The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-23 00:00:00

TEE FLOODS IN TIIE FENS.

A history of the proceedings of the last few days
may not be uninteresting. On the whole, it may
be said things are very much as they were at the
latter end of last week, when the piling
Mary's-bridge gave way, and the formation of a
dam was abandoned as hopeless until the neap tides,
at St.
The situation is still very much the same. No barrier
has yet been erected to breast the tidal waters. The
" gull" in the bank increases in size, every tide, of
course, wearing away some portions of the bank.
Attempts have been made to prevent the opening
becoming wider by the sinking of numerous sacks
of clay, which will prevent the further wearing
away of the bank. But the alarm of the country
has not been allayed. Indeed, it has much in-
creased on the south-east side of the middle level
river by reason of the bank on that side having
given unmistakeable signs of weakness. This weak
place is precisely opposite the breach in the north-
west bank. At low tide the water has flowed with
some force off the drowned district by the same open-
ing by which it entered, and has had the effect of
making a hole of several feet in the opposite bank.
Steps have been taken to strengthen this bank, and
it is hoped it has been effectually secured; but the
danger cannot really pass away from it until the
dam at the lower end of the middle level river is
completed. The return of the spring tides is looked
forward to with much fear, as it is generally believed
that the bank, unless most carefully and perse,
vexingly strengthened, cannot resist their force.
Should this bank give way, the disaster will 1J
quite equal, at least, to that which has befallen the
country on the other side, The district on the south-
east side is equal, if not superior in fertility to that,
now submerged; while it is more thickly studded
with comfortable and thriving farmsteads. Within
a mile and a half, too, there is the populous 'flag°
of Magdalen, which must inevitably be swamped by
the Hood should it burst over that side. On Satur-
day, Sunday, and Monday, nothing was done at
the sluice-end of the river towards making a bar-
rier to the sea. The failure of the previous efforts
seems to have paralysed all engaged, and much con-
sultation and discussion ensued as to what was the
best to be done next. Meanwhile the water spread
over the district further and further, and on Sunday
hundreds of strangers from all parts visited the
spot. Several skiffs have plied about the lake.
On Monday it was known that the assistance of
Mr. Muller had been gained—a gentleman who took
a prominent part in the works of the Norfolk
Estuary a few years back. It seems singular that
in times of difficulty this district has sought the aid
of the skill of Dutch engineers, from the time of Ver
Inuyden to the present. M. Muller at once set about
trying a system well known in Holland, and called
" craddling," hoping by this means to be able to
erect a dam. Cradles are made of timber and osiers,
and these are filled with sacks of clay or gravel.,
The cradles themselves let through the water, ana
only serve to hold their contents together and secure
them in the spot in which they are deposited.. But
impelled by a strong
this effort was doomed in the first instance to failure.
One of the barges used from which to lower the
cradle wes unfortunately securegdavbeywaany, anchor.
The
The same sys-
tem part of it
was soon
sec
otr
hoas
newd
fluea
onnwagc t
down
ogre
wui
caught
kutL,hgtyehh
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n
is, however, to be tried again on Friday morn-
ing. But each day lost unfortunately brings the
tides nearer, and, on the whole, up
to
h time, we are justified in saying that confidence
that a dam will be constructed before t
ht
ene presentiis
very
limited indeed.