The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-31 00:00:00

THE IV EAMER A ZVD THE PARKS.

The parks yesterday presented a most extra-
ordinary scene. From au early hour in the day
until five o'clock in the evening the parka were

visited by very large numbers of people. From the
official returns it appears that about 120,000 per-
sons visited the Regent's Park, 150,000 St. James's

Park, and 20,000 Kensington Gardens. No returns
were received from Battersea and Victoria parks,

but the crowds were enormous. In St. James's
Park, as usual on these occasions, the assemblage of
roughs and thieves was very great and during the
whole day the bridge across the lake was the
scene of great confusion and many robberies.
An extra body of police were here placed on
duty, but every few minutes the combined forces
of roughs and thieves and idle lads made rushes
across the bridge, sweeping the police before them,
and stealing watches, chains, pins, and purses with
great celerity. The police were almost powerless in
the sudden rushes, and many persons, especially
women and children, were severely injured. This
disgraceful scene continued at intervals from 11
o'clock in the morning until dusk. Several persons
were taken into custody, but without causing any
abatement of the proceedings. Any respectably-
dressed person, male or female, on or near the
bridge, was at once surrounded, hustled, and robbed,
if possible, by the crowd of blackguards. The
police and park-keepers did all in their power to
protect persons and property.
In the early part of the day the ice was in toler-
ably good condition ; but the great number of per-
sons who were upon it, and the high temperature
at mid-day, rendered it extremely dangerous in the
afternoon, and the immersions, as will be seen from
the official reports, were more numerous than usual,
especially on the lake in St. James's-park, where the
ice after 2 o'clock became broken up in almost
every part, and was in a most unpleasant and sloppy
state.
At midnight on Saturday, the Receiving-house
glass registered 26 deg., but at 9 o'clock yesterday
morning it stood at 32, while at noon it had risen
as high as 44, and at eight o'clock last night it was
at 38, with a keen wind from the south-east. The
following is taken from the official reports sent
into the Receiving-house last evening :—On the
Round-pond, Kensington Gardens, the ice was
dangerous, about 11 inch in thickness. There were
5,000 skaters and sliders, and 40 itnm ersions. At
three o'clock a little boy, aged 4 years, named
Frank Key, by some means got on the ice, and fell
through into 10 feet of water. The little fellow,
after struggling for some time amidst great excite-
ment from the spectators, was rescued by iceman
G. Standen, and taken home to his parents, at 14,
Edward-terrace, Kensington.
On the ornamental water in the Regent's Park
the ice was two inches thick, and during the day
there were no fewer than 20,000 persons upon it,
being the largest number ever known in one day.
There were 40 slight immersions, and 10 serious
cases rescued by icemen Chuttle and Moore, who
were continually on the ice. Dr. Norton, who was
in attendance at the tent, applied the usual stimu-
lants to the serious cases, and after some time
the persons were able to proceed to their homes.
Mr. Charles Brawn, of 17, Boston-place, Dorset.
square, had his big toe torn off by a fall, and
was conveyed in a state of much suffering to
St. Mary's Hospital. Mr. W. Darling, of 42,
Mornington-road, received a sprained ankle
from a fall, and was sent home in a cab. 'There is
a box to receive donations for the Humane Society
affixed outside the tent in this park, which is opened
daily. On its being opened last evening, it was
found the contribution of the day amounted to
2s. 9d.
On the lake in St. James's-park the ice was in a
very bad state all day. There were 7,000 persons
upon it, chiefly during the morning. There were
100 immersions, and seven cut heads from falls.
Of the immersions, four were of a serious character,
and the patients remained in bed at the tent
at eight o'clock last night. George Farrant, who
fell through five feet of water at the east end,
had a narrow escape from drowning, and was
rescued with great difficulty by Superintendent
ferry, by the aid of hand lines and ladder. he
icemen were much impeded in their duty by the
large body of roughs, who iiinu,ed themselves by
breaking the apparatus and machinery for saving
life, and several of the icemen who interfered for
the protection of the property were maltreated, one
man, named Aldington, being compelled to seek
medical aid. Dr. Band, of Parliament-street, was
in attendance at the tens during the day.

Tier Majesty, it is announced, will not open Par-
liaweut in person.
The death is announced of the Right Rev.
iltunitton Verscboyle, D.D., Bishop of the United dioceses
of Kiloaore, Elphiu, and Ardagb, who died at Torquay on
Friday last.