American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-12-03

FEARFUL SCENES IN France Hundreds Of
L;res Lost We have already noticed the tor
rents ofrain which fell in France in October,
and the awful foundations that followed, by
which property to the extent of millions OF
francs was acknowledgements of cattle per-
shetland hundreds of human lives lost
Whole hamlets were swept away, and several
villages were completely submerged. The Par
is correspondent ofthe Boston Atlas gives some
thrilling incidents connected with the calam-
| ity:-
A diligence with eleven passengers, ten men
and one woman, left Fcurs on its way to Paris.
1t was obliged to cross the Loire. The people
Oh the bridge, who were watching the RAPID
rise OF the river, warned them not 10 proceed,
as the causeway beyond was already under wa
ter, but an inspector, one OF the passengers,
said that he had come over that very piece of
road two hours before, and it was perfectly safe
and ne called on the driver to proceed -
They went on, and in three minutes the horses
stood still, where they could neither turn nor
90 on. The passengers dashed the diligence to
tree by small rope, and waited for help
Seven men i'll boat attempted TO reach them,
but failed, and were obliged TO tasten their boat
to & tree, and remain IN her all night. Soon
the lady in the coupee cried out that she was
drowning, and called upon those on the top to
get her out. The conductor and driver let down
a rope, which priest also i'll the couPce last
ened around her body. The attempt to hoist
her up capsized the diligence and broke the
rope by which it was fastened to the tree. She
with the conductor and driver, was drowned.
Before this, a man had cut one OF the horses
loose and got upon his back, with young man
behind him and attempted to reach The shore,
but the horse fell, and both the men were
thrown into the stream-tho younger was
drowncd-tho elder seized the top Of a tree, in
which he established himself till morning.
Meanwhile the diligence, broken from its
moorings, began to drift down the stream
The priest, vino was III Tie coupee, now made
an attempt to get out on the top, and, at the
same moment was seized around the legs by Il
young man, who was overheard. 1t was the
work of moment In the struggle the young
man lost his hold, and sunk. The carriage had
now reached the centre of the roaring and i'm
petuous Loire, and the poor wretches who
clung to it gave up the last hope-but Just at
that moment, and after they had fioa ed eight
hundred yards down the current, an eddy drew
them out OF the main stream, and they soon
lodged between two large trees They spent
the night in that horrible position, and were
rescued the next day, after losing SIX OF the
thirteen who started from Feurs upon the
coach. In another instance, diligence was
similarly overtaken by the waters, but the dri-
yer managed to swim ashore, wenta mile after
boat, in which he could get no one to venture
with him, and, returning alone, he saved the
whole company, as ifby miracle.
Deeds of wonderful courage and humanity
were performed. One man saved eighty per
sons from drowning, but at last fell by acciden,
from his boat, that he had Just filled from al
: inundated village, and though those whom he
had saved made every possible effort TO recover
him, he was swept away and lost.