The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-15 00:00:00

THE PARKS YESTERDA.T.

FATAL ACCIDENTS ON THE SARPINTIM—The fineness of
the weather yesterday attracted a large member of persons to
the Parks. So early as eight o'clock skating had commenced
on the Serpentine. About twelve the several walks leading
to the river presented an almost unbroken line of pedestrians.
The carriage drive was also well attended, :merry of the fair
visitors promenading by the side of the river to vice( the evo-
lutions of the skaters. Up to two o'clock there weer not so
many persons on the ice as might have been expected, al-
though on the borders the number was immense. After that
hour the arrivals may literally be said to have been in crowds,
for the numerous ►isitors to St. James's Park having been
disappointed of seeing any good skating, from the difficulty of
approaching the ice, the sides being broken, immediately made
their way to Hyde-park. Up to four o'clock all had gone on
well, and the persons on the ice seemed lulled into perfect se-
curity. It should be stated that wherever three or four of the
more scientific skaters had assembled together a great crowd in-
stantly collected round them, but whether the melancholy acci-
dents detailed below arose from this CirOmstance, it is impossible
to say, from die confusion that ensued. At about the time stated,
when there could scarcely have been less :han from 11,000
to 12,000 persons on the ice and banks, a suchie'n crash of the
ice, succeeded by heart-rending shrieks and cries of " Boat,
boat," announced that an accident had occurred. The excite-
ment at the moment was dreadful ; the persons on the ice
rushed hurriedly from the spot, which was near the centre of
the river, about half way between the waterfall and the Hu-
mane Society receiving-house, and those on land crowded
down to the edge of the ice calling to those thereon to come
off. Winnott, one of the Society's men nearest to the scot,
with his brother, instantly pushed the fiat-bottomed ice-boat to
the fissures, at which time report states there were no less than
one hundred persons immersed in the water, but the Society's
men estimate the number at about forty, raore than half of
whom quickly extricated themselves, and hastened, drenching
teat, to their respective residences. The first person whom
Winnott succeeded in dragging into the boat was a young
female, with whom he instantly propelled his boat towards the
receiving-house, but he had not moved it many yards before
the spectators crowded round it 'to take a view of the unfor-
tunate creature, when their weight occasioned a Assure in
the ice, and the boat, the Society's men, and about twenty
persons were thrown into the water, among whom was an
individual, now no more, who had been most active in assist-
ing Winnott, and in throwing the " Manby lines" over the
Zasai, by which many persons were enabled to rescue them-
selves from a watery grave. The scene at that moment is in-
describable, the eagerness of these on land to obtain a view
greatly retarding the operations of the Society's men. In A
short time thirteen persons were got out of the water and con-
veyed to the receiving-houses., but the crowd surrounding was
so great, that the police were compelled to use their trun-
cheons in right earnest before a passage could be cleared for
them. They were instantly attended to by Mouses. Woolley,
sen. and jun., the medical officers to the institution, who in a
short time pronounced eight of the persons fit to proceed to
their homes, which they immediately did. The reme.iaLS
five were, however, in a state of insensibility, arid they were
immediately placed in hot bathe, while every other means of
restoring animation were adopted. In three of thy cases these
Niorts were successful; but in the remaining two, the young
female before mentioned, who was a very pretty girl about
seventeen years of age, and the individual (an Irishman,
about forty-five years of age) who fell a victim to his
endeavours to rescue her, the vital spark had fled for ever.
The individuals resuscitated were two men, named Robert
Foot, residing at No. 41, G.eat Windmill-street, and Hebert
Burrows, of No. 3, Sloane-place, Nortlo-street, Chalsoat
and a man named William Carter, residing at No. 91, Drury-
lane. Up to eight o'clock last evening, when a reporter left
the receiving-house, the bodies of the unfortunate persons
had not been claimed, at which time they had been removed
in shells to St. George's workhouse, in Mount-street, Gros-
Tenor-square.
It is reported that other persons are still under the ice.
Great fears are also entertained that John Meredith, one of
the Society's icemen, has also fallen a victim to his exertions
in saving the others, as at a late hour last night be was still
missing,

REGENT'S PARK.-The ornamental water in the Regent's
Park was much crowded, but no accidents occurred.
Sr. JAMES'S PARK.--No skating took place in St. James's
Park, the Commissioners of Woods and Forests having meta
employed every four hours in parting the ice from the banks,
KESSINGT(iN GARDENS.—The waters in Kensington Gar-
dens were much crowded, but no accidents occurred.

SKATING IN THE SLIBURISIS.—WhiIe the parks ware crowded
with skaters, intent on their invigorating, but perilous amuse-
ment, the minor waters in the suburbs were not without their
share of visitors, footing it in more humble fashion. The fields
in the neighbourhood of Ball's-pond, Islington, Copenhagen,
and White Conduit House, as well as at Hampstead-heath,
and the valley of Highgate, were explored in the morning by
companies of .men, lads, and boys, and wherever practicablu
"slides" established and used with the ardour indispensable on
such a day, so intensely cold and cutting. We have not heard
that any very serious accident occurred in these suburban lo-
calities, althcugh we witnessed the origin of many a " cold"
and its consequences in the " duckings," both partial and
total, that seem inseparable from exercise on the ice. The
wh)le juvenile population of the metropolis appeared infected
with a mania fur this slippery pastime. Troops of boys might
be seen hastening to the outskirts of town from all quarters,
some with the proud consciousness of being the owners of the
requisite "understandings," but the great majority contentia
themselves with the c•iance of hiring a pair on the ground
(or rather the ice), failing which they would have recourse
to the simple leather, to the great benefit of the cordwainers.