A Sailor Drowned.—On Monday last, an inquest was held at the Parliament-street Police-station by Mr. P. F. Thorney, the borough coroner, on view of the body of Thomas Bates, who had been a seaman on board the screw steamer 'Irwell.' On Saturday evening, about eight o'clock, the deceased fell from the forecastle deck of the above-named vessel into the Humber Dock lock pit. Mr. John Ellerthorpe, the foreman at the gates, immediately jumped in after him, and though both were taken out within five minutes, by the dock gateman, Bates was pronounced to be dead by Mr. Lowther, surgeon, who was summoned to the spot. A verdict of accidental death was returned.—Hull News, Feb. 14th, 1863.
Respecting this case our friend says, 'Mr. Bates spoke to me in the water, and said, "I shall soon be all right," and I thought he would too. The water was piercingly cold, and I went and changed my clothes, and when I returned to see how the poor man was, Dr. Lowther had pronounced him dead. I never felt such a sense of distress as I did at that moment; I did my very best to save him; indeed, Mr. Lowther says, "The man died in an apoplectic fit." It was deeply distressing to see the poor widow, when her husband was pronounced dead; she was overcome by the suddenness of the stroke, and Mr. Dale Brown kindly sent her home in a cab. This man, and Ashly Taylor (aged 75 years), are the only instances out of upwards of forty I have rescued, of death taking place in consequence of their being in the water.'
A Man in the Humber Dock.—Yesterday a man, named George Taylor, who is frequently employed in connection with the landing of fish, &c., and who resides in the 'Trippett,' while in a fit fell into the Humber Dock, at the South-west corner, near to where the 'Alster' steam vessel was lying. His fall was seen by some men who were standing near at the time and they at once got some boat-hooks to draw him out. Mr. Ellerthorpe, the foreman of the Humber Dock Bridge, whose humanity and gallantry in saving people from drowning, has won for him the title of the 'Hero of the Humber,' was ready to plunge in after the poor fellow, had he not been readily recovered by the hooks. On being got on shore, he was brought into the Bridge watch-house and properly attended to. Before recovering he had several fits. He was eventually sent home wrapped in blankets.—Eastern Morning News, December 13th, 1866.
Man Overboard.—About two o'clock on Saturday, whilst Mr. John Ellerthorpe was busy at the Mytongate Bridge passing a vessel through, he heard something splashing in the water, which he thought was a dog. He called out to a lighterman, named George Woolass and another man who were on board of the vessel, to bring a boat and get the animal out. A boat was obtained, and the splashing was found to be caused by a man who had fallen overboard. On getting him out it was found he belonged to one of the fly-boats, and had he remained many seconds more in the water he must have been drowned.—Hull Advertiser, March 2nd, 1867.
HIS EFFORTS IN THE WATCH-HOUSE.
We have seen in several instances, that our friend, after having rescued the drowning, remained with them until all fears of immediate death were totally dissipated. Indeed his kindly ministrations in the watch-house of the Humber Dock Company, have been scarcely less remarkable than his exploits in saving the drowning from the water. In that room is the 'Royal Humane Society's apparatus for the recovery of persons apparently drowned or dead, accompanied with directions for the proper treatment of such cases.' And there our friend stood for hours together, in his wet clothes, during the piercing cold of winter and the oppressive heat of summer, endeavouring to restore suspended animation. He says, 'I always felt very anxious about those I had rescued, and in dangerous cases generally remained with them until they came round. By remaining in my wet clothes on these occasions I have often seriously damaged my health; but I felt so anxious about them that I often forgot altogether my own wet state. Dr. Henry Gibson says I have seriously injured my constitution by these long exposures in wet clothing, and I am afraid he is right, and that it will shorten my days.'
A REMARKABLE INSTANCE.
We give one instance of his ministrations in this watch-house:—