In 1887 the humorous magazine "Punch" had fun with a serious winter problem in Hyde Park. It was the responsibility of Hyde Park Police to prevent people going on to the ice if the Park bailiff deemed it unsafe. Skating was a popular pastime but there had been tragedies on the lakes in St. James's and Regent's Parks in recent times as well as the Serpentine. The Royal Humane Society had built a "Receiving House" or small hospital on the north bank of the Serpentine in the early 1830s for the purpose of resuscitating "the apparently drowned". It was a problem all year round but in the winter there was the added complication of the cold and ice. Clearing the ice as shown in the cartoon must have been a thankless task as described by Sgt Edward Owen.
"It was in December I first had my experience in “Ice Duty,” that is, when the Serpentine is frozen over. So many Police Constables are posted along the banks to prevent persons going on to skate or slide until it is considered safe by some official appointed from “The Office of Works.” Colonel Wheatley, in his capacity as Park Bailiff, was for many years entrusted with this responsible duty. Major Clive Hussey now holds the position. The Long Water, as a rule, was the first portion of the lake to be opened, as the water is much more shallow in that particular spot than the Serpentine, varying from three to five feet up to the west or Magazine Bridge, which divides the above from the Serpentine. I must explain-although one distinct lake-that portion in Kensington Gardens is known as the Long Water. Beyond the bridge and entering the Serpentine the water becomes gradually deeper, and in some parts attains a depth of fourteen feet; greater precautions are, of course, taken before this part is opened, that is to say, while the frost continues a hole in the ice is bored, and measured every morning, and must at least be four or five inches in thickness before skating is permitted upon it. I have known the ice-I believe it was in the “eighties,” anyhow a most severe winter-of such a thickness that a gentleman drove a dogcart tandem across the deepest part of the lake-a freak, of course, possibly for a wager, for all I know. Taking advantage of the early morning, when things are tolerably quiet, he succeeded in driving safely from shore to shore he did not, however, escape scot free, for endangering his own and other people’s lives, for he was met on the other side by a police constable, the result being a summons before the Magistrate for “driving on an unauthorised place,” which cost him a little for his adventure.
In this particular month (December, my first winter) I witnessed a sad fatality that has never been erased from my mind. The ice at this time was about an inch or two in thickness, It is an astonishing fact that at the first appearance of frost, and when the ice will hardly more than bear a duck, scores of people will flock down to the sides, with their skates under their arms, and look most wistfully at the ice, and would really risk their very lives if it were not for the police preventing them. In the case I am about to relate the poor young fellow did more than risk it-for he lost it. He was a young Belgian-of good position, so I was informed-at the well-known firm of Swan and Edgar, Drapers, etc., Regent Street, who had come over here to acquire a knowledge of the business. He, with two young ladies, about eight p.m., like many others, walked down to the Serpentine in hopes of “having them on “ for half-an-hour, but, to his dismay, notice boards and police were there prohibiting anyone doing so ; I suppose the temptation was too strong, for, watching his opportunity, he, I was told, slipped on his skates in a jiffey and soon glided about fifty yards from the shore (this was at the east end of the lake, near to the little or east end bridge), but he had not gone more than that distance before there was a crash, and in he went into about eight or ten feet of water. Shouts and screams for help attracted my attention. I was on duty near “William’s” boat-house, and ran round to the bridge. I could just see the poor fellow in the darkness clinging to an expanding ice-ladder which had been pushed out to him. Several plucky attempts had been made to rescue him, but each one on going on the ice about half-a-dozen yards went through, and had to scramble back the best way they could. Poor old John Winnett, the ferry boatman on the Serpentine for many years, arrived on the scene with his cork jacket, and he, like the others, had not gone far before the ice gave way; but his jacket kept Him up and he battled and broke away at the ice with one of the long drag poles like a good-one. With strained eyes we watched him as he crashed his way nearer and nearer toward the drowning man, and, I should say, got within half-a-dozen yards, when we heard an awful gasp for breath from the head we could just dimly see clinging to the ladder, and all at once it disappeared beneath the ice. It was all over, he had held on till exhaustion and cold caused him to succumb. It was distressing to hear the piteous cries of the poor young ladies who had accompanied him. A sledge boat had by this time been brought up by land; we very soon launched it, and broke away the ice until the spot was reached. With pole-hooks we soon dragged the body up, and got it ashore, and without the least delay bore it to the Royal Humane Society’s Receiving House, situate on the north side of the Serpentine, where all possible means were applied to restore animation pending the arrival of a doctor, who soon stated it was of no avail. A sad and sudden end, I thought to a fine young fellow! When stripped, I never saw a man of more splendid physique *.
Although a body may have been under water for some considerable time, life is not despaired of at this Institution (The R.H. Society’s Receiving House). The “Silvester” method of “artificial respiration to the "apparently drowned” is energetically applied until the arrival of a doctor who decides as to whether or not death has placed their efforts beyond all doubt. A small pamphlet, written by Dr. Silvester, on the treatment of the above, and obtainable from the R.H. Society, contains invaluable information for in many cases a steady and persevering application has been rewarded with gratifying results.
