The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1883-07-31 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

THE HERALD.  invests the event with a terribly tragic aspect. It is to be hoped that the numbers are really more in the affrighted imagination of the survivors than an actual result of obsetvation. The details of the event will be of a sad but interesting character.  THE recovery of the body of Captain Webb, and the verdict of the coroner's jury of "found drowned," completes the story of a life that has had its episodes of wonder and adventure, but what at its close only furnishes a sad warning of rashness and useless venturing of human life. Since Webb spent 331 hours in the bold strain upon his thews and muscles of swimming the English Channel from England to France, we have had no record of equal triumph in the whole field of athleticism to register. But who would have expected when we were marvelling and trumpeting forth our praise of the remarkable feat, that we were fostering the love of sensationalism, that should find its outcome in the useless, half suicidal throwing away of a life in the rapids and whirlpools, or against the jutting rocks hidden beneath the foaming waters below the falls of Niagara.  IT is not often that it falls to our lot to chronicle so peculiar a case of hysterical affection as is to be found in the report which will be seen in another column of a woman charged with attempted suicide in yesterday's charge sheet at the police court. To desire notoriety is not a characteristic of hysteria, but is often strongly implanted in healthy people of strong nerves. Poor Capt. Webb might be quoted as a proof of this; bnt here was a fairly reasonable woman of respectable appearance end connections brought and charged IA ;•'-i attempting to take her osa life, and prompted thereto, as Dr. Settle asserted, by a weak-nerved desire to make herself remarkable in the eyes of other people, but as the Doctor stated, always with safety to herself. In such cases a little wholesome ridicule might perhaps tend to help her to conquer the silly weakness of being eager to make herself prominent before the eyes of the world. In such cF se it is to be little regretted that she was not suffered to remain longer in the ridiculous position of having attempted to e^ov,a herself, when in reality she had no such intention. Perhaps the first gasping dread of the cold water she experienced on finding herself immersed was a long step towards curing her of the stupid and rnrestrained inclination for peculiar fame of this sort, which she had allowed tc overcome her.  To-MORROW (let of August) the parcels post scheme comes into operation and with it is marked the commencement of a new era of public usefulness in connection with the post office. To be able to sand a parcel 3ift. long, and 2ift. girth, weighing to any part of England, Scotland, Ireland, or Wales, for a shilling, half the weight for sixpence, and under a pound weight, for threepence, is a convenience that will be immediatly valued and plentifully used, but it will grow and develope to a remarkable extent when further experience and acquaintance have frilly shown us its possibilities and uses. A hundred ways of utilising the facilities it will afford will gradually discover themselves as we become familiarised with the custom and practice of the plan. Our tailors, our dressmakers, drapers, milliners, &c., will soon be forwarding our orders from Duke-street or Dalton-road to Newbarns, Roose, or Old Barrow by post. They will simply need to put on the parcel the requisite number of stamps, direct it with the heading, "per Parcels Post," and hand it in to any sub-office nearest the spot, and it willibe delivered, morning or evening, safe and sound at our own doors There are many details of the scheme which we must wait for practice to elucidate. A few months' experience will improve and perfect many items in the management and working of the system. For instance, special parcel reception offices will be found necessary, or even a collecting van will some day be found an essential part of the working of the scheme. Meantime it is a welcome knowledge that this long projected scheme has become u. fait accompli, thanks to the energetic perseverance and determination of our physically blind, but intellectually wide-awake Postmaster-General.