The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1871-12-29 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

BATHING IN THE SERPENTINE.  On Monday morning (says the Daily News) a somewhat remarkable scene was enacted on the banks of the Serpentine, in Hyde Park; it was the %sinter bathers' grand festival. It may not perhaps be generally known that every morning in the year, no matter how inclement the weather may b.., there are regular bathers in the Serps ntine. Even when the water is covered with ice these persistent advocates of "the cold-water system" take their dips. During the recent frost skating and bathing were going on at the same time. When the ice is unusually thick the aid of the icemen is quietly solicited to break a bole large enough to let a man through, when in they pop like seals one after another to the number of twenty, and sometimes double that. There is one old bather, more independent than the rest, who bring his oats hatchet three miles secreted underneath his clothes, lest his intentions should be mistaken as ho wends his way through the str eta in the dark winter morning. When divested of his clothing he emerges from the gloomy shade of the tree axe inland, and proudly walks to the verge of the frozen lake, like a Red Indian looking out for scalp locks. He then begins to chop a lane, until he wolics himself out up to his chin in water, and then commences swimming about among the broken ice, emerging from the water with micles dripping from his hair, nose, and eyelashes, the only wonder being that he has never seriously cut himself with the sharp edges of the broken ice. According to annual custom, on Monday morning there was a swimming match, for a silver cup, the course belag 100 yards, and 30 bathers contended. After this they all assembled round a pail containing runs and milk, to do honour to the Queen, which toast having been most loyally honoured, another bottle was started into the remaining rum and milk by Mr. Williams, the kind and genial superintendent of the Royal Humane Society, to whose promptitude many of those present had been indebted for saving their lives, to enable them to drink with more fervour to the health and speedy convalescence of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. The bathers in the Serpentine during the yeas- now drawing to a close have amounted to about 433,000, according to the daily estimate made at the receiving house. Fifty eight cf these were in danger of drowning, either from cramp •or exhaustion, and were rescued by the Royal Humane Society's boatmen, and landed. One was so far gone when rescued that he had to be taken to the receiving house and medically treated. One person was drowned, the case being beyond recovery. , During the year there have been fourteen I casualties, arising from persons accidentally gott-1 , ing into the water. Among them were three per. lambulator cases, in which boys and girls, having been entrusted with these vehicles containing little children securely strapped in, have run laces on the banks of the I.,ke, and in the final grand push to be fret, the machine has been capsized in the water, turning bottom upwards, but in each case the children were providentially rescued. Two of the total of fourteen were drowned through the swamping of a sailing boat in a sudden squall. Not a 'ngle death from suicide has occurred during the ar—a very unusual circumstance. Four persons have been rescued from attempted self-destrn -lion by drowning, and two have been watched and prevented going into the water, and handed over to the safe custody of the police, when their intended attempt at suicide was beyond reasonable doubt.  John Roberts who was said to have caused the death of William Walsh a betting man in the Old Kent Road, London, has been apprehended in Leeds.