APPALLING ACCIDENT IN HYDE PARK.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 11, Issue 838, 26 March 1867, Page 3

APPALLING ACCIDENT IN HYDE PARK.

An " Eye Witness" of the catastrophe thus writes ia a leading journal, under date January 16 : — Probably the finest day we have had this season was yesterday, and the continuous frost rendered Regent's Park a point of fashionable attraction, as well as the resort of the lovers of skating. The park was not unusually crowded, but still there was a large number of gentlemen, and ladies, and boys upon the ice, which in the fore part of the day presented no indication of danger, and the banks of the ornamental lake were crowded with people looking at the sport. No notice warning persons that the ice waa unfit to use were posted up, and the gates of the enclosure were thrown open to the public. The healthy enjoyment of the season was carried on without any interruption, save when a boy went through the ice at the edge of the lake and got wet to his knees. As three o'clock approached, the appearance of the sheet of ice presented a marked contrast to that which was seen during the forenoon. Ifc was a mass of cracks, and looked like a surface of irregular flagging, so small and distinct were the separating blocks marked out by the cracks. Still the sport went joyously forward, and exilherating was the sight of the cheerful, merry boys from tbe neighbouring schools, as they scudded along the ice on the upper part of the lake, running by the south-western side of the Botanical Gardens. The general public were admitted to tbe wider portion of the lake, facing Clarence Gate. Many skaters, warned by the too plain indications of danger beneath their feet, relinquished their amusement, and stood viewing tbe more ventursome, who, to tbe number of about 250, continued tempting fate. At about five minutes to four o'clock, however, the pleasures of the day were rudely stopped by one of the most appalling accidents ifc cou'd fall lo our lob to record. Whether from the sudden rush of people to save a couple of boys who had fallen in afc the edge of the south-western side of the lake, or , from the weight of the skaters continuing to aid the smashing up of the ice, ifc cannot, and probably never will, be ascertained ; but there suddenly came, as ifc were, an upheaving of the waters, and, breaking first in the centre, the smooth sheet which had supported spine t 256 human beings became a confused mass of roughhewn blocks, among which, struggling for life and shrieking for assistance, were the gay skater 3of a moment previous. So sudden -— so totally unexpected was the occurrence tbat those who witnessed it were seized by a panic, and at every part of the edge of the water people were being rescued. Those, however, who were in deep water seemed, for a time, to be left to their fate. No machinery or apparatus •vas at hand fco give them assistance. The apparatus of the Humane Society was lamentably deficient for such an occasion. Their ropes were rotten — there was but one ice-ladder, which proved useless, and but one basket sledge, which was not called into requisition. The pleasure boats, which are let out for hire in the season, were procured and launched, but these were of frail construction, and it was with great difficulty tbey could be impelled through the water owing to the blocks of ice, but, nevertheless, they were instrumental in saving very many lives. Ropes were drawn across the lake by the Humane Society's men, that the unfortunate drowning people might catch hold of them and keep themselves afloat, but as soon as the tension came to a certain point, the ropes in most cases snapped across like apiece of cotton thread, and, this last chance gone, many a fine fellow sank with a last shriek of despair. Fearful and heartrending beyond all description as was the scene in the centre of the lake, that on the banks, though of a different character, was not less awful. Men and women in hundreds appeared to have suddenly lost: their senses — J to have 'become bewilderedr-and, impelled |

\ by- some mighty force to do something, tc i, have lost all power of accomplishing any--3 thing. Now, females whose brothers, busb bands, sons, may be in that surging, gasping group of doomed men, shriek as they behold 1 some unfortunate fellow-being disappeai 3 beneath the water, Then there comet . from the same women a hysterical cheer as ; a man is rescued by a boat. What made ; the agony of the spectators so intense was i their consciousness of being unable to ren- . der any assistance to the dying men and > boys before them. Wherever a man was i seen clinging to a block of ice, he was cheered and told to take heart and assisfc- ; ance would come. Ifc was with difficulty > that some bf the lookers-on could be re- ' strained from rushing across the disjointed i pieces of ice to the rescue of the drowning, i " Tie a rope round us, and we wili go," i several said, but the ropes that were there could not be depended on. The cries that came from that horrid lake, upon which the sun was fast setting, were such as would touch the hardest heart that ever closed its door against the feelings of our common humanity. "Oh! save me — save me, mother," screamed an humble little boy, who had accompanied his parent to the park, where she hoped to earn the price of his dinner by tbe sale of oranges to the spectators. And the mother rushed wildly to the lake's edge, only to see the waters close over the little heart that was all to that poor woman. " Where is my boy ?" shouted a gentleman who had just been rescued from the jaws of death by the occupant of one of the tiny pleasure boats. The boy had gone down for the last time, and the agony of the father found vent in loud and mo3fc painful sobbing. Prom the banks such cries as these were heard every moment ; " Oh, 100k — look— there goes another poor fellow — he's gone ;" and they continued until all human beings had disappeared from the surface of the lake. Before the sun had set every black spot which was typical of life and hope had gone, and a collection of hats alone told of what a scene had been enacted there that fine January evening. Fortunate ifc was for those who were rescued and not past all recovery that Mr. Douglas, the master of the Marylebone Workhouse, was among the spectators. As soon as he witnessed the accident, Mr. Douglas gave instructions that all those taken out of the water should be brought to the workhouse, where Mrs. Douglas prepared warm blankets, hot brandy, and coffee for the sufferers. Blankets were also sent to the park by Mr. Douglas to wrap round the bodies of those who were taken out of the water. Eight dead bodies were taken out of the lake, and fifteen persons were rescued. The latter, of whom the majority were delirious and in great peril of their lives, were at once attended by Dr. Randall and Surgeon Fuller, medical officers of the workhouse, and but one of the number died, the fourteen being able to return to their homes late last night. The attention of the doctors, the master and matron, and the officers generally of the workhouse to the unfortunate people waa unremitting.