The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-07
Nitlmunh p;spattb.
WEDNESDAY MORNING. MARCH ;. leon

OAVe0 ueoS0 browning C00eV tw~ sf<s
The Royal hamsne Soctety OF London ha'
an establishment in Hyde Park. the pnrpor'
of which is u provide men and means 10 res
cue persons who break through the ice, ant
resuscitate them from the effects Of being in OF
under the water after they are rescued lie,
ladders. barrels, plapks. ropes. hooks, life pre-
servcrs, etc. and men to employ them in res
cuins persons, are always close at hand wher
a crowd is sksting. When with these mean.
any one is rescued, he is taken to the receiv
ing house, where are warm baths, blazing
Hires, tcds, hot drinks, and every appiianc.
aud comfort that can help to restore warmth
and circulation to the chilled sufferer A re.
cent London journal contains the following
sketch Of n breaking In and rescue, from the
pen Of the gentleman who met with the acct
dent, and was saved by the means SO humanely
prepared by the Royal Society:
1t was fourteen or fifteen years ago at least,
aud was then an eager skater: student OF
the higher walks (or rather strokes) OF the art
OF skating: a diligent cultivator OF that mys-
terry which Is At the root OF all advancement
in this exercise, the mystic "outside edge"
The Round Pond was crowded to inconve-
niencr The Round Pond is, as most London
ers know, Just in front Of kensington Palace;
ii Is rumoTed thar ii was once gravel pit, and
that I'm consequ hence its waters are in some
p
skaters on this piece Of water the day in
question was great that there was scarcely
a possibility of carrying out a single stroke to
completeness. So constant were the collisions
between the skaters, and SO completely was
ones attention absorbed by the necessity Of
steering clear of other people, that it was
hardly possible to enjoy the amusement;
was on the point Of giving the thing up and
taking of my skates, when 1t occurred to me
that there was one part of the pond on the
opposite side which had not tried and W hich
seemed 10 be less covered with skaters than
the other portions of the ice.
Distance is a thing very soon disposed of in
skating aud an approach to this more deserted
region was the affair of very few moments
As drew nearer, found that my first i'm
preston was not an incorrect one there ,r,y.
fewer people here. Fewer people or all parts
OF this side of the pond, and just out there
where that pole inscribed "Dangerous'' had
tUmbled over on its side, there was no one
What fools the people must be! Are they
afraid F! Why, the frost has asted fortnight,
and any one with eyes IN his head would see
that that dangerous" pole has been left there,
simply because the proper authorities have
forgotten To take it away.
ARRESTED and balked At every stroke as had
been all the morning, the sight Of the clear
place, where l could prac tice unmolested, was
inconcelvably attractive. l was very young,
not more than sixtee or seventeen and NV
tanning days had not begun. Here was good
ice in front, and nobody to knock up against
me- and behind WAS bad ice and a crowd of
skaters. Pooh. No danger! That board has
been there ever since the frost set in
Most people who have had anything to do
with ice will be aware that the substance is
S bject to several diferent kinds of cracks
There is the melodious, ringing, wholesome
crack which ice of any strength is liable to-
and which is not indicative of danger; there is
the sharp, rafting crack of thin ice, which GER
tainly does show mischief at hand but which
Is not perfectly inconsistent with security:
and lastly, there is a crack which he who
hears will know nv instinct tn hn Of
warning, but one which is uttered generally
just too late.
had not philosophical much on cracks, or.
indeed, on any thing else at the time | am
writing about had my skates on, l saw be.
fore me a sheet OF ice, and / knew that the
frost which was making my fingers Jingle
dated from a fortnight back. Such ice, too -
50 black, and so smooth! A few more strokes
and what a sweep shall have over its polish
ed surface n few more Hark! is that man
with the life belt on, calling ont to me! Yes
What's that
A crack such az 1 had never heard before
and which sent the acknowledgement the ap-
lrehension but the certainty-into nv soul
that was going through the ice. There was
not clear second Of time between the crack
and the time when the ice gave way under me
aud l was in thu water. The cruel treacher-
Gus ice broke away rs l. held to it with my
hands, gave with every touch, and made the
space which had broken away. so large, that
water was all around me except Just in one
spot 10 which l held, but held gently, seeing
the thinness of the edge against which nv
breast was pressing, and knowing that if I
moved, this last fragment might go. too, and
that then must inevitably sink-I knew not
how far, there was no ground beneath my
feet
How difficult too, to keep still: the excessive
cold Of the water making my chest heave con-
vulsively, and causing me to gasp for breath
How difficult to keep still, with the wicked
water sucking at me and pulling at and draw
ing me under, until felt the toes Of my skates
'crdf,ns the INSIDE Of the ice
BY this time the cry Of MAN in!, reached
me from many voices. l hardly expect il to
be- believed, but havea vivid impression that
in that hour of extreme danger, and wi tn death
SO near, IL was qualification to me to hear
that cry, and-l was not seventeen remember
to be called a IMAM" had SO often writhed
under the insult of being called a "boy, by nv
elders, that this cry of MAN in - was in adm
way sort OF compliment TO me. AS lay in
The water with ray arms stretched out over the
piece off ce on which my life depended, l
watched the preparations which were going on |
for my rescue, with an eagerAess which none |
can know but those who have been in some |
such position. There was no one near me-
The machinery Of the Humane Society was all |
Tar removed from that place. l WAS skating
alone when l dropped through. and had no
friend upon the ice.
Still, that lifting and sucking &C tion of the
water beneath me-pulling and drawing atme |
Always. The man with the life belt with the
ong ice ladder on wheels with the air barrels
Il one end Of il, and drag fas tened to the side
) fastening towards me from the other side
rrest ting my very life within me- Am poinr
o die My young life--is it at an end already!
)h, God why did ever do nything wrong!
he man with the ice ladder on wheels has
roken in at fifty yards distance and cam OF get
ny nearer 10 me-the ice is rotten all around |
Y no can come near to help me circle far
ar on, OF frightened people gazing at mel
annot see their iaces-they are making signs
n M ny I M mr. ri fh.,~, |
ug out to me, but cannot hear. And what
would they say at home ii they could see me- |
oW Would the icemen try harder to save |
lie, if had a brother there among the crowd |
D urge them on A brother! This piece of ice
5 giving way the water, which is sucking at
ne more and more, has got in to my clothes: I
m lower down than l was, and the ice to
shich CHING Is sinking; The man who was
ncn are trying to get him out. Every one of |
hose Latin exercises, done with the help of a
ey-and praises lavished on me for them
lied about them. said l had no helm
shall die-and the crowd-and that snow fip-
re which the boys have built IN /. like the
Iowa saw last night in the pan tomime-and
ne water is creeping over this piece of ice and
" arms are wet-and the ice will he under
the men with the strange machine
y are standing aloOf, and cannot get to me and
ONE are running round the bank. and they
ave ropes-and one has got drag but am
mixing now, my hair 10 wet and the water
curing down my collar-and when we were at
apples, my father asked me 70 60 out with him
ne day and 10 stay with him while he sketched
land dog wouidhave gore-but had some
ian OF my own, and would not go-and no
ignea-and email die-the mon with the ropes
pom the bank, and with ladder-it i. tied To
ne ropes--it Is pushed along the. Ice towards
ne,a man 10 Crawling along the lndderNhnt
90 ,a,e ior surely this 10 dea,h-the voices on
1r oh-he crawls--so elowlv-tno ,ata NJ
shall-die-- aeeA-ano
Not Their. Saved, to write thesa ,.,.,