The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-09 00:00:00

It is satisfactory so far to state that the dam
accross the Fen drain of St. Mary's brick bridge
was commenced and completed yesterday, between
tides, and with such success as to stand against that
evening's and this morning's assaults. The frame-
work consists of six piles driven into the bed of the
drain, across which three timbers are fixed hori-
zontally. The intervening spaces were covered
with battens, forming a shield, against which 5,000
sacks full of earth were deposited. The woodwork
was executed by Mr. Harding ; but the farmers of
the district claim the credit of the earthwork, which
was done under their direction, as they were dis-
satisfied with what they were considered the dila-
tory nature of the engineer's proceedings.
As a matter of course, the closing of one channel
by the dam has sent the water in large quantities
over the banks between dam and sluice, which are
still very low—so low that at high water they were
for a considerable length invisible. The work of
heightening them was resumed as soon as the sub-
sidence of the water would admit, and sanguine
hopes are entertained that by this evening they
will be effectually raised the one or two feet neces-
sary for their purpose. These raised banks are
now being systematically made of good clay mixed
with straw and roughly paddled. The work is
superintended by the farmers of the two districts
jointly ; the working committee of Marshland,
Smeeth, and Fen, and the expenditors of Marshland
taking the lead.
The dam at the junction sluice has been com-
menced under the direction of Mr. Murray, C.E.,
end preparations are making for that proposed by
Sir J. Rennie, near the sluice. A number of men
are engaged in pulling the sluice to pieces, in order
to save the materials, which would soon have fallen
in a confused heap. The north as well as the south
wings are now decided undermined and cracked,
and large masses of masonry have fallen into the
bed of the drain. The sheet-piling, not long since
put down, is also being washed away. But the
most alarming fact is, that the south bank, where
it joins the bank of the Ouse, is caving
in rapidly—portions of a score or more tons
weight every now and then falling into the
gulf with a crash. They are soon softened and dis-
persed by the stream.
Mr. Valentine, C.E., and Mr. W. S. Simpson,
contractor, having been retained by the Court of
Sewers, have inspected the Marshland drain, and are
making preparations for their work. The first thing
is to heighten the banks from the outfall up to the
junction sluice ; and it is also intended to have piles
and pile-engines, and all other essentials, prepared
for striking a dam at any time should it become de-
sirable. The dam which was put across the junction
sluice itself has been taken out again, under Mr.
Valentine's directions, to allow the back water to
run off through the sewer, as otherwise there was
danger of its bursting the dam.
The meeting and dinner of the Marshland Agri-
cultural Association, whieh was to have been held
under the presidency of Mr. G. P. Bentinck, M.P.
(an extensive land owner in the district), has been
postponed sine die, in consequence of the present
calamity.

EXTRAO_RDINARY ESCAPE AND SUICIDE
OF 21 LUNATIC GENTLEMAN.

