not artiv © until 12 . 30 p . m ., while up toB o clocikn 0 i ^ ani ' w 1 j ( a ^ - ever had arrived from Ramsgato , Margftt ^ oj v ^ h terbury . All the other up trains- were feQB ^ aeSwM ^ feav ?^ late , but the down trains wej ^ deBp ate 1 &jijf ! ufl ^ K |^^ M times fixed . On the Norfch ^ Kent ^^ p ^ H ^ HB ||^ yH drifted to an almost uniforrn depth of » lxa WH ^^^^! iB Weatherall , the station-naa « ber at I ^ ii c ^ ctMHBIIHEm was arduously engaged from 4 o ' cloclcjBBJHIHB ^ HB morning superintending large WUel OmB ^||^ P ^ ployed in clearing the lLae . m > f . B || f •^^^ mttj

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      R Gmia Ja * ua y _ 7 , 1854 . ] THE LEADER ^

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 7, 1854, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2020/page/3/