THAMES FROZEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 39, 15 February 1929, Page 7

THAMES FROZEN.

GRAVE DANGER.

Ice From Bank To Bank In

Many Places.

LITTLE WATER AT LONDON,

(British Official Wlrelesa.)

(Hrceired 1.30 p.m.)

RUGBY, February 14.

Frost <-ontinues over Great Britain, but in London and most places the bitter easterly wind has abated. At 9 o'clock this morning there were nine degrees of frost in Central London and the snow was falling slightly in bright sunlight. There ■wore 17 degrees of frost during the night. Roarl traffic continues to be interrupted by snow and ice. In many parts ot West England and in Scotland many rivers arc frozen, including the Cam and tho fsif, where the University boat race crews are unable to practise. A ground temperature or seven degrees above zero, or 25 degrees of frost, was registered at Greenwich Observatory early to-day. This equals the lowest point recorded there during the great frost of February, 1895, when the River Thames was last blocked with ice. It seems likely that the Thames will shortly bo in the same condition as it was 34 years ago. Ico already stretches from bank to bank in some places. Launches, barges and locks are frozen up. One extraordinary result of the freezing in the higher reaches of the river is that very little water is flowing down to London. At Richmond the water is go low that one could paddle across.

"If the stream stopped running," said a Thames Conservancy official, "the danger of a completely frozen river would become much greater." Extraordinary precautions are being taken by the Thames Conservancy to keep the river free from ice and every available man is engaged in breaking up the ice while ice-breakers are busy at raanv points.

Big blocks of ice have formed across the river* These float down and got jammed at various points and then freeze together. The river above Iffley Lock, Oxford, and above Beading Bridge, has become blocked with ice in this manner.

At Henley the river has frozen' completely across at two points.

The severity of the weather is illustrated by what happened to-night. The Scotch express-from London arrived at Glasgow to-day two hours behind its scheduled time. Near Beattock Summit the big engine came to an abrupt standstill and when the driver dismounted lie was startled to find the water gauge frozen. Two relief engines were dispatched to the scene and were attached to the front and rear of the tram respectively.

They, commenced to take the express op the summit but halfway up the leading locomotive stopped as the result of the steam ejector becoming frozen. Other engines had to be requisitioned.