Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-04-29
IN AWFUL DISASTER
Was the Bursting Of the Dam at
Epinal, France.
One Hundred and Fifteen Deaths
Already Reported, and Many
More Fatalities Doubtless Oc-
cured-The Havoc Wrought by
the Resistless Sweep of the
Water-Measures Of Relief.

Epinal, France, April 2S-The list
of the fatalities caused by the breaking
yesterday morning of the great Bouzey
dyke in the Epinal district of the VOs-
ges increases every hour One hum
dred and fifteen deaths have already
been reported, but only fifty bodies
have been recovered. 1t 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 a long time before the bodies are
found.
The region over which the thous-
ands of tons of water swept in re-
sistless food is strewn with every sort
| of wreckage, and the whole country
presents a most
DESOLATE APPEARANCE.
In many places the early crops were
swept clean out of the ground, and the
losses thus incurred will be very heavy.
Six brigades of gen d'armes have ar
rived. and they have been detailed to
act as guards. Every attempt is be-
ing made TO reorganiZe the district, but
this is rendered difficult by the waters.
The Aviere, a small, narrow stream,
is now in some places a mile and half
wide. The railways in the vicinity Of
the Darnieulles Station was torn up
Rails and ties were swept away, and
the embalkments destroyed. Nearly
every bridge on the line of the food
was either destroyed or so badly dam
aged that they will
HAVE TO BE REBUILT.
The contrruction of the iyke CT dam
was commenced in 1879 and finished
in 1894. In 1889 it was greatly
strengthened. 1t was heavy masonry
$50 yards long, 66 feet high, and &C feet
!hick at the tase. The masonry was
carried into the ground to depth of
go feet below The Level Cf :hu valley
into which the reservoir discharged its
water. 1t was built against a vertical
face of solid rock having a maximum
height of Is feet. The base rested on
a sandstone bottom of natural forma-
ton.
THE MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION
of the dam was considered to be
guarantee that it would hold back any
weight of water that could be brought
against it, Until the strengthening of
the work in 1889, 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 befalen them. The government is
fully awake to the disaster and is doing
everything possible to
RELIEVE THEIR SUFFERING.
NJ. Dupuy Minister of Public Works,
NJ. Leigues, Minister of the Interior,
are now on their way here to assume
charge of the relief work. Three
thousand franc have already been re-
ceived for relief purposes and the Min
listers will bring 5000 more from the
funds Of their departments and 1000
francs contributed by President
Faure. Madame Heine has sent
twenty thousand francs, which will be
applied to relieving the sufferers.
The Prefect of the Department has
visited all the districts affected by the
disaster. He has organized the en-
plOyes on the public roads, and aided
by the military, will, as soon as possi-
BILE restore communication. These EN-
ployes Nnd the soldiers will also
search for the dead, and Immediately
bury all the dead animals they may
find All the municipal authorities
are
WORKING CEASELESSLY
in distributing relief and seeking to
bring order ont of the chaos prevail
ing. Over $4,000 persons from the
nearby towns and the surrounding
country visited the scene of the disas-
ter to-day.
At four o'clock this afternoon the
burial of fifteen of the victims took
place at Domevere, one of the villages
that suffered the worst from the inun-
datiOn. 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