The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-04-29
Big RESERVOIR BREAKS.
Many Lives Lost in a Fertile VAL
ley in France.
OVER A HUNDRED KNOWN DEATHS.
This Lat VIII Doubtless be Largely In
creased as the Work of Reconstruction
Progresses Early Crops Swept from the
Grounds by the Force Of tho Flood.

inns h<iat WIN DVtptiSsb W Largely IN
creased as the Work of Reconstruction
Progresses- EARLY Crops Swept from the
Grounds by the Force Of tho Flood.
EPINAL, France, April 20 - The great
Bouzey dixie of the Epinal district of the
Vosges burst Saturday, and through gap
300 feet wide thousands of tons of water
rushed In mighty torrent, wiping out
scores OF lives and doing immense damage.
One hundred and fifteen deaths have nj
ready been reported, but only fifty bodies
have been r. oyered 1t is believed that
the death list will be greatly in excess of
the figures above given, when all the dis
tricts devastated arc heard from, 1t is
supposed that many Of the dead were
swept into isolated places, where 1t Will be
long time before the bodies are found.
The whole region over which the thou
sands of tons of water swept in a resistless
food is strewn with every sort of wreck
age, and the whole country presents
most desolate aspect. In many places the
early crops were swept clean out Of the
ground, and the losses thus incurred will
be very heavy.
The distress among the homeless dwell
lers of tho valley is very great, and In
many cases they appear to be mentally
benumbed by the calamity that has be-
fallen them
Tho government is doing everything
possible to relieve the suffering. M. Du
puy, minister of public works, and NJ.
Leygues minister of the interior, are here
to assume charge of the relief work. Three
thousand francs had already been received
for relief purposes, and the ministers
brought 5000 more from the funds OF their
departments and 600 francs contributed
by President Faure. Madame Heine has
sent 20, 900 francs which will be applied to
relieving the sufferers.
The project Of the department has Wis
tied all the districts affected by the dis
aster He hrs organized tho employees on
the public roads assisted by the military
to open up the roads All the municipal
authorities are working ceaselessly in dis
tributing relief and seeking to bring order
out Of the chaos prevailing.
AT o'clock yesterday afternoon the
burial of fifteen of tho victims took place
at Domeveres, one of the villages that suf-
fered the worst from the humiliation. Two
thousand persons attended the services,
which were held while the graves were be-
ing dug. There were many heartrending
scenes while the bodies were being con
signed to the earth.
now in some places mile and a half wide.
The railway. especially in the vicinity OF
the Darnieulles station, was torn up, rails
and ties were swept away and tho embank-
ments destroyed. Nearly every bridge on
the line Of the food 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 1t was greatly strengthened.
1t was of heavy masonry, $50 yards long,
66 feet high and &C 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. It was built against a vertical
face of solid rock, having maximum
height of IS feet The base rested on
sandstone bottom of natural formation.
The massive construction was considered
to be n guarantee that 1t would hold back
any weight of water that could be brought
against 1t. Until the strengthening of
the work, in 1882 1t was not subjected to
the full pressure of the water which it
was built to hold.