Yesterday an inquiry was held by Mr. H. Raffles
Walthew, the deputy coroner for East Middlesex,
at the Grove Hall Asylum, Bow, respecting the
death of Mr. Benjamin Ward, aged 40, who com-
mitted suicide through mortification at being re-
captured after an escape, which he effected with
singular address and determination.
The jury having been shown over the asylum
and grounds,
John Hill, an attendant, said that the deceased
was a private gentleman, and had been an inmate
of the Gentlemen's Ward for some time. He had
great conversational powers and spoke quite ra-
tionally. On Thursday evening he watched his
opportunity, and contrived to squeeze himself
through a ventilating aperture in the dining-room
window, only a few inches in width. Ho then
dropped down into the flower-beds, and by some
means got over the lofty walls surrounding the
grounds. An alarm was immediately raised, but
he got clear off. No trace could be discovered
until next day, when he was seen quite acciden-
tally by the barber of the establishment in Mile-end
walking into London. The barber, recognising him,
came out of his shop, and to his dismay accosted
him, and asked him to return to the asylum.
Though overwhelmed at the sudden upset of his
plans, he made no resistance, but allowed himself
to be brought back, and was given into witness's
charge. Witness, to amuse him, took him into
the garden, and he there said that after he had
escaped over the wall he determined to throw his
pursuers out of their reckoning by walking to
Woodford, which was about 7 miles in the opposite
direction to London, and thus avoid the road they
would be almost sure to suppose he had taken.
When he got to Woodford he took lodgings, where
he spent the night. The next morning, however,
he considered that if he could get into London he
should be more likely to escape notice, and he
accordingly set out early to enter it un-
observed, and he should have succeeded per-
fectly only for the accident of Gilbert, the bar-
ber, spying him from his shop as he was passing in
the morning. He said that he had set his heart on
accomplishing his escape. Shortly after this conver-
sation witness turned his back for a moment, and
directly afterwards missed the deceased. Supposing
that he had again tried escape witness had the
grounds searched, but without avail. Upon the house
being searched, however, he was found hanging to
the cornice of his bedstead by a new rope, which he
must have bought while in Woodford. The body
was warm, but life was quite extinct, and all reme-
dies proved of no avail.
George Gayton, another assistant, having given
evidence,
Dr. A. Stocker, medical superintendent, said that
the deceased when brought back by the barber from
the Mile-end-road seemed extraordinarily agitated.
He said that he was led to make his escape by a
vision which told him his wife was dead. Witness
took from him a small penknife of his wife's, and
gave instructions to have him carefully watched,
which the attendants appeared to have done, except
for the instant in which he gave them the slip.

The Coroner remarked that it ought to be ren-
dered impossible for any lunatic to commit suicide
in an asylum.
Dr. Stocker said that if precautions of an extreme
kind were carried out the place would partake of
such a prison-like aspect that the curative treatment
of the patients would become impossible. There
were 100 or 200 patients in the establishment who
had been admitted as suicidal, but the cheerful un-
restraining system had such an influence on them
that the present was only the second instance of
suicide that had been accomplished.
_ _

The jury returned a verdict of suicide NNhile of
unsound mind.

-- - -- - - ------
At our market this morning the demand for goild sorts
was steady, and late prices may be quoted ; damp samples
were easier to purchase. In barley a moderate busa:uesal
doing. Peas 6d per qr lower.
Wheat.... Old white....per qr ... 56s Od to 595 od//
Old red mples
538 0(1
New white
New red .... „
Dantzic, Konb , .c. old white 55s Od to 59s Od
Dutch, Belgian, and. French. 58s Od to 62a Od
Baltic and hamburg, red
St. Petersburg and Riga, old sos Od to 52s O.
Barley.... English malting 34s Od to 37s Oat
Grinding 3lB Od to 33s Oct
Saal and Oderbruck

Holstein and Danish 34s Od to 36s Od

Grinding 2Bs Oct to 31s Od
Oats .English, new
Archangel and Riga' per st oBl2ld to 13a
Friesland and Dutch oBl3d to 03131 d.
Swedish and Danish oal2 Icl to osl3d
Beans ....English, old, per qr
New pigeon 42s Od to 44s Od
New tick. 4os Od to 42s Od
Egyptian
Peas Foreign breakers
Grinding
Tares ....Spring
Indian Corn
Linseed, feeding s2s Od to 56s Od
crushig • 4os Od to 52s Oct
Linseed cakes (Hull) £9 0 0 to £9 5 0
Foreign Bl5 oto 9 0 0
Rape cakes 6 0 oto 6 5 0
Bones .. 5 5 oto 610 0

COAL Di
(Moo of Coal per Ton a.
s. d.
Wylam ..16 0
Carway and Duffryn
Malting .. 23 6

Do. -Anthracite 21 6
Holywell 15 6
Lambert's West Host-

.ARKET.
; the close of the market.

0. d.
Buddle's West Hartley 15 9

Walls End.

