The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-01-16 00:00:00

THE ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY.

The half-yearly court of this Society was held in London,
on Tuesday, at the offices, Trafalgar-square, when the report
and balance-sheet having been read and adopted, the meet-
ing conferred the silver medal of the Society in the following
cases, and afterwards voted the Stanhope Gold Medal to
Lieutenant de Hoghton, of the 11)th Regiment :
James H. Brownbill, aged 11 years, of Newbridge,
Victoria, Australia, saved Harriet Cherry:aged 18;
Letitia Grant, aged 14 ; and George Bazlely, aged 6
years. Brownbill was passing by the River•Lcddon on
horseback, and, hearing screams, galloped forward,
casting the horse adrift, and, without waiting to un-
dress, plunged into the water. The only visible object
on the surface was Harriet Cherry's hand, which the
lad grasped, and succeeded in taking her to the shore.
He then dived in search of the others, and succeededin
getting Letitia Grant, who, when brought to shore,
was found to have the apparently lifeless boy Barley
hanging to her clothes.
The second case was that of John Ellis, quarter.
master of the steamship Juno, who saved Williain
Manning, private in the 104th Regiment, who fell into
the Cumberland Basin at Bristol on the 14th of April,
1874. This case exhibited great gallantry on the part
of Manning, who had to plunge into deep water under
the paddle of the steamer.
The third case was that of another boy named Cecil
Herbert Macmeikan, aged nine years of Airlie,
Footscray, Australia, who saved, on !the 18th of
March, 1874, two brothers named Cardwell, the
youngest aged fourteen, who, being unable to swim,
got beyond his depth. Mis brother, who could swim
a little, went to his assistance; but the former seized
and clung to him, so that both disappeared under
water. Two sons of Mr. Macmeikan, seeing their
danger, began to strip. The elder could not get his
laced boots off, but the younger, getting his shoes and
jacket off, plunged in, dived under water, and suc-
ceeded, unassisted, in bringing first one arid then the
other to the shore. Both boys were too far gone to
struggle.
In the fourth case, Laurent Nadal and others, of
Port Louis, Mauritius, saved the officers and crew, 15
in number, of the ship Chrysolite, which had struck on
a coral reef five miles eastward of the island, on the
28th of March, 1874.
The fifth case was that of Captain Charles Lacon
Harvey, of the 71st (Highland) Light Infantry, who
at Cork, Ireland, saved Mrs. Thompson and her child,
who were pushed off a gangway board by some one
rushing past her. She fell into the river between the
steamer's gangway, and, without any hesitation,
Captain Harvey jumped into the water with his uniform
on, and after swimming a few yards down the stream
caught the child and swam back with it to the steamer.
He then swam out again to the rescue of the woman,
who was found floating and supporting herself by the
tips of her fingers on a ledge of one of the iron plates of
the steamer, and, catching hold of her by the wrist,
took her to the paddle-box of the steamer, whence she
was got on board.
In the sixth case, Gunner Henry Robson, Royal
Artillery, saved Joseph Armstrong, Royal Marine
Artillery, and" Frederick Lamport, A. 8., of Her
Majesty's ship Glasgow, who were in danger of
drowning at Trincomalee on the 4th of July. 1874.
Robson swam a distance of from 250 to y
before he effected the rescue. -
The seventh and last case was that of Lieutenan
James de Hoghton, of the 10th Regiment, who saved
James Dorling, mariner, who fell overboard at Lowes-
toft, Suffolk. This case happened on the night of the
15th of September last. Lieutenant de Hoghton
jumped from a yacht, swam to the man, and supported
him in the water for a quarter of an hour in the tide-
way, between narrow and high pilework, where there
are no chains or anything to catch hold of. In
addition to the silver medal, this gallant officer is
awarded the Stanhope Gold Medal for distinguished
gallantry.
HALFPENNY POSTAL-CARDS.
The following notice ha been issued from the General
Post-Office :

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"It seems to be but imperfectly understood that
there is no legal way of sending a letter, which is not
wholly printed, through the post for a postage of a
halfpenny, except by means of a postcard. A
notion appears to prevail that because a post-card,
which is open to inspection, may have a letter written
upon it, any card whatever, and even any piece of
paper, if only it be placed in an open wrapper, may
.be sent through the post with a letter written upon
it for a postage of a halfpenny. It seems necessary,
therefore, to explain for the guidance of the public-1.
That the letter rate of postage must be prepaid for
any communication of the iature of a letter.
not wholly printed, whether it be placed in . a closed
envelope or in an open cover, unless a post-card be
used for the purpose, or unless the letter be a cir-
cular letter according to the definition of a circular
contained in the 'British Postal Guide.' 2. That
cards having merely a halfpenny adhesive stamp
affixed to them must not bear any communica-
cation of the nature of a letter, unless it be
wholly printed, or unless it be a circular letter.
Large numbers of letters, not being circular letters,
are from time to time found in halfpenny wrappers,
contrary to the express provisions of the book post;
and, as the officers of the department are instructed to
surcharge all such letters with additional postage, it
will save not only trouble to the Post Office but
annoyance to the public, if care be taken always to
pay letter postage for letters other than circular letters,
unless they be written on post-cards."