The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-16 00:00:00

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

Yesterday one of the most awful calamities ever
known in the metropolis took place in the Regent's
Park, where, by the simultaneous giving way of the
whole of the ice on the lake, at least 200 people were
thrown into the water at once and from 20 to 40
persons drowned. The:scenes were most startling
and harrowing. Women rushed about on the banks
screaming out that their children, or husbands, or
brothers were drowning, and imploring the by-
standers to save them. Boys and girls stoed hyste-
rically crying and wringing their hands, and be-
tween their sobs exclaiming, " Oh, look at father !
Oh, father ! father !" and giving expression to other
heartrending exclamations ; and strong men con-
vulsively appealed to those who had no means of
help, and pointed out friends and relations strug-
gling in the agonies of death. Only those who,
like the writer, were on the spot, and saw with their
own eyes what took place, can form an adequate
idea of the calamity which in au instant placed 200
persons at the very gates of death, almost within
arms' reach of those who were related to them by
the closest ties, but who were yet in most cases
obliged to stand helplessly by and see them fighting
desperately for life, and gradually succumbing or
waiting passively, clinging to pieces of ice till they
became insensible and lost their hold. While sym-
pathy and regret moves all who hear of the sudden
and painful death of so many human beings, it must
be recorded that the death they met with was the
result of their own excessive foolhardiness in re-
maining upon the ice to steal a few extra moments'
enjoyment at a fearful risk, when thousands of per-
sons saw and appreciated the fearfully unsafe con-
dition of the ice, and congregated on the banks with
the certain expectation of seeing large numbers
immersed in the water. By half-past 3 o'clock the
ice showed unmistakeable signs of breaking up.
It was cracked to such an extent that there was
not a sound piece of more than a foot or so
broad, and the cracks were clearly marked
by the water which rose through them.
These alarming symptoms were noticed by
everybody, and many who had sense enough
made the best of their way off, expressing
their opinion as they did so that the ice would
not last many minutes longer. Even these in
many instances got a wetting in getting out of dan-
ger, for with hardly an exception the ice had parted
from the shore right round the lake. Notwithstand-
ing the warning signs, more than 200 persons still
remained on the ice skating and sliding. Shortly
before 4 o'clock three children and two men went
through the ice together at about a dozen feet from
the south-western shore. A gentleman immediately
plunged in and brought to the shore the three chil-
dren, who clung round so as almost to drown him.
Here one of the Royal Humane Society's men ex-
cited a great deal of indignation. Ile went a foot
or so into the water, and there waited till the child-
ren were brought to him, and then, with another,
claimed to have rescued them. One of the men
who had fallen in scrambled out, and the other was
taken from a boat by a Royal Humane Society's
man. Immediately after this several other people
fell in, but they were soon got out. Somewhat
awakened to their position by these accidents and
the shouts of the people on the banks, a few other
persons left the ice, not, however, without in most
cases falling through when near the shore. At this
time a dozen people on the north-eastern side, near
the boat-house, who were standing close together,
watching the misfortunes of the others, next fell in
together. This was witnessed from all parts, and
created a panic among all who remained on the ice,
and they all with one accord rushed towards the op-
posite shore. Before this movement commenced
numbers were seen dropping through the ice in all
parts. As the frightened groups madefor the banks
the whole field of ice gave two or three heaves, and
then simultaneously broke up over the whole of the
broad part of the lake. In an instant 200 men and
children were thrown into the water. A fearful cry of
dismay proceeded from them as they fell, which was
mingled with a shout of horror from the thousands
who lined thebanks. Then all was confusion and dis-
traction. For several minutes nothing effectual was
even thought of, and there in the water could be
seen children of from eight to 12 years of age
clinging to the edges of the broken ice, crying
every moment in frantic voices for the assistance
which those who witnessed their sufferings were
powerless to render them, and in a brief time giving
up their short lease of life with a few last faint waves
of the hands above the water. Those who witnessed
these scenes cried and shrieked with even greater
exhibition of feeling than the sufferers themselves.
The first shock over, men rushed wildly about, seiz-
ing upon everything in the shape of a rope or spar
to throw to the struggling and drowning ; but by
this time all direct communication with them was
cut off by the general breaking-up of the ice, and
very few were reached for a long time. A cry was
raised of " The boats, the boats !" and hundreds of
willing workers ran off to return with the boats on
their shoulders, but when they got them into the
water the greatest difficulty was experienced in forc-
ing them through the ice. Ropes were rapidly joined,
and then one end of each being carried across the
bridge they were stretched from shore to shore and
dragged along. A few persons managed to grasp
them, but they could not be dragged ashore, and
had to remain holding on to them till the boats
picked them up. Some of them failed to hold on
long enough, and the spectators were horrified to
see, every now and then, a man thoroughly ex-
hausted gradually relax his hold and sink. Many
instances of individual gallantry took place. One
man, at the most imminent risk, plunged in and
brought several children safely out. A gentleman,
who broke through near the south-western shore,
fell so that his head and chest rested on a large block
of ice, while his feet were in the water. There he
lay smoking his pipe for a long time while the boats
thosew ere
i na
farther
worseou out
position.picing
up
pH bega'se an however,
fast as possible
to realise his position, and, removing his pipe from
his mouth, he called out, " £5O to any one who
will fetch me out !" Several abortive attempts were
poles,
made to reach him with ropes, and ladders.
A man with the aid of a ladder reached a small
piece of sound ice, and endeavoured to throw a rope
to him, but it fell short. Ile then managed to push
the ladder on to a piece of ice further out, and stand-
ing on the former he again threw the rope. In do-
ing so he fell, and in clinging to the ladder he hurt
himself, and was drawn ashore. A gentleman then
got into an escape fitted up with barrels at the end.
When pushed out as far as possible he got into the
water and endeavoured to push the escape along, but
he did not succeed. Eventually a man stripped to,
his shirt and trousers, and a rope being fixed to his
waist, he desperately fought his way through the ice,
and seizing the skater round the body, they were
both dragged to land amid tremendous cheers. A.
man named Moore, who received a medal two years
ago for saving people under similar circumstances,
was very active, and saved several persons. Just
as one of the boats approached a sufferer he sank,
but a young man in the boat plunged after him into
the water, and brought him up. They were both
got into the boat. Mr. Wenzel], the proprietor of
the boat,was most energetic in his efforts, and many
persons are indebted to him for their lives. A young