The week-eud fall of snow was probably the heaviest experienced in Shanghai for many years. Premonitory flakes made their appearance at various times during the Week, and the cold dry atmosphere made a downfall extremely probable, came unexpectedly during the early hours of Sunday morning, and by 6 a.m, we were under a mantle of white, the depth of snow in sheltered places being between three and four—inches, great deep drifts in outlying places.
Naturally, this sudden transformation set everyone discussing past snow-fall records and the probability of their being broken on this oecasion, and as snow continued to fall during most of the day discussion of the subject may be said to have become quite animated, snow being so rare as almost to be welcome. On the creek, in the Public Gardens, in the Parks and the countryside on the borders of the Settlement, the snow effects provided pretty and usual scenes, and many, no doubt, would have ventured abroad to enjoy the novelty of the spectacle had not a thaw set in and made out door conditions extremely—uncomfortable, South-East Wind & Thaw.
The wind veered tw the south-east daring Ue forenoon, kelung the as It fell, and making the con dition of the streets dificult for vent cular traffic and dangerous for pedestrians. Kiesha coolies could get no more than a walking pace out of their best energies, and tramear journeys were interrupted by frequent stoppages owing to the snow clogging beneath the body of the car. Yangtszepoo was especially favoured in this respect, and there were several instances in which cars had yo turn back without completing the journey, consequence of the scheduled ' time having been considerably exceeded.
Bands of coolies were out clearing the streets, but not in such excess: sive numbers as to impede the progress of ordinary traffic. One gang at work in North Soochow Road seemed to have an idea that the best place for heaping snow was the centre of the tramway track, and it was laid there in such a nice even pile that the first two tram cars to Appear soon were brought to a standstill A man in charge of a somewhat antiquated now plough" came to the rescue, the snow was carefully swept back to its original place and the ears pro-oded.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.