Haswell ..... . 18 0
Heugh Hall 16 G
Braddyll's HeAon..• l7 0
Stewart's 17 G
Russel's Hetton. 16 9
Hetton .. . lB 0
South Hetton 18 0
Hartlepool. ...17 6
South Hardep001......16 3
Tunstall
K elloe . l6 9
Eden '6 6
Gosforth 16 0
Acorn Close ..16 6
A, 99; sold, 63.

ley l5 6
Eden Main ...16 0
Byass's Bebside West
Hartley . ...15 9
Davison's West Hart-
.. 15 9
ley
Hastings Hartley ....15 9
NN alker Primrose 12 6
Tanfield Moor l2 6
Tanfield Moor Butes 12 6
Ships at market

FOREIGN MAIL I'ACEI2 LIST.

MAILS DUE.

Aus'aalia and Mauritius, via Southampton . . Oct, 19.
via Marseilles .. Oct. 13.
Brazil and Cape Verds, by British packet. . Nov. 4.
Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena.. Nov. I.
China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton. Oct. 19.
Falkland Islands via Marseilles ...Oct. 13.
Nov. 4.
Gibraltar, via Southampton Oct. 15.
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton Oct. 19.
, via Marseilles Oct. 13.
India (Bombay), via Southampton Oct. 15.
via Marseilles Oct. 9.
Lisbon Nov. 4.
Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton Oct. 15.
via Marseilles Oct. 9.
Newfoundland .. Oct. 15.
Oporto and Vigo
U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet.... Oct. 15.
by U.S. packet....
W.C. of Africa, Madeira, and byT
Bahamas, via New York ........ Oct. 23.
Oct. 29.
Mexico ••
e ner Canadianiffe.
.. .p.ac. k. o. t..
„,00,.
Lt . 10 .
All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, 1 Oct. 14.
California, and British Columbia. ...........

BIRTHS.

BLACKWOOD.—On the 6th inst., at 6, Merrion-square, E.,
Dublin. the wife of Sir Francis Blackwood, Bart., R.N.,
of a son.
CooKE.—On the 7th inst., at 76, Upper Berkeley-street,
Portman-square, the wife of Weedon Cooke, Esq., of e
daughter.
PERRY.—On the Bth inst., at Bridge House, Hackney, the
wife of John Perry, jun,, of a daughter.
THYNNE.—On the 7th inst., at Berryland, Surbiton,
E. L. Thynne, of a daughter.

MARRIAGES.
On the 2d inst., at St. Peter's, Bel-
rave-square, ll7Johnm Rcndle, of Exeter, 1°
REgrLiloaDuvliel Esther, daughter of Mr. George Turpin, of the
Theatre-royal, Haymarket.
WILLIAMS—BRADSHAW.—On the 7th inst., at Trio"
Church, Marylebone, Major. General MolyneuxWilliatea,
K.H., to Eliza Agar, youngest daughter of the late -
jor-General L. Bradshaw, KM., of the Ist Life Guarder
and of Harley. street, Cavendish-square.

D,
age ,7118 S. .
ASIIPORM—On the sth inst. at Westmill, Buntingfordt
George Ashforth, Esq,
ClefAhlaTtfy, Esq,,EeY.-othe Sth inst., at Clapham-common, J°llll
aged 72.
D'ORSEY.—On the 4th inst., suddenly, Mory Anne, wife
of the Rev. Alex. J. D. 1111'Otsey, Cambridge.
HAMMOND.—On the 7th inst., at Brighton, George P'
Hammond, Esq., aged 46.
alla)
HEATON,—On the 7th inst., at Highgate, Birmiligh
Ralph Heaton, aged 69.
PEAL.—On the 7th inst., at 11, Duke-street, Grosvenor"
square, Mr. Nathaniel Peal, aged 70.
WALKER.—On the Bth inst., suddenly, at 23, Great Gitot:
street, Westminster, James Walker, Esq., C.E.,
aged 81.

- -
LONDON : Printed and Published by JOHN ciIArLID.29
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at THE SUN Office,
Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the Cotual
bliddleaex.—Thursday, October 9, 1862. No.ll