The water has again made its way into the Thames
Tunnel. The accident occured on Wednesday. About twelve o'clock, the water began to flow through an aperture in the roof, and the men were em- ployed in pumping it out- " At five o'clock, finding it was quite useless to proceed in the attempt to check the steady increase of the water, which had then risen ten feet, the attea. tion of the engineers and the workmen was therefore turned to securing all pea of the shield ; which operation was carefully and derberately done. The ca. riosity of the men, who were anxious to watch the gradual rise of the water, rendered it very difficult for the engineer to withdraw them, even when it had become expedient to do so. By about half-past five, the tunnel was tilled; everybody having retired in good order. It is gratifying to add that no acci- dent has occurred to any individual. Soundings were immediately taken by the engineer ; and the displacement of ground having been ascertained to be of limited extent, steps were taken forthwith to stop the aperture from above, u upon former occasions, in order to resume the pumping as soon as possible."
Such is the brief account of Mr. Challier, Clerk of the Company. A correspondent of the Globe gives the following additional penicillin of the disaster- " Not the slightest breach is apparent in the masonry of the Tunnel. The influx of water which has stopped the progress of the work for the present, bar occurred through the upper story and in the eastern corner of the shield, in the compartments No. 11 and 12; without, however, injuring or displacing any E portion of that very ingenious and effective apparatus, composed as it is of four thousand pieces,—an invention by which Mr. Brunel has justly acquired as 1, much credit as by the original idea of connecting the shores of Middlesex all Sorry by a tunnel. The work has already proceeded 730 feet, 100 feet beyond the middle point of the bed of the river, and 130 beyond the place where the last breach occurred. The buoy which always lies moored so obstinately 'aver the Tunnel, to enable the engineers to take soundings, &c. and which is 0 frequently the victim of collisions on the river,' (its repairs for the past week cost 501.) did good service on Wednesday night, by depositing sixty tons of clay (kept ready in bags) on the spot of the river-bed under which the strata bad given way. The work of reparation commenced at two o'clock on Thurs.
day morning, when the river had fallen to eight feet (the usual low-water orer the 'Funnel) ; and we understand that every arrangement has licenmadeby
Mr. Brunel in person for completing it as speedily as possible; which, with the experience now acquired in this very necessary department of the Tunnel' work, it is hoped will be effected in the space of a week, so that the interior operations may be again carried on with undiminished power."
No lives were lost, but some of the workmen bad a narrow escape- " When the water had advanced nearly to the top, (for it still came al ro
Ovally that no rush wail apprehended,) two of the assistant engineers and gr men got into a boat ; and having first fastened a rope to it, and agreed that c-tillagiven signal being Bounded it. should be drawn back, paddled themselves -down the surface of the water, with the intention of examining the faces of the pith, to discover the full extent of the mischief. in this perilous situation they continued until the boat had got to as great a distance as the rope would allow it to go, and they were then obliged to put back to splice a piece on to the me. The shortness of this rope was a most providential circumstance, and to iithe six adventurou individuals ndividuals no doubt owe. their lives; fur while they were splicing the rope, heard a rumbling noise, and found that the lights
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were becoming extinguished. latter was too significant a hint to be mis- taken, and all hastened up the stairs, although nothing like disorder at any time prevailed. As they were going up, a rush of air was heard and felt; and the water was at their heels in a.n instaut. Indeed, as ono of the assistant engiceers, who coolly let all ascend before him, ran up to the last three steps, the water rose several inches above his knees. All the machinery is still in working order, and nothing has been damaged. The bed of the river will be examined by the engineer, by means of a diving bell, in a few days."
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