The Express.
London, England, 1866-08-31 00:00:00

THE FATAL BATHING ACCIDENT AT
BRIGHTON.

The body of another of the four unfortunate
pupils of Mr. Taylor, of Stratford-house Academy, whose
deaths by drowning we reported yesterday, was recovered
yesterday morning, opposite Kemp-town, a distance of
about three miles from the site of the accident, and Mr.
J. A. Freeman, deputy-coroner for the borough of Brighton,
held me inquest on the body yesterday afternoon, at the
Compton Arms Inn, Dyke-road, near the above school,
to which the deceased bad been conveyed on being found.
The first witness called was Mr. Frederick Taylor, the
schoolmaster, who deposed that he was bathing with the
boys, eight in number, when the accident happened,
at a quarter before 8 o'clock on Wednesday morn-
ing. Winn he last saw the deceased in the water
it was about as high as their waists, and they
were about five yards from him. He did not miss them
tall he had come out of the sea, and was wiping hire-
self ; and then he thought they had gone along the beach
to where there was great commotion caused by another
boy, not connected with therm, being taken out of the
water nearly drowned. Having dressed himself he went
to the scene of the other amident, and while looking for
his miming boys thinking they were with the crowd of
others, one of them, William Drewitt Bottomley, was
thrown upon the beach by the waves. That was the first
clear knowledge he had of their being drowned. Witness
then called upon those who were around to assist him in
the search ; and the interval between this time and when
be last saw the deceased alive—when they were playing
in the water, jumping up and down—was about
ten minutes. In reply to the coroner, Mr. Taylor
said the sea was not so rough as to make him
apprehensive of danger, and Le and hie pupils had
bathed in a rougher sea. He accounted for the accident by
saying that the tide was coming in freshly, the waves in-
creasing in else as they rolled in ; and he believed that the
deceased, as they were accustomed to do, stopped to meet
an advancing wave, and were carried off their legs. They
were out some distance from the beach, the tide being low,
but were about five rds only from the dry sand. Wit-
ness said he always bathed with them himself, and his
reason for bathing from the open beach instead from a
machine was that he bad a better oversight over the
boys. He heard no cry for help, and. everyone. atten-
tion was directed landward at the time, owing to the
first-mentioned accident, and not seaward; and it was
difficult to arouse attention to the loss of his boys when
he missed them and asked for help in the search for them.
In answer to • question from a juryman, Mr. Taylor
amid the boys were on the sand, but he perceived no hole
in it. A pupil of Mr. Taylor's, named Arthur James
Hansom, who was bathing with the decesaed, within
a few yards of them, corroborated him. He heard no cry
for help, and did nut hear them when he spoke to them
express any fear of danger. They bad all bathed when
the sea bad been rougher. The last that he saw of them
TM when they were playing in the water, and he was sure
they were not struggling in it. They were missed while
he and the others were dressing, and it was thought they
bad gone along to where the other accident bad happened.
The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," and
exonerated Mr. Taylor from any charge of neglect in the
matter. Au inquest on the bathos of the two lads which
were previously found was held last evening at Hove, before
the county coroner. The same witnesses were examined,
with the addition of the evidence as to the finding of the
bodies. The missing body, for the recovery of which a
reward of 10/. is offered, is that of John Dann, who is the
lOU of Mr. Thomas Tully Dana, of Nutfield, Surrey.

THE MAYES WATERYZN. —A meeting of the
Waterman and Lightermen's Association was held last
night at the Mission-hall, Borough-road, to adopt the
of the anion formed in March. The objects sought
11 the 2,000 members employed on the Thames, from
Nentford to Gray's, are cessation of Smiday labour, de.
mew of hours of labour, now from 30 to 35 hours at a
/Stretch, increase of pay, and the abolition of • rule of the
licensing system of•the Watermen's Compiny, which en.
shies a roan, after • two years' apprenticep, to compete
with men who have served seven years in their youth.
h connexion with the protection union a essualty relief
lout liaMe*Pcwwis