The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-21
THE FLOODS IN FRANCE.

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THE RUINED DIsTRIoTs-DEArH, DEso1ATIoN
AND MIAsMA UNDER A ToRRID sUN-oN THE
LINE OF THE GARoNNE FROM LUcHoN, THE
SCENE OF THE FIRST DAMAGE, TO BARsAo,
WHERE THE LATEST OCCURRED.
Paris July A. correspondence OF London
Standard
The excessive rapidly with which was under
the necessity OF travelling during the southern
tour from which have just returned, TO say
nothing OF the diGiculty Of communication be-
tween places which in ordinary times are easily
accessible by rail, and ] must also confess the
fatigue which owe takes one after ten or twelve
hours visiting ruined localities under torIid sun
! ana IN the midst OF an atmosphere reekng with
masma, did not enable me TO do more than lay
before you by kilograms and letters, which lear
may have been somewhat disjointed, the leading
features OF this extraordinary calamity. My note
| book Is yet full OF Incidents which | could not
even refer TO, and which I think may interest
your readers and VIII convince the charitable who
l perceive are nobly coming forward In England.
that publc benevoenco has seldom Deen appealed
to for more worthy object IL Is not necessary
TO oyerdraw the picture or oversiate the case.
MACMAHON'5 PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
saw IL mentioned IN one OF the papers read
here last night that Marshal MacMahon was SO
struck Win the sight OF one or TWO OF the ruined
villages he has been visiting that he SAID he
had not seen any scene OF destruction so com pete
LII
shat ala indulge IN so wild piece oil eXaggeration
IL must De inferred that his memory Is not equal
TO ms experience. What ne PROBABLY did mean to
convey was That war Itself cou ID not have raYaQed
the district no visited more completely. And
that Is certainly not only true but WITHIN the
truth.
TIE VALLEY or THE GARoNNE IN UTTER RUIN.
. Ihere cannot be DOUBT that the valley OF
the Garonne has peen more enectually ruined
than It would have been by a battle near Tou-
louise, followed by hostile occupation OF many
months, ana that for years to come the conse-
q.
verey lelt by the agricultural and manufacturing
populations OF the country, who have not, as
RUE, accumulatlonS TO fall back upon.
From Bagneres de Luchon the Garonne taking
broad sweep to the northwest, runs in valley
when IL gradually gets narrower, until the juno
ton OF the Dordogne with the Garonne Lorms the
side this valley is bounded by ridge OF hills OF
preclpitous character and OF granite formation.
Inc valley Is most fertile, and corn and fax are
chleny cultivated. 1t is studded with towns and
prosperous villages, all OF which have suffered IN
proportion with their distance from the stream.
On tue right bank mainly runs the railway from
Bordeaux TO Toulouse, and from Toulouse to Cette
and Toulouse TO TarDes, and 1T crosses the river
above Toulouse on no fewer than seven bridges
There Is also nearly parallel with the stream
canal, which also crosses the river on magnificent
yladucts, the most remarkable OF when is at
Ageu.
FROM LUoHoN TO BARsAc.
Many villages are situated between tHe river
and the canal ana thus found themselves n me
expression may be used between two nres, and
the line OF the GarOnne from Luchon, where the
last occurred Is, as exactly as l can measure it,
225 miles in length, on breadCh which varies be-
notes no fewer than thrly-dve bridges or viaduots
have been carried away including the numerous
communication between towns and villages oppo-
site each other on different sides OF the stream,
but not for the purpose OF general traffic
FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE OUT OF WORK.
the most interesting question IN regard TO this
M nj a Ins gXaF Raoer OF people
spring | believe 1t to be very considerable, but
II would be rash TO offer conjecture on the sub
1ect At Toulouse the number OF unemployed is
$4,000, nut IN other places the victims are dis
persed to such an extent that there are abso-
tainly not below he mark.
Oscillation ON ALL SIDES.
1t is not in places Ike. Toulouse That the sense
OF desoation caused by he plague OF waters can
be realized The evil does not stare you in the
aa 20 even walk G tbroaab m me Ra MAKE I'm
without putting up ones handkerchief to
ones nose does not disturb the loungers
ner parties at Tlvoliers. But in the country,
where ruined villages are set in a frame or
presses one with leelDg oil awe. One can realize
the position of the wretcned inhabitants oil such
me water raced madiy over the plain, TO the !
height or from ten TO twelve feet, tearing up
reslstless power every obstacle IN Its path, sur
prised IN their beds ana spending hour after hour /
psrched on the H r9os Of their nouses seeing build.
way until their turn came, aud with q
fearful crash they were Whrled away
amid the boating wreck and human bodies /
were crushed beneath the runs or their uwel- /
ing. What must nave been terrible ia these /
small Isolated villages was the agony OF suspense |
the conviction that no help OF any kind was at
hand. ana that the only chance was the house
5 handing until the water subsidized.
THE LOSS OF LIFE.
As to the loss OF lie, | believe have already !
tJld sou that IN my opinion II has been grossly |
exaggerated when IL mas been set down at 5000. /
Indeed, believe can now account for the nav |
In welch THIS hgure got into print. 1t oessed /
to come from an Official source, and | presume (
that 1t was meant as an approximate state
ment OF the number OF houses destroyed, not !
the number OF lives. How many really persisted !
cannot be known until ormal roll can rs gone |
through This Is not so diflcalt an operation as
1t seems, as every man, woman aud child in
France have their 6tdt ctutL, and owing to the (
French system OF rural taxation, called presto
ton en- nGtltfe, their domicle Is pretty generally
known.
THE LOSSES OF LIFE VASTLY EXAGGERATED
IN NuMBBR-THB LOSS OF PROPERTY IN
cALcULApLE--FEARs OF SECOND OVER
FLOW or THE RIVER GARoNNE.
Toulouse July 81 correspondence OF the London
1imes.l
II is much to be regretted that gross exaggera-
t!ons with regard 10 the loss OF lie have been cir
culated through he medium Of tie French press.
AS announced previously, 300 is the number OF