The Express.
London, England, 1861-01-10 00:00:00

ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the members of this so-
ciety was held yesterday, at the allies, Trafalgar-square ;
Mr. BIXJABEN BOND CiBBELL in the chair. In the COWS"
of the proceedings it was mentioned that the annual sub-
scriptions were not sufficient to pay the icemen's wages for
one moo* of frosty weather, so that were it nee for the
bounty of a postage, the society would have to come to •
standstill for want of funds, and that the last anniversary
festival, instead of increasing the finances of the institutioo,
involved • loss of more than 801. The following are the
facts stated in the report :—The total number of cases of
drowning brought under the notice of the society during the
past year was 156, in which 187 persons were con-
cerned. Of these 137 were successfully treated by
the medical officers of the society, while 15 proved beyond
recovery ; 27 were eases of attempted suicide, and in 22
cases the pliant rescuers were rewarded by the society.
Therneral court panted 24 silver medals, 65 browse
1., 14 testimonials on vellum, 16 testimonials on parch-
ment, end 72 pecuniary rewards during the mat year. The
number of bathers in the Serpentine last summer was
68,792, and the nwnber of csanelties27, including 5 attempts
at suicide, 2of which proved fatal. Up to Tuesday night
112 persona had been rescued from drowning in the parks
during the present frost, the number of skaters having been
3fi6,850. The total income of the society for the past
year, including • balance of 4101. 2a. sd. brought forward
from the accounts of the preceding year, was 1,071. 12s. 7d.,
sod the expenditure 1,689/. 12s. 211., of which 6011.198.11 d.
was paid in wages to icemen, hc., leaving in hand •
balance of 2081. Oa. sd. This report having been
silver medals were voted to the following fur theirZi
intrepidity is 'laving the lives of others ;—Mr. J.
Sri officer Peninsular and Oriental Company's ship Hinder:-
tan, saved the life of Major Ormsby, who fell off the gang-
way into the Hoogley, at Calcutta ; James Gant, A. 8., on
beard H.M.S. Termagant, leaped into the sea and saved Jas.
Harrington, • boy Rho, m r. fit of insanity, attempted
suicide ; Yr. LailraDCB Cluny, midshipman on board H.M.S.
Fawn, resound se A.B. seamen, Alfred Dray, who had fallen
overboard at sea off the Cape of Good Hope ; William
Anderson, master's assistant on board the Nile, saved on
three occasions few lives under perilous circumstances.
Had the funds of the society admitted of it Mr. Anderson
would have been awarded • gold medal. Mr. J. Hawkins,
acting mate, her Majesty's ship CORSON", at Monte Video,
saved William &wall, who, in falling from the rigging,
fractured his leg in two places and was perfectly helpless.
Anastasio itonaldo, at Para, in Brazil, saved Joseph
Brown, who, in a state of intoxication, bad fallen into the
river, which abounds with under-comets and is exceed-
ingly mephitic. The particulars of this ease were for-
warded from the Foreign-office by Lord John Russell, at
the request of the British residents. Mr. Austin
Cooper, of the Agincourt, saved Mr. W. Gard-
ner, midshipman, of the same vessel, who fell
overboard in Hobson's-bay. Donald Urquhart, at
Donsock, N. 8., saved five persons who had been in • boat
capsized while crossing the Forth. Ensign Chute and
Private Quigley, Bth Regiment, at Spithead, saved J.
M`Kenoys, a private belonging to the same regiment. Rev.
Dr. Dill, at Portsteward, county Derry, saved a lunatic
named Hernmill, who had leaped off the rocks into the
sea. Lieutenant Kennedy, ILK, her Majesty's ship Wasp,
at sea between the Cape and the Mauritius, saved John
flier, A. 8., who had fallen overheard. Captain E. Hardin"
km Majesty's ship Posies, H sea, saved a boy who had
fallen overboard. Mr. W.. 1. Herten, medical student,
saved, at &meeker, Miss Matilda Broadbent, who had
Bong herself off the bridge into the Shannon ; and Joseph
Killingbeek, who, at Hunslett, near Leeds, at great risk to
his own life, saved Joseph Sheldon, a boy, who had fallen
' down eighteen nude into a draw-well. Mr. Raker having
been elected treasurer in the room of the late Mr. B.
Hawes, the proceediop were closed with a vote of thanks
to the chairman.

