The San Francisco call., 1910-01-26
FLOODS IN FRANCE
CAUSE DISASTER
Architecture of Paris Under.
mined by Waters and Build
ings Are Crumbling
Continued from Page 1

graphed to generals in the provinces TO
hurry pontoons. bedding and sappers
to points where the floods are most Sc
we're, and the minister OF marine has
ordered authorities of the ports to send
lifeboats and crews to Paris,
A steamboat pontoon was swept
against one of the arches of the Pont
de PAlma, completely obstructing the
river at that point. 1t probably will
have to be blown up.
At Conf1ans IA houses have collapsed.
The Aube canal has burst. flooding
Saint Just and several other villages.
Fifty thousand soldiers comprising
the garrison of Paris, were placed at
the disposition of the municipal author
tiles to fight the flood.
The disaster is due chiefly to the fact
that the whole marvellous underground
architecture of the city, which is hon
eycombed with labyrinths, is filing up
with water causing the sewers to burst
and the streets to cave in and threaten
ing the foundations of buildings.
Streets Are Rivers
The scene on the river front is ma
jestic but appalling. The stream has
broken it's barriers at several points
and is pouring it's yellow torrents into
the surrounding streets, converting
them into veritable rivers. At any min
ute it may be necessary to blow up the
Alma bridge, where the pontoon is
iammed and where the water is but a
few inches from the Keystone of the
arch, as a dam there might turn the
course of the Seine in such a way as to
flood several of the most fashionable
sections of the city
At noon yesterday Paris was the
center of an area of low pressure and
bitter cold and rain and sleet were
falling throughout the flooded regions
adding to the suffering of the poor and
homeless. The price of bread and
other food has Increased in conse-
quence of the fact that communication
with the provinces is crippled
The depleted supply of drinking water
has caused the greatest alarm With
the rise of the flood but few inches
higher the pumping stations still In
operation must stop and Paris, in the
midst of a miniature ocean, will be
without water fit to drink.
Physicians fear IN epidemic when the
flood subsidies, as the overfiowing sew
ers are likely to contaminate the
drinking water and rats driven out of
their underground Zones are invading
residences.
should be perpendicular when undis-
turbed is erroneous. 1t is Axplained
that the tower was built with a water
base and its support supplied with a
hydraulic lifting apparatus which
works automatically
Life Savers Drowned
great 6Ss,,ra hoe onaraa =,
ground, cutting off the lighting supply
from the Place de Clichy and the neigh
boring streets. Last night the cleo
tricity failed at the residence of Amer
lean Ambassador Bacon and the family
was obliged to depend on candles
A boatroad of life savers was eaugh,
in the mad current of the river Marne
and all were drowned
The Renault factory below Paris has
been abandoned. throwing $500 men
out of work.
Several aeroplane shops on the banks
of the Seine where machines were be-
ing built for use at the meeting at
Heliopolis, Egypt, have been destroyed.
The upper waters of the Loire were
rising rapidly yesterday, threatening a
new disaster.
Tempest on Channel
BOULOGNE- SUR MARINE. France, Jan.
25.-A tempest is raging over the Eng
service has been suspended
Gale Balks Liner
LIVERPOOL Jan. 25.-The Cunard
liner Lusitania, which arrived here from
New York at noon today was unable to