The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-19 00:00:00

THE WEATHER AND THE PARKS.

As may be supposed, the various parks were yes-
terday visited by thousands of persons of all classes.
Betiveen Saturday night and yesterday the ice on
the Serpentine was about three inches thick, and
last night had increased to four inches. At two
o'clock yesterday afternoon it was estimated that
there were at least 12,000 skaters and sliders on the
Serpentine,',and that on the north bank and carriage-
way there were upwards of 20,000 promenaders, as
well as a large number of carriages. Before four
o'clock the medical officers at the receiving-house
had attended to more than a dozen cases of accident
mostly consisting of cut heads occasioned by fall-
ing on the frozen suface. Near the east end a
serious accident took place to a boy, whose name,
owing to the nature of the case, could not be as-
certained. The poor boy was sliding along with
others, when he was tripped up and fell with con-
siderable violence on the ice, striking his jaw
with such force that his tongue was completely
bitten through, and the blood poured from his
mouth profusely. He was conveyed to the receiving
house and every attention paid him, but it is
feared he will be unable to speak. Shortly after
this accident a very serious one took place to a
person named Richard Kent, butler to a gentle-
man residing at No. 10, Avery-row, Bond-street,
He was passing along the ice near the receiving-
house when he was tripped up by a skater, and fell
with great force on his right arm. On being
conveyed to the receiving-house it was found that
the unfortunate man's arm was broken in a most
frightful manner, in fact, the limb was completely
smashed at the elbow joint. He was ultimately
taken to St. George's Hospital, where he remains in
a precarious condition. About five o'clock a lad
suddenly fell through the ice off the north bank,
and the alarm having been raised, icemen Castle
and Griffin went to the rescue, with lines and other
apparatus, but in their praiseworthy attempts to
save the boy they became immersed themselves, and
it was upwards of twenty minutes before they were
all taken from their dangerous position, the boy
being in a very exhausted state.
On the Long Water, Kensington-gardens, the
number of skaters and sliders was about 4,000, and
there was a vast multitude of lookers-on. The
Skating Club had a number of its members present,
and some extraordinary evolutions were exhibited
by many of them. No accidents of a serious nature
were reported.
The Round Pond was also visited by about 3,000
persons; the ice was about four inches in thick-
ness, and in fine condition.
The numbers on the ice in St. James's-park were
estimated at one time at 5,000, and there was a
large number of spectators. Several immersions
took place, but owing to the depth of water being
only about four feet nothing serious occurred, yet
in consequence of the bad state of the ice the im-
mersions were frequent.
In the Regent's-park the numbers are stated to
have been about 20,000, and skating and sliding
were kept up throughout the day with the utmost
vigour, and fortunately with no serious results,
although there were several accidents and some
very narrow escapes.
Mr. Williams, the superintendent of the Royal
Humane Society, reported that according to Messrs.
Negretti and Zambra's thermometer the state of the
temperature stood in the morning at 25 ; noon, 29 ;
and at half-past 7 o'clock, at 23.
The ice on the waters at the Crystal Palace was
in excellent condition on Saturday, and attracted
large numbers of visitors, especially to the grand
fountain basins, where the water is not more than
two feet deep, and a fine open space is afforded free
from the interference to which skaters in other
places are exposed.

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE

SERPENTINE.

Between the hours of eight and nine o'clock on
Saturday morning, one of five victims of an alarm-
ing and fatal accident, which occurred from the
breaking away of the ice on the Serpentine late on
Friday night was found and taken to the receiv-
ing-house of the Royal Humane Society. The ac-
cident took place, as near as can be ascertained,
under the following circumstances :
It appears that shortly, before nine o'clock on
Friday night the deceased, whose name is Richard
ck a
nd
Decks, in company with Mr. Charles
nh three
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selves of the fineness of the night, re-
paired to the east end of the south side of the
Serpentine in Hyde-park for the object of skat-
ing. A few minutes after they got upon the ice
it gave way with a fearful crash, and all five
were instantly precipitated into the water. An alarm
was immediately given, but by the time the drags
and the necessary assistance had been procured two
of the party nere happily rescued. After much
exertion Mr. Charles Hack, aged 21, was taken out,
with life almost extinct, and removed to the Society's
receiving house without delay. The body of the de-
ceased at that time could nowhere be found, and,
after a protracted search, further efforts were dis-
continued till next morning, when the body was
taken out as above stated. On the removal of Mr.
Hack to the receiving house, the Royal Humane
Society's medical officer, Dr. Christian, 1, Ovington -
place, Brompton, was sent for, and after the appli-
cation of the usual remedies Mr. Hack's recovery
was effected, and he was removed to his home on
Saturday morning. The body of Mr. Decks was
discovered near to where the calamity occurred by
James Knight, iceman ; it was conveyed to thk
receiving house, and subsequently to St. George's
dead house, until information has been forwarded
"to his friends and the coroner.

For three weeks or a month the family of Mr.
Martin, Ashford-road, has been disturbed by mys-
terious ringiugs of the door bell, violent shaking
of the doors, and divers other annoyances, the
perpetrators of which no vigilance could detect, and
to which no clue could be obtained. The filmily
consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Martin, their son, a
young man of about 20, another son (an invalid)
some years younger, and one female servant. rhe
servant was a staid, demure sort of person, not
given to going out over much ; she had no fol-
lowers, had had two years' character from her last
place, and was so much respected and trusted by
her mistress that in the summer when the family
went to the seaside she had sole charge of the house.
The family were of regular habits, and kept early
hours, and the whole thing was inexplicable. The
effect, however, on the health of Mrs. Martin and
her invalid son began to be serious, and the aid of
the police was called in. For some time a police-
man was almost constantly in the house, but al-
though the disturhanee did not take place while he
was there, he had never left many minutes before
the bells were again rung, awl the doors again
shaken as violently as ever. At length, last Sun-
day evening, Mr. Maloney placed Sergeant Feather-
stone and a cordon of police all round the house.
The policeman on the premises left about 9 o'clock.
In 20 minutes after the hack door was shaken vio-
lently—there was no one within the cordon—and
it was at once proved that the ghost was within
the house. The police quietly departed, and Fea-
therstone having instituted inquiries found that the
servant girl, under a steady and even a religious
exterior, had long carried on a most flagrant and
profligate career. On being charged with the per-
petration of these abominable tricks, she, after some
hesitation, confessed her guilt, and that some of the
fellows who visited her having come at such hours
of the evening as rendered it likely that a disco-
very would be made, she had invented these noises
and pretended alarms from robbers in order to pre-
vent suspicion falling upon herself. Footmarks in.
the garden which had seemed to confirm her tales
had been made, unobserved, by herself; and the
boldness, coolness, and dexterity with which she
so long deceived everybody was certainly remark-
able. Her mistress, indeed, up to the very mo-
ment of the discovery, was so convinced of her
innocence as to be almost unwilling to test it.
The girl, whose name is Harriet King, was dis-
missed—it being doubtful whether any charge
against her could be entertained by the magis-
trates—and her wages paid to her relatives here on
condition that she was at once sent home to her
parents, who, we hear, are very•respectable labour-
ing people at TGuterden.—Maidstone Journal.