The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-21 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

•S'r,—The subject of cleansing, tl)er111)-.mrs.is not
a question of rxtrema didiculty, or of fabulous ex-
Fe,s.., 11 we would make use of the simple but
powerful means nature places at our disposal, re•
ciniring mere common sense to turn them to
account.

A large ship canal from between Pot tsmouth and
S.)tithlmpton to London would be a paying specu-
lation. Bring this canal well above London, and
communica'iug with the Thsmes by several flood-.
gates, having a short branch forking off to c;dr .y
down tall-masted vessels to below bridges. The
judicious introduction of this immense mass of sea
water into the river would produce the same result
as takes place during the winter rains—viz., make
the ebb tide more rapid and of longer duration than
the flood by two or three hours. Thus, iii 12
hours the ebb will run rapidly eight or nino hours,
the flood sluggishly for three or four hours ;
consequently after a few days there will never be
an accumulation of sewerage, the ebb taking it off
quicker than it can run into the river. The flood-
gates will keep this mass of sea water under perfect
control.

It is quite certain that in the event of a war with
Prance, and with steno privateers swarming in the
Channel, no man in his senses would risk the pas-
saga from Southampton to London round by hover
—independent of the dangers incidental to navi•-
gating that most dangerous and intricate coast—
if they had such a s ife port as Southampton to run
into at once, with the advantage, in addition, of a
comparatively short communication to London for
veesela of every size. Thus the ship canal would
more than pay for itself, and convey ate immense
volume of.water to the Tharne4,.whicL, acting ac-
cording to the common laws of nature, would servo
to keep .the river clear, without demanding any
expensive works and upsetting the half of London,
and to do that upon which_ hardly any two engi-
neers c n perf ctly agree.
One thing is quite evident, that, whatever may
be the opinion Of individuals as to the most efficient
application of the water so ly:ou4ht—whether my
suggestion be good or bad—there will have been
conveyed to the most convenient spot and in suffi-
cient quantity, and without expense (the canal be-
ing a paying speculation), an agent without which
DO plan for cleansing the Thames can be per-
manently successful.
Such a canal as I propose has often been talked
of. There can Le DO great engineering difficulties
to overcome in the construction of a work of such
a nature.—l am; sir,_ yours, &c.,
G. R. SARTORITS, Vice-Admiral.
United Service Club, July 16.

SUDDEN DEATH THROUGH INTEM-
PERANCE.

Yesterday Mr. Wakley, coroner for West Mid-
dlesex, held an inquiry at the Elephant and Castle,
Camden-town, touching the death of Eliza Smith,
a married woman, aged 50, lately residing at 47,
Hastings-street, Burton-crescent, but who died in
the workhouse infirmary a few hours after a'lmis-
sion to that institution, from the effects of severe
violence, the unfortunate woman's body being
c)vered with bruises and contusions of a dreadful
character, so that rumours of a most painful nature
had in consequence arisen in the neighbourhood as
to the mode in which such severe injuries could
have been inflicted.

It appeared from the evidence of Mr. Coster,
surgeon to the infirmary, and Sarah Thompson, a
nurse, that the deceased was admitted on Thurs-
day morning last, when she was in an insensible,
and, indeed, dying, condition, for she gradually.
sunk and expired a few hours afterwards. Iler face,
head, and body presented one mass of bruises and
contusions, so that parts were perfectly black, be-
sides which she had a dreadful wound on her head,
extending down to the nose. The appearance the
deceased presented was dreadful in the extreme,
and to add to the horrible sight, erysipelas having
set in in the head and face, they were swollen to
an enormous extent. Mr. Coster discovered that
death arose from an attack of erysipelas consequent
upon the frightful wound on the head. Internally,
the deceased's organs presented a healthy appear-
ance, with the exception of the liver, which re-
sembled that of a person given to excessive intoxi-
cation.
The cause of death having been thus clearly
proved, the Coroner remarked that the next thing
would be to find out how the severe injuries seen
on the deceased were produced.
Charles Smith, the deceased's husband, was called
to prove the deceased's identity.
The deceased's landlady (Mrs. Biggins) and a
lodger (Alfred Borwick) were then called, when
they spoke to the deceased's habitual habits of in-
toxication, during which time she fell down stairs,
causing, as they believed, the injuries she had died
from. They never knew the husband beat the de-
ceased, nor did she ever complain of his conduct.
A man named Costello gave evidence as to a
slight scuffle he saw on one occasion between the
deceased and her husband, but there was nothing
of importance elicited.
Souse further corroborative evidence was given,
when

The Coroner having carefully summed up,
Tee jury returned a verdict to the effect that the
deceased died from injuries sustained by her falling
down stairs while intoxicated.
The inquiry then terminated.
[From the above it will be seen that the report,
which we copied from a contemporary, alleging that
the deceased died from the violence of her husband,
is entirely without foundation. On the contrary,
he seems to have treated his wife with kindness.]

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lme, Woodside, Hosfortb, was seized by a serious
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" gradually got worse, and was prevented following any
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imtructionf, and was cured in a few weeks. He wifibl
Mr. Hollings, druggist, to make hie• case known.—Sol
by all medicine vendors throughout the world, and at
Professor Holloway's Establishment, 244, Strand,
London.