New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-24

bathing at Greenwich. Every few days We hear OF
disaster of the same kind at or another oil our
Summer resorts In certain sense nearly all these
deaths are murders. Lives wantOnly sacrificed
by the neglect of obvious and easy precautions
The Hampton beaches, for instance, have always
been regarded as a little dangerous on
account of the strong surf and the ire
quent under-tOw. But with a competent
bathng-master on the shore and competent assist
ants in boat outside, these beaches might be as
safe in ordinary weather as that of Newport. At
places like Coney Island and Long Branch, where
the great crowd increases the danger the facilities
for rescung bathers ought to be prOportionatey in
creased. Instead of a single boat off Manhattan
Beach there ought to be several. and the shore
ought TO be patroIled by number of experienced
bathing-nasters 1t is mOnstrOus that man shOnld
qu tly drown, as the poor young fellow did Mt
Brighton Beach the other day, IN the presence OF
crowd of spectators who did not even know OF MS
peril till his dead body was washed ashore The law
ought to prescribe stringent rules for the safety OK
life at these seaside resorts While ii does not pub
lie opinion should demand them and the commu-
mites which depend upon the patronage of bathers,
if they wise, might understand that self inter
est requires them to make and enforce code OF
regulations for themselves.
The death of Mr. William NlblO has given fresh
impulse to the ancient practice cherished by all old
aud middloaged men from time immemOrial, Of con-
trusting the degenerate drama of their ma
ture days with the palmy theatrical period
of their vanished youth. The glamour is soon
gone from the stage, the tinse is faded the wit ID
stale. There are no such fine gentlemen on the
boards as there were when we were boys, no such
sparkling comedy, and roaring farce, and sturdy
mouti-flng drama. Even the actresses
of these declining times have not the
bright eyes and winning smiles that used
to charm us with their grandmOthers. We
forget that is who have grown dull and rusty,
and dim-eyed and sober. If some magic power
should place before us an exact reproduction of the
plays We saw at Niblo's fashionable garden-theatre
forty years ago, and bring back IN renewed youth
the same actors who then delighted the town with
vaudeyilles, and operas, and pantommes, and
graceful dances. aud the Legitimate we
should not find in them again the enjoyment
we regetfuly remember unless we, too, could drink
OF Ponce de Icons fountain. Yet it may be worth
while to make a serious comparison between the
present state OF the drama and what know of
its true condition in the early prime of that long life
which has just closed. Anybody who may think 1T
worth while to write the history of the stage Of our
day will certainly have to draw very differ
ent picture from that which illustrates
the career of " Billy Niblo :" and the question will
present itself to him for answer whether the stage
which has abandoned the business of harmless en-
tertainment in order to devote itself TO the disco
ton Of reckless passions and the agones of adul-
terry can be said to have made satisfactory progress,
aud whether 1t shall be taken a mirror of the
times.