Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1895-05-04
THE EPINAL DISASTER
List of Fatalities of the Dyke
Break Growing.
OYER ONE HUNDRED THUS FAR
These Figures VIII BE Increased when
All Districts swept by the
Waters Are Heard From.

All Districts swept by the
Waters Are Heard From.
Epinal, France, April 30.-The list
of fatalities by the breaking Of the great
Bouzey dyke i'll the Epinal district of
the Vosges increases every hour. one
hundred and fifteen deaths have already
been reported, but only fifty bodies
have been recovered. 1t Is believed the
list will be i'll excess of these figures
when all the districts have been heard
from. Ii is supposed many OF the dead
were swept into isolated places, where
they will be long time before found.
The whole region over which thou
sands of tons of water swept Ill resist
less flood is strewn with every sort OF
wreckage, and the whole country pre-
sents most desolate appearance. In
many places the early crops were swept
clean out of the ground, and losses thus
incurred will be very heavy. Six brig
AIDES of gendarmes have arrived and
have been detailed to act as guards.
Every attempt is being made to reor-
ganize the district, but this Is made
difficult by the waters. The Avlere,
a small stream, is now III some places
a mile and half wide. The railway
in the vicinity Of the Darlnsulle STA
ton was torn up, the railroad ties
swept away and the embellishments de-
stroyed. Nealry every bridge on the
line of the flood was either swept away
or so badly damaged that they will
have to be rebuilt.
The construction of the dyke was
commenced i'll 1879 and finished i'll
1884. In 1889 it was greatly strength
ened 1t was of heavy masonry, $50
yards long, sc feet high and 66 feet
thick at the base. The masonry was
carried into the ground to "a depth of 30
feet below the level of the valley into
which the reservoir discharged its wa
ter. 1t was built against IA vertical
face of solid rock, having a maximum
height of 10 feet. The base rested on
a sandstone bottom of natural forma-
ton. 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 III 1889 it was
not subjected to full pressure OF water
which it was built to hold.
The distress among the jewellers of
the valley is great and in many cases
they appear to be mentally benumbed
by the calamity that has fallen to
them.
The government is fully awake to
the disaster and is doing everything
possible to relieve suffering. The min
listers of public works and 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 80, 900 more from funds of their
departments and / 1000 contributed by
President Faure. Madame Heine has
sent 20, 900 francs which will be APP
piled to relieving the sufferers. The
project of the department has visited
all the districts affected by the disaster.
He has organized the employees on the
public roads, and aided by the military
will as soon as possible restore COM
municaton. These and the soldiers
will also search for dead bodies and
bury all the dead animals they may
find. The municipal authorities are
working necessarily in distributing re-
lief and seeking to bring order out of
the chaos prevailing.