THE WEATHER AND THE PARKS.— Another ex•
traonlinary spectacle took place last night upon the Serpen-
tine River in Hyde-park. The hedge that separates
Kensingtomerdens from Hyde-park was crowded to incon-
venience during the day, as well as the bridge leading to the
Alberxgate ; but towards Bor 9 o'clock at night another
great torch-light skating match and pyrotechnic display
commenced, which was carried on with full vigour for mazy
hours. The persons upon the ice were not content with
amusing themselves with fireworks and torchlight skating.
but several skittle-tents were pitched, and the game of
"Ninepins" played. A great number of other tents and
marquees of venous sizes were again placed on the ice for
the sale of hot and cold provisions, and there were also
peep shows, coffee-booths, Punch and Judy shows, and
a large number of places for refreshments. It is proposed
to have on Monday next a grand fairon the Serpentine, and
should the present severe weather continue it is expected
to be on an extensive scale. Up to a late hour last night
no fatal accident had occurred, although several persons
had been severely injured by being tripped up by the
skaters. The thermometer in this park during Tuesday
night was as low as 18 deg. ; at 9 s.m.„ yesterday, the mer-
cury only rose to 21 deg., being 11 deg. below freezing
point. At noon the quicksilver bad risen to 31, but even
then there was 1 degree of frost. At 7 o'clock last night
the glass was 27 deg., being 3 deg. below freezing point.
The ,voimeter war yesterday 30 deg. 34 nun.' and the wind
was ; the weather was described as being foggy is
the morning, but during the middle of the day fine. The
other parks were visited by large numbers of people, but
nothing worthy of record occurred during the day.
CLARE MARKET Cow:4NA ne.—A row of small
houses situate at the back of Clare-market, and known as
the Colonnade, has beenrecently approprietedto various uses
of a philanthropic and beneficial character, comprising a
home for destitute boys, who are employed in various
situations during the day, and who return at night to the
refuge to sleep. There is also a soup kitchen, a school for
adults, a working-men's club-room and smoking-mom, and
a reading and working mom for women. Another portion
of the building has now been fitted up for the reception of
poor needlewomen, who, by the payment of a trifling
weekly sum, will obtain the advantages of a comfortable
home, and be preserved from the temptations and danger to
which poor friendless women are exposed. The institution
was opened on Monday evening, and although the number
of inmates will at first necessarily be limited, yet it
hoped that its benefits will before long be extended to a
large number.
bliterircrtoe IN Livanroot.—ln consequence of
the long-continued frost a great number of men, especially
those connected with the building trades and employed at
the new dock works at Liverpool and Birkenhead have been
thrown out of employment, and considerable destitution
prevails amongst them. Soup kitchens have been opened
In Liverpool and Birkeuhead, and a great number of the
poor have availed themselves of this seasonable relief.
Strenuous (martian are being made also by the various
local charities to alleviate this distress. Sonic apprehension
existed yesterday at the north mid of the town as to the
renewal of the food riots which took place a few years ago
with such *dui results. Yesterday a great number of
shops were closed, and crowds of idle men were congregated
at the north end, but no actual disturbance took place.
DurraDo4lv Norrinc Am.—The operative lace
makers and framework knitters in Nottingham are suffer-
Mg great distress. Both the staple trades of the town are
exceedingly depressed, there not having been such a dearth
of employment fora number of years past. At the weekly
meeting of the board of guardians, oa Tuesday, the vice•
chairman (Mr. Turner) stated that the number of in-door
poor exceeded by 415 those in the house at the correspond-
ing period last yew, whilst the out-door recipientsamounted
to 2,011 more than last year. In comparison with last week
there were more than a thousand apphcatits fur outdoor
relief. Soup kitchens are opened in the town for the poor,
and other measures are being adopted to alleviate tb
distress.
DEATH FROM SUFFOCATION ON A LIMEKILN

On Sunday morning, about five o'clock, as police-constable
144 wag on duty at Durdhaiii Down, be found a young man
lying on Mr. Bennett's limekiln, to all appearances sound
asleep. The officer endeavoured to awaken him, but fail-
ing to do so be became alarmed, and went for asaiatance to
the reserve station. Upon returning to the spot with
police-constable 52, he again attempted to rouse the poor
fellow, but all Lis efforts were unavailing, the unfortunate
young man having been suffocated by the fumes from the
sulphur emitted from the burning lime. Dr. Rossiter, of
Elleutiorough-buildings, was sent for immediately, but upon
his arrival he at ones saw that life was extinct. The Dement
the youth is Joseph Summers, of Hampton-row, Rolland.
Two other cases—neither of them, however, having proved
fatal— occurred at the kiln in Limekiln-lane on Suodsy,
and had it not been for the timely finding of the parties, no
doubt they would have come to an e luallv melancholy
death as the young man fiatrnentionoi.- fro., rn Daily
Press.