LONDON UNDER ICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19827, 23 December 1927, Page 11

LONDON UNDER ICE.

INDESCRIBABLE SCENES. TWO THOUSAND INJURED. people fail in streets. TRAFFIC IN CONFUSION. STRANGE WEATHER FREAK. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received December 22, 11.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. Dec. 21. It is estimated that 2000 persons were injured and treated in the hospitals as the result of the most'remarkable weather freak experienced in London within memory. Snow began to fall at midnight in the frozen city, whon a warm current of air was wafted from the west, making a difference of 12 degrees between the upper and lower temperatures. It turned the snow into rain. Tho ground, however, was so frozen, that the rain was immediately turued into ice. Thus, by morning, London was conrerted into a gigantic skating rink, with a quarter of an inch of glazed frost on the ground. Walking was impossible and people fell about everywhere like ninepiDs, or were to be seen clinging to railings and unable to move. Many tied newspapers or rags around their boots to prevent themselves slipping. Thousands, however, did not venture from their homes. The traffic was in indescribale chaos. Motor vehicles slid dangerously and turned completely round, while horses were quite unable to proceed. The trains were thrown into entire confusion as their wheels would not grip the frozen rails. Thousands of the workers who usually travel by train were stranded. They Streamed out from the stations in search of motor-buses, which, however, were standing helplessly in the streets. 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 scenes which resembled the casualty clearing in France during the war. All previous records for ambulance calls were broken. There were many serious cases of fractured limbs, and even several deaths. Later in the morning rain fell and rendered the roads temporarily more treacherous, but a thaw set in in the afternoon. Similar scenes were witnessed in Paris, where 400 persons were sent to hospital, some with seriously fractured limbs, and four or five with fatai injuries. Midnight revellers at Montmartre found their taxicabs unable to move. Hundreds of vehicles were backed against the kerbs to prevent their sliding downhill. The morning milk and newspapers were not delivered owing to the impossibility of walking or driving. One motorcar skidded the full width of the road on to the footpath and killed a woman and injured four other persons. Hundreds of accidents to vehicles were reported throughout the city.