THE following correspondence has taken place between the Home Office and the Na-tional Life-boat Institution on the subject of the number of Lives Saved by its Life- boats during the year 1880, and also the number saved through its intervention during the same period by Shore-boats and other means. The Return embraces also the number of lives reported to the Institution in that period as having been drowned:— " Whitehall, 30th Sept., 1881.

"SIR, " The Queen having been pleased to comply with the prayer of an humble Address presented to Her Majesty in pursuance of a Resolution of the House of Commons, dated the 22nd August, 1881, a Copy of which is enclosed, I am directed by Secretary Sir WILLIAM VERNON HARCOURT to request that you will have the goodness to cause the Return therein specified—so far as relates to ' Lives Saved from Drowning in the United King- dom through, the instrumentality of the Royal National Life-boat Institution—the lives reported to it as having been lost— with suggestions for the prevention of Loss of Life'—to be prepared and transmitted to him in order that it may be laid before the House of Commons with the least possible delay.

"I am, &c., " GODFREY LUSHIHGTON.

" RICHARD LEWIS, Esq." " Royal National Life-Boat Institution, " John Street, Adelphi, London, " 14th Nov., 1881.

" SIR, "I have had the honour to re- ceive and lay before this Committee your letter of the 30th Sept., requesting, by FEBRUARY 1, 1882.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 443 directions of the Home Secretary, Sir LIVES SAVED (A) on the COASTS of the UNITED WILLIAM VERNON HARCOURT, a Return of KINGDOM DURING the YEAR 1880 THROUGH the the INSTRUMENTALITY of the ROYAL NATIONAL " ' Lives Saved from Drowning in LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. the United Kingdom through the in- strumentality of the Royal National ' ° I aj| Life-boat Institution, with sugges- ' f in* S o a § tions for the prevention of Loss of £ is Life ; also of all Deaths by Drown- * 0 COUNTY. S •* i " |sf ing in the United Kingdom during ', 03 • S . I 1 1 5 1880.' i ! •§ §Jj S g S "o B '3 iff! " In reply I am directed to forward to l« : 1 = n a'' as you the accompanying Tabulated Form (A) of the England and Wales. ; " ' Lives saved on the Coasts of the Anglesea ... 15 15 .. United Kingdom during the year 1880 through the instrumentality of Cardigan ... 9 ..

Carmarthen . . 4 Carnar von . . 11 ! 9 4 7 •• 4. the Royal National Life-boat Institu- Cheshire ... 26 .. 26 tion.' Cornwall ... 19 2 15 6 Devon .... 15 ! 14 1 " Also (B) of the Durham . 28 28 " ' Lives lost on the Coasts of the Glamorgan . . 22 ! 19 '3 United Kingdom during the year Hampshire . . .. 16 Kent . . . . : 190 105 16 15 1880, as reported to the Royal Na- Lancashire 4 .. 4 tional Life-boat Institution.' Lincolnshire . 5 5 __ Norfolk ... 56 50 "e " These two Forms contain all the par- Northumberland . 34 34 t t ticulars the Institution possesses on the subject, as it has no means on the Coast Scilly Islands . 5 Somerset ... 7 Suffolk . . . i 20 4. 5 7 13 11 to obtain the information on the several Yorkshire . 106 1 81 26 minute points detailed in the Parlia- Isle of Man . 19 19 mentary Eeturn which accompanies your communication. Scotland. "With reference to your request that Aberdeenshire .. 3 3 this Institution might make any re- Ayrshire . 21 21 marks on the prevention of Loss of Life at Sea, its Committee would beg to suggest : " First, That the crews of all vessels Caithness .

Forfarshire Haddingtonshire .

Wigtownshire 32 11 4 3 ! .. 32 11 "i 3 might be furnished with an ample supply of Life-belts ; Ireland. " Secondly, That portable signals might be supplied for ships when in distress to .Antrim ...

Donegal . 2 5 5 use at night, such as Lieut. VBBT'S pistol Down .... 8 3 8 3 signals, throwing up brilliant coloured Dublin . . . 2 6 2 6 lights j Galway 6 i G .. 12 " Thirdly, That telegraphic communica- Louth .... 19 2 6 13 2 tion might be established between Light Wexford . 25 25 Houses or Light Vessels and Life-boat Wicklow . 12 12 and Rocket Stations. " I am, &c., SUMMARY. England and Wales 525 23 160 | 88 "(Signed) RICHABD LEWIS. Scotland . 71 3 64 10 Ireland 72 24 53 43 "GODFREY LUSHTNGTON, I*2sn., Home Office." 668 50 577 141 Total . . 718 718 2 D 4 444 THE LIFE-BOAT. [FEBRUARY, 1882. LIVES LOST (B) on the COASTS of the UNITED Loss or LIFE BY DISOWNING IN INLAND KINGDOM DURING the TEAK 1880, as REPORTED WATERS. to the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. Along with the communication from the Home Office was forwarded a Parlia- From r _, vessels From open boats, Life- boat mentary Beturn, moved by JACOB BRIGHT, COTOTT. wrecked or fishing or crews. Esq., M.P., of all deaths by drowning in ' ' inland waters of the United Kingdom during the year 1879, distinguishing the England and Wales. (a) jurisdictions, and (6) whether the Carmarthen . 1 deaths occurred in the waters hereafter Cornwall . 13 named: i.e., harbours, basins, docks, Devon ....

