Bridlington and Quay Gazette. — 1882-06-03 (Bridlington, Humberside, England)

TREATMENT OF BOYS AT SEA. Mr. Tankerville Chamber Jayne writes to the Times :—I can lay claim to some experience, inasmuch as I have been for years past in the habit of visiting our fishing ports on the east coast, and in answer to ixquiries and from conversations I have held with the fishermen, I sin in a position to describe the condition of the poor lads who are taken to sea as apprentices as deplorable in the extreme. Of course there are exceptions, and the denunciations of the tyranny exercised were a convincing proof that there are some skippers beneath whose rugged , exterior the heart of a Christian beats. But, its a sufficient number of cases to make the state of things a national disgrace, cruelties which ordinary language can hardly describe are I systematically inflicted on these wretched boys. Not only in fishing vessels, but in ocean-going ships, it appears to be the rule to treat these children with a barbarity which, although we may not hear of it, frequently culminates in death, and the case just heard before Mr. Justice Hawkins at Winchester is a proof of this. Some years ago I apprenticed a lad to a full-rigged ship, an Australian liner, and on returning home from his first voyage he immediately deserted, and said he would rather go to prison than sail in her again. He I told me one of his messmates committed suicide and another died from causes over I which no one except the captain and the mate had any control. Now, air, my object in writing to you is to suggest that we should form a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to I Children, and it may be that in a Christian country like ours the many generous supporters of the Society tor the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will give us some little help and encouragement. Our first duty would be to appoint inspectors at Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Hall, and other large seaports, whose duty it would be to examine the fishing boats and question the lads as to the treatment they receive. I will only add that I will gladly place my time, which is happily my own, at the disposal of any charitable people who will kindly communicate with me. I do not ask for subscriptions, although we shall have to appeal for them before long; but if a sufficient number of promises of support are received, I will propose a meeting to discuss how we can best cope with a state of things that makes it almost seem an empty piece of bombast to call ourselves "civilised l"  Several instances are reported of persons being ' drowned while boating on Whit-Monday. An excursionist from Birmingham was drowned in the 1 river Avon, at Warwick, by the upsetting of his Icanoe. Two young girls were drowned in the river Lea, near Tottenham, through the capsizing of a pleasure boat. An American projector announces that he intends to utilise the water powers of Niagara Falls for illuminating 65 prominent cities and towns between Boston and Chicago. For this purpose he proposes to employ certain new contrivances for generating the electricity, and 10,000 miles of insulated cables. The power of the Falls is estimated at 2,000,000 horse power. Mr. Edison considers the project chimerical. He says that such an application of this enormous hydraulic power is scientifically ' possible, but that practically, owing to the cost i, of transmission and for other reasons, it is an absurdity.