The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-05-02
FRANCE'SAWFULFLOOD.
The Death List Has Increased
to III.
FIFTY BODIES RECOVERED so FAR.
The Bursted Reservoir Was Supposed 20
he Especially Strong In Construction.
The Mad Waters Swept Everything Be
fore Them-Big Damage to Property.

EP1NAL, France, April 29.-The list
of the fatalities caused by the breaking
Of the great Bouzey dyke in the Epinal
district of the Vosges increases every
hour. One hundred and seventeen
deaths have already been reported, but
only 90 bodies have been recovered. It
is believed that the death list will be
greatly in excess of the figures above
given when all the districts are heard
from. 1t is supposed that many of the
dead were swept into isolated places
where it will be O long time before the
bodies are found.
The whole region over which the
thousands of tons of water swept in a
sort of wreckage, and the whole coun.
try presents q most desolute appear
ance, In many places the early crops
were swept clean out of the ground and
the losses thus incurred will be very
heavy.
Six prigades of Gendarmes have ar.
rived and they have been detailed to
act as guards. Every attempt is being
made to reorganize the district, but this
is rendered difficult by the waters.
The Aviere, o small, narrow stream,
is now in some places mile and half
wide. The railways in the vicinity of
the Darnisulles station, was torn up.
Rails and ties were swept away and the
embankments destroyed. Nearly every
bridge on the line of flood was either
destroyed or so badly damaged that
they will have to be rebuilt.
The construction of the dyke or dam
was commenced in 1879 and finished in
1884. In 1889 IL was greatly strength.
ened. 1t was heavy masonary $50
yards long, 66 feet high and 90 feet
thick at the base. The masonry was
carried into the ground to depth of 80
feet below the level of the valley into
which the reservoir discharged its water.
1t was built against a vertical face of
solid rock, having a maximum height
of 1S feet. The base rested on sand
stone bottom of natural formation.
The massive construction of the dam
was considered to be a guarantee that
it would hold back any weight of water
that could be brought against it. Until
the strengthening of the work in 1859,
it was not subjected to the full pressure
of the water which it was built to hold
The distress among the homeless
dwellers Of the valley is very great and
in many cases they appear to be men
tally benumbed by the calamity that
has fallen them.
The government is fully awake to the
disaster and is doinHeverything possible
to relieve their suffering M. Dupuy,
minister of public works, and M. Lei
CUES, minister of the interior, are now
on their way here to assume charge Of
the relief work. Three thousand francs
have already been received for relief
purposes and the ministers will bring
5000 more from the funds of their de.
partments, and 900 francs contributed
by President Faure. Madame Heine
has sent 10000 francs, which will be
applied to relieving the sufferers.
The prefect of the department has
visited all the district affected by the
disaster He has organized the EN-.
ployes ON the public roads, and aided by
the military, will as soon as possible re-
store communication. These employees
and the soldiers will also search for the
dead and Immediately bury all the dead
animals they may find. All the munic-
ipal authorities are working oeaselessly
in distributing relief and seeking to
bring order ont of the chaos prevailing.
Over $4,000 persons from the nearby
towns and the surrounding country have
visited the scene Of the disaster.
The burial of 10 of the victims has
taken place at Domevere. one of the
villages that suffered the worst from the
inundation. Two thousand persons at.
tended the services, which were held
while the graves were being dug. There
were many heartrending scenes while
the bodies were being consigned to the
earth.
In some places the force of the tor.
rent let loose by the break in the dyke
was so great that entire houses were
swept away and large trees were torn
up by the roots. The reservoir was
situated close to the village of Bouzey,
and was connected with the canal De
LEST. The breach caused by the rush
Of water is over 100 meters broad.