The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1876-01-12 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

LIFEBOAT SERVICES IN 1873.  During the year which has just closed, the lifeboats of the National Lifeboat Institution have rendered most valuable services on different parts of the coasts of the United Kingdom. The unusually severe storms of the past few weeks have tested to the utmost the qualities of the Institution's large life-saving fleet; but on every occasion both the brave men and their boats have been found fully equal to every emergency, and the result shows a total of 725 lives rescued by the society's lifeboats during the year 1875, in addition to 29 vessels saved from destruction. In the same period the lifeboat institution granted rewards for saving 195 lives by fishing and other boats, making a grand total of 920 lives saved last year, mainly through its instrumentality. Altogether, since us formation the society has contributed to the saving of 23,786 shipwrecked persons, for which services it has granted 959 gold and silver medals, besides pecuniary rewards to the amount of £47,170. ' The character of these noble lifeboat services has varied much, some having been performed during the darkness of the night, others in the daytime; but nearly all have been rendered during stormy weather, which would have prevented any ordinary open boat from accomplishing the rescue. Indeed so numerous have the lifeboats of the institution become now, that hardly any open boats put oft to the rescue of shipwrecked sailors; and in this way alone it saves indirectly every year many lives; for it often happened formerly that the crews of these open boats perished tnemselves in their noble enterprise. Again, it is most gratifying and encouraging tohno w that, notwithstanding the peril and cxposure incurred by the gallant crews last year, only one life was lost from the 252 lifeboats of the society, altaough about 11,000 men were out in them on all occasions during the twelve months. We feel assured that the institution so truly national and benevolent in its character will mitintain its firm hold on British sympathy and support; and that while it continues to pursue its course of usefttlness with unabated vigour, the support and, appreciation of the public will be proportionately liberal. We will only add that contributions are received for the Lifeboat Institution by all London and country bankers, and by the secretary, Richard Lewis, Esq , at 74, John-street, Adelphi, London.  At Worcester, on Wednesday. John Hicks attacked a man and a woman with a lismtner, fracturing their skulls, and afterwards cut his own throat in the police cell. He died immediately. George Fordham, lying at Leicester under sentence of death for the murder of John Smith, at Leicester Borough Asylum, on August 26th, has been respited. The Academy states that Messrs. Macmillan have recently heed the thirty-first thousand. of Mr. Green's Short History of the English People, with corrections and alterations.  A singular death took place last week at Linen: A grocer named Picker, who keeps fowls, was feeding them, when a bantam cock spurred him in the left thumb. Mortification set in, and all efforts to save'the unfortunate man's life proved unavailing. Last week a meeting of the Executive Committee of the fund lately raised in the city of London for the relief of the sufferers by the recent disastrous inundations and floods throughout the country,was held in the Mansion-house for the despatch of business. The Lord Mayor piesided, and the hon. secretary stated that the fund, amounted to £17,550. M