The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-14 00:00:00

THE FLOOD IN THE FENS.

LATEST PARTICULARS.
LYNN, FRIDAY NIGHT.
Nothing like the gloom that has pervaded the
public mind during the last 48 hours has been seen
since the catastrophe first happened ; engineers and
workmen look glum, and the general public are
quite confident that if the water is not stopped until
it is done by the present engineers it will never be
done at all. The rain was falling heavily the greater

part of yesterday, and this added to the gloom.
Rumours were current that the whole framework
was carried away, but this was niatrue. Wpon
visiting the works this morning it was found that
the steam engine had been got on to the dam, and
it was being attempted to drive three or four large
piles in the places where the hole had been burst.
The operation was found most difficult, and the diver
had to go down and remove some sacks of earth out
of the way. Amid the general gloom Mr. Leather,
the contractor, keeps up his spirits, and talks of
being able, with the materials, machinery, and
ample labour now at command, to stop the water-
way in a week or fortnight. One thing, however,
is certain—that, with the constant scour and re-

peated interference with the small strata of clay at
the bottom of the cut on the site of the present cof-

ferdam, the foundation will be so loosened that,
should the framework be carried away (and this is
by no means improbable), it will be impossible to
strike a dam without going beyond the site of St.
Mary's-bridge, which was carried away. In the
course of to-day several lighters have been brought
into the drain laden with gravel and clunch, and
have deposited their cargoes at the foot of the frame-
work of the dam on both sides. A great number of
tons of rock stone have also been dropped in, as
well as some thousand sacks of earth. It is not at
all surprising that the dam should burst when it is
known that the panel was not dropped into the
groove true, there being a space of at least 6inches
between the side of the panel and the groove at the
bottom. With such insecurity as this, and the very
small depth to which they were driven, the only
wonder would have been if the structure had re-
mained firm.

The greatest fear is still felt that the whole struc-
ture will be carried away before the spring tides are
over. The " shores" connected with the centre of
the dam, and the struts on the shore, are notoriously
insufficient to bear the heavy stress put upon them
at every tide, and the tides will be at their highest
point to-night or to-morrow. This morning there
was a very high tide, and the cofferdam was
watched with the greatest anxiety. The wind is
very high from the W., and should Admiral Fitz-
roy's prognostications of a gale from the W.N.W.
turn out correct (which, from the manner in which
the wind is now blowing great guns, is very likely
to be the case), nothing on earth can same the
framework of the cofferdam, which is now the only
check that the waters have. There is reason to
believe that the vast quantities of °lunch and rock
stone which have been deposited in the neighbour-
hood of the dam have had the effect of filling up the
holes to a great extent, which were caused by the
very strong scour.
Immediately after the dam gave way on
to Tue
an ad-
sday
Mr. Hawkshaw left the works, and up
vanced hour to-day he had not been seen there

again.
The effect of the inundation and the subsequent I
delays, &c., en the value of Fen property regener is
ally,
is admitted to be very great, and the depreciation
said to be 20 per cent. from the value of the lands
prior to this sad disaster.
It is very desirable that some amicable arrange-
ment should be come to between the Middle Level
Commissioners and suffer6ra to avoid needless liti-
gation, there being every reason to believe that the
engineering evidence will be ivery strong against
the Middle Level Commissioners whenever the
matter shall be brought into court.

SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF it LADY.—EX,
HUMATION OP TILE Bola,.

at ten o'clock, Mr. John
Aiiiiinddgiesex coroner, opened an in-
vestigation Humphreys, Yesterday
att tthe
morning,
Plough
opposite the cemetery, touching Tavern Mensal-green,
the death of Mrs.
Frances Phillips, aged 27. The deceased bad
been buried for some four months, and it was
upon the urgent representations of her friends
that the coroner issued his warrant for the exhu-
mation of the body from Kensal-grcen Cemetery,
with the view to the analysation of the contents of
the stomach, preparatory to the present inquiry.
Mr. Potter appeared on behalf of Mr. Phillips, the
husband of deceased ; and Mr. T. Blackburn and
Mr. Gould represented the deceased's relatives,
The jury having proceeded to view the body,
which lay on a mound in the cemetery beside the
grave, and which seemed to be in a remarkable state
of preservation, the following evidence was adduced:
Mr. Gould was called to identify the body, but he
said he was unable to speak positively on the subject.
The Coroner then directed Mrs. Diana Leda, the
mother of the deceased, to be taken in a cab to the
cemetery to identify the body.
The identification of the body having been made,
Mrs. Leele gave evidence to that effect.
The Coroner said, owing to information he had re-
ceived that the chemical analysis of the storn
it
acb
of deceased had not been concluded, he thought
advisable not to take further evidence on the present
occasion. He should therefore adjourn the Court
once.
It was stated that the chemical m
danalysis
has made
has been
confided to Dr. Harley, and Dr. Edmunds
the post mortem examination of the body,
The case appeared to excite great interest.