The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-01 00:00:00

SWIMMING AND SAIL ORS.

The Daily Telegraph calls attention to the report that
two sailors were drowned on Wednesday in Fir:012,.,
Sound, while a third saved himself by clinging to an eull'u
keg. He could not swim, and, though it is not stated ill
the account, in all probability the other sailors were, 'ill
nearly all their class, deficient in that art. It is a 133°,8
extraordinary thing (says the Telegraph) that, farailiar
sailors are with the sea, they rarely know holy tgi
swim. Does familiarity breed contempt for nantics
perils ? or what other odd cause can there be for a &le,„t
,
"most strange and most unnatural," when we consider 0;
an
circumstances and the casualties of their life ? not
this little question in itself worthy the attention of
economical Admiralty ? Is it not wise to econon3o
human life ? Hardly a month passes but, in 01'3:
quarter of the globe, able-bodied seamen lose their 'Pie,s
while bathing or by the upsetting of a boat. A simple
regulation—two or three hours' practice in the weel-:
would enable every sailor in the fleet to swim ; 5°14-
once that was learned, the new drill would become n
healthy and refreshing pastime. There is something
absurd as well as pathetic in the fact that a fine, Way!
fellow, ever so many inches across the chest, strong
Hercules, and lithe as a leopard, should lose his llf
within a few yards of a boat, simply for want of toa
knack of keeping afloat in the water which boys of 10 an
scores of young women sometimes learn in a few 11°11
Why, also, should not swimming be made part of aB°
dier's drill? The benefit is not so obvious in their cased
but all such things tell in war ; and the practice vAlii,
afford an additional occupation for wearisome barrise
hours.

It is stated that a marriage has been arranged 133;
tween Lord Lyttelton and Mrs. Madman widow of the 13'
member, for Herefordshire.
The Cork, Herald learns that 4‘ great preparation°
have been made by the Corporation of New York to 0::
Warren and Costello a splendid reception on their arrival '-
the Empire City."
The Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Wl3°
WAS absent last week from his judicial duties in consequence
of illness, was on Friday unable to take his seat upon °-
,
Bench from the same cause.
LONDON OVER THE WATER.—It was stated tll°
other day, by a member of the Lambeth vestry, that the
sanitary condition of one portion of the parish in the
neighbourhood of the vestry-hall was so bad that a brelve..,L-
drayman had refused to deliver beer there because be
would not face the stench.
A Co-operative Congress is to be held at the Society
of Arts on the 31st inst. Mr. Hughes, M.P., Mr. Munclelje:
M.P., and Mr. Morrison, M.P., are the promoters of it. P's
variety of topics will be discussed, among them the caul
which have led to the failure of co-operative stores, t`,,
proper working of partnerships of industry, and the apPlictv
tion to agriculture.
f
o
The proposed Select Committee of the House"
Commons on the peerages of Scotland and Ireland consl6.
of the Lord Privy Seal, Duke of Somerset, Duke of 111n;11'
mond, Marquis of Bath, Earl of Doncaster, Earl of Airl'eci
Earl of Portarlington, Earl Grey, Viscount Eversion f,°ta
Elphinstone, Lord Redesdale, Lord Silchester, and La
Monck.
The Brussels correspondent of the Evening Standar
telegraphs as follows :—" The magistrates intrusted
the prosecution of the leaders in the recent disturbanceo re
the coal districts of Belgium, have received evidence thuttba
strikes which led to those troubles had a revolutionary an
not an economical tendency.
The summonses against Messrs. Stuart Lone'
Chapman, and Helbert, the directors of the Merchant,
Company, who were charged with having issued s f3J`o
prospectus, were on Friday dismissed by the Lord Mayer. 11134
defendants (said his lordship) wore morally guilty, but 111/
kept within the law.