The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-23 00:00:00

srArE SERPENTINE.

Last evening a public meeting was hell at the
Cadogan institute, Sloane street, Chelsea, in
furtheranc) of measures for the correction of the
long-complained-of evils and nuisance connected
with the Serpentine, in consequence of its alleael
stagnant and d Ingerons state. Mr. Hey wood, late
M.P. for North Lancashire, was called to the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proce?dings, sa'd
the state of the Serpentine was certainly most
dangerous, not only to bathers, but to the general
cf its locality. As far a 3 the &Anger to
bathers was concerned, the state of the mud in it
was such as to defy the appliances of the R )yal
Humane Soc'eFy, in a racent case, to res::ue a
dra ;ming man urvil life was extinct. He thought
that those who partook of the healthy exercise of
bathing in the river were entitled to every pro-
cau'ion for their safety, and that measures shou!d
be jamediately taken for this purpose.

Mr. LILWALL entered at sori3 length into the
exertions whieli htd been made during the list ten
years to procure theimprovernent of the S,rpent
and bore testimony to the danger attending upon
bathing in it. It was an undoubted fact that a
very large number of individuals had lest their
lives while bathing in that river from becoming
immened in the mud at its bottom, to s ty nothing
of the evil arising Com its foul and s agnant state.
Dr. COPELAND moved the first resolution, to the
effect that the mo'ting could not but express its
disappointment that the nee ssary measures had
not hitherto been employed, the Serpentine still
continuing in its former dangerous condition. He
could safely speak to the evils arising from the
cau es complained of, believing, as he did, that
eueh diseases as ague, catarrh, low and intermittent
fever, la enniila7nts, hucl the like, were ex-
teem:4y preval-nt among those in the habit of
bathing in the river, or 'Weing exercise n'ar its
tanks. He was of opinion that one of the chief
causes of the pallor of countenance and loss of
health, at this period of the yen., amongst the
wealthy classes who take exercise in the vicinity
of the Serpentine, was the present impure state of
that river. He thought that in a sanitary point of
view it was of the utmost importance that some
remedial measure should be adopted without delay.
Dr. LANKESTER seconded the reso:ution, con-
tending that the question was not a local one
merely, bat that it affected the whole community,
inasmuch as those who bathed in the river came
from differ:sat parts of the metropolis, and the
park likewise in which it is situated was frequented
by a groat number of others than those who live
in its vicinity. He also entered at some length
into she physical evils arising from the present,
and for some time past, impure state of the river.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
111,.. S. C. HALL moved the second resolution—
" That this meeting would again urge upon the
Government, on the double ground of lucre tsing
the salubrity and beauty of the park and promot-
ing the safety and the healthy enjoyment of the
bathers, that the deep pits in the Serpentine should
be filled up, that the bed of the river should b 3
reducol to a depth ranging from three to four
feet at the western end .Co eight or ten feet at the
eastern end, that is should be comparatively
shallow, and of graduated depth for some distance
in, alt eleng either shore, and that the supply of
water should be sufficienty increased to bring the
cascade at the lower end of the lake into constant
play." He urged the necea,ity .of the authorities
at once putting a stop to the evils complained of,
in order that the lives of the 200,000 persons who
we e averaged t 3 bathe in the river during the
summer months should not le longer endangered,
and the salubrity of the ne:gh',ourizood placed in
jeopardy."
Dr. TILT seconded the motion, which was also
carried went. con.
DR. PETTIGREW moved the next resolution, to
the effect that the meeting was of opinion that no
better mole of cleansing and levelling the Serpen-
tine, and of obtaining the necessary enlarged sup-

ply of water, could or need be devised than has
teen adopted, and which has answered so admir-
ably in St. James's Park. He was able to speak
from personal experience of the advantages arising
to the inhabitants of the latter place and its neigh-
ourhood from the improvements effected in its
piece of water. He hoped to see similar measures
seedily carried out in regard to the Serpentine.
Mr. LILWALL supported the resolution, and in
reply to an objection which had been urged to
cleansing the Serpentine from the danger of remov-
ing the mud, said it would not be necessary to
remove the mud, if, as he suggested, the water
were drained off, and after the mud became hard,
the bottom were covered with gravel and concrete.
The motion was carried, and a deputation was
appointed to wait upon the Chief Commissioner of
Woods and Forests, to lay before him the views of
the meeting.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.