Hants 1 1 1 canals, rivers or streams, lakes or ponds, Norfolk ! ! '. 1 1 13 artificial reservoirs, ditches, sluices or Somerset . 3 . . other artificial channels, quarry, mine, Yorkshire . 1 brickmaking or other water-holes, vats, tanks, pits or other vessels of works or Scotland. manufactories, wells, domestic baths, Aberdeen . 1 .. cisterns or other vessels, public baths, or Ayr .... 4 .. 2 unenumerated waters. Also (c) whether the deaths arose from pleasure-boat acci- Ireland. ': dents, bathing accidents, ice accidents, Dublin ... 3 &c., with the number of persons drowned Galway ... 2 in each kind of water, and the totals under Louth .... 4 each division. Wexford ... 4 •• Having carefully analysed the tables in S TI MM All Y this Parliamentary Return detailing the deaths under the several headings above England and "Wales 21 2 13 mentioned, we append hereto a brief result Scotland . 4 1 2 of our investigations, showing the lament- Ireland 13 able loss of 3690 lives in one year (1879). 38 3 15 SITES OF DROWNING ACCIDENTS IN 1869. Total 56 England _. and =«*- Ireland. Total. A. 8975 "Whitehall, 15th Nnv, 1881. . Wales. land- 9 « a™ Mercantile Waters: Q-lttj " I am directed by Secretary Canals ... 554 57 Docks ... 196 26 36 647 7 229 Sir WILLIAM VERNON HARCOURT to Basins ... 25 14 2 41 acknowledge, with thanks, the re- ceipt of your letter of the 14th instant enclosing a Return of Rivers} Navi- [ 723 180 Lakes / gated . ! 9 3 Other navigated -Q ao waters . ./ 58 ! 83 55 ! 958 10 ; .22 38 ! 179 Lives Saved on the Coasts of the United Kingdom during the year Non-Mercantile 1880, through the instrumentality of the Royal National Life-boat In- Waters — ' Bivers, &c. . . 409 94 Lakes ... 14 , 9 74 577 13 36 • stitution; and also a Beturn of Ponds ... i 301 17 17 : 335 Lives Lost during the same period, Reservoirs . . 120 5 2 127 as reported to the Institution. Ditches, &c. . 121 21 Quarries, &c. . 58 11 20 162 25 94 " I am, &c., Tanks, &c. . . 35 3 38 Wells ... 66 5 14 85 " (Signed) GODFREY LUSHINGTON. Cisterns, &c. . 53 6 59 Public baths . 6 6 " BICHAED LEWIS, Esq." Other waters . 67 15 Unknown . . 11 1 93 2 2 Totals . . 2815 i 549 326 3690 1 i FEBRUABY 1, 1882.] THE LITE-BOAT.

445 It is not our purpose on this occasion to trace the various causes which have led to the unusually numerous cases of drowning in canals, docks, and other waters and streams mentioned in the Return, as it gives full and detailed accounts of the nature of the accidents. They are grouped under their several headings, such as pleasure-boats, bathing and other causes, but the following brief summary of the accidents may prove interesting:— NATURE OF DROWNING ACCIDENTS IN 1879.

— England and Wales. Scot- land. Ireland. Total. Persons engaged in trade navi- 219 57 25 301 gation Pleasure boat! gg accidents. ./ 35 26 156 Bathing acci-1 -, 1Q dents. . ./ 1±9 23 18 190 Ice accidents . 121 10 13 147 Palling from the land into 713 143 142 998 the water Suicide or un- IJAQ known causes/ 161 72 1376 Other causes . 372 120 30 522 Totals . . 2815 549 326 3690 Surely it is not creditable to the age in which we live that 3690 persons should have been drowned in one year in our inland waters, apart entirely from the loss of life on our sea-coast. There can be no doubt that the average annual loss of life in inland waters amounts to 3000; and in view of such, a fact no effort should be lack- ing to check so fearful, and, in too many instances, it is to be feared, so unnecessary a sacrifice of life. When a railway accident occurs, involving unhappily the loss of thirty or forty lives, the whole kingdom is naturally in a state of alarm. But in regard to the daily loss of life in our inland waters the circumstance hardly excites a passing remark.

It is to be hoped, however, that as remedial measures are better understood and practised, a marked diminution in these calamities will take place. We refer especially to a knowledge of the art of swimming, for to be able even to strike oat a few strokes is often attended with the saving of a life—to the fact that too many of our piers, wharves, docks, and such places are absolutely unprotected, and to the scores of persons who every year fall over them and are drowned. The public have a right to demand of their proprietors that such places should be protected as far as practicable.

Moreover, great things are also expected from the youngest but most active of our benevolent societies—we allude to the St.

John Ambulance Association. Its classes, and the important and practical instruc- tion it imparts in them, are available alike to all persons, and must ultimately become subservient to the noblest of purposes— the saving of human life.

The subject of drowning in our inland waters is a national and absorbing one, demanding assiduous inquiry, and offer- ing to the philanthropist the highest scope for his exertions; and we earnestly trust that renewed attention will be directed to it..