When the Serpentine or a portion of it is reported to be safe, all is plain sailing, and it is a fine sight to see the thousands of ladies and gentlemen, soldiers, boys and girls, all intermixed, enjoying their skating and sliding. The evenings on such occasions are novel sights, for probably there are then more people on the ice than in the daytime. The shops and other business places being closed, it becomes practically crowded. To stand on the Magazine Bridge and witness the moving mass of lights, made up of torches, Chinese and other lanterns, etc., carried by the skaters, presents a most fantastical scene. One thing I cannot understand; it seems to me to have such a fascination that some people don’t care what money or property they risk in order to indulge in this recreation. On the announcement that the ice is safe, so many tickets or permits are issued for the hiring of skates at the Superintendent’s (of the Park) Office, adjoining the Police Station-Superintendent Browne in my time-Mr. J. Gardner now holds the appointment-these are given to any apparently honest applicant. There is usually a big rush for them, and, unfortunately for the hirers, they are not all honest. These men stand on the side of the ice with their chairs, the tickets pinned conspicuously in front of their hats, with half-a-dozen or so pair of skates, and shout “On or off, ladies and gents, skates to hire! Who’ll have a pair on?” and other such inviting exclamations to attract attention. They charge, I believe, about one shilling an hour, and always require a deposit on the skates. I have known plenty of cases where people have left five or six shillings on a pair of skates not worth eighteen pence; they take the number of the man’s card, but, on their return the man, number, card, and all, have disappeared. One particular case I remember. A commercial traveller passing through the park thought he would like to “have a pair on.” He left his box (or bag) of samples in charge of one of these men also a deposit on the skates, and all was missing on his return. He came to the station and reported his loss. He said they would be of little or no value to the thief, as they were only miniature samples of cutlery. But it meant a loss of £20 to him.
Having given us all the information he could, the gentleman was assured that we should do all that lay in our power to trace the man that had charge of his property. Still, it was a great chance, as the police had nothing whatever to do with the issuing of the tickets to these men, consequently we could not be responsible for the correctness of names and addresses given by them. As it was getting dusk, the Inspector, at the gentleman’s request, sent me to show him the way to Paddington Station. I accompanied him across the Park, and put him in the direct street for that terminus. He thanked me, and kindly gave me a shilling for my little assistance, but he appeared very crestfallen, and I could not help feeling sorry to see him go off empty-handed without even his umbrella (which he had also left with his case of samples). However, I believe that a better system and more precautions are now taken to protect the public in such matters.
Sometimes a rapid thaw would set in, consequently it became necessary to clear- the ice (or serious results would surely follow)-not an easy task, for all the warning persuasion and shouting “All off!” was of no avail to some of those enthusiastic skaters who would persist in dodging and evading us. It was very amusing, I have no doubt, for those on the bank to stand and witness us slipping about after these bravadoes; but it was not so with us. One of our men, I remember, received a severe cut at the back of his head from a fall. So we had to resort to the rope, that is to say, one of the long ropes that lie on the bank in readiness for rescue purposes in cases of immersion, was brought into requisition. Some dozen of us with this extended right across the ice and in skirmishing order, proceeded down the whole length of the lake, and eventually succeeded in making a clearance. I scarcely need state that those who were daring enough (and some did) to evade this obstacle were lucky if they escaped without getting tripped up on their back. This comical method of clearing the ice by the police was humorously depicted in “Punch,” January, 1887.
Although having served twenty years in Hyde Park, I am not going to attempt to enumerate year after year in succession what happened to the end of that period. In fact I could not do so. I kept no diary while in the Service, and, as I have already stated, never dreamt of writing a history of it. Had I done so it would have been comparatively easy, for I could have furnished myself with names, dates, etc., of events at the time; but, as it is, I have had to tax my memory-I am thankful to say I have a tolerably good one-and hunt up old comrades and acquaintances to verify anything I have a doubt about. So I shall refer to different cases and occurrences that the police have to deal with in as interesting a form as I can, but I cannot confine myself consecutively".
*Like most old Policemen or old men in general, they have stories to tell which are not always totally accurate. The unfortunate who drowned in the Serpentine was one of a party of six, two girls and four men who were employed at the Swan & Edgar Drapery shop in Regent's Street. His name was Samuel Friestadt, a native of Austria where he was, apparently, a champion swimmer. During the incident on the evening of Monday 21st December 1874 both he and another man from the party fell through the ice, the other man who was nearer the shore was rescued and survived. By all the newspaper accounts, superhuman efforts were made to rescue Samuel Friestadt by the icemen, members of the public and Police. The inquest was held at Mount Street Mortuary on Thursday 24th December before Mr St. Clair Bedford and a verdict of accidental death was returned with a recommendation that the icemen procure longer ropes.
