The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-30
ALL PUBLIC SERVICE IS
STILL BADLY CRIPPLED
Mail 10 Delivered In May Parts Of the
City In Boats and Fuel and Food
Prices Have Scared to Fam
Inc Rates.
BY VANCE THOMPSON.


Paris, January 2s.--lspecial.) .)-rhe nood
reached its maximum height here today
at AL feet, and has now begun to fall
slowly.
4 The River Marne is falling more quick
ly. registering a drop Of A inches.
The general situation in the city Ii un-
improved. The water in the streets has
risen slightly owing to the bursting of
sewers and water mains.
The weather lis fne and the authorities
are optimistic They believe the worst Is
over. The declaration Of siege is now
not necessary.
The sun smiled today for the f1rst time
since the floods began upon Paris, not
the beautiful" but Paris the ruined, the
stricken and submerged.
The situation Is even worse in some
ways than when the German foe was
hammering down the Notifications of the
city with cannon ball in 1870 Then the
foe was visible. steel clashed against steel
accompanied by the roar Of artillery and
the rattle of musketry. But the foe of
the past week fought silently and un-
seen below the streets of the city and
with terrible evenness.
Everywhere Is Ruin.
There was no staying the underground
enemy. Here a street sank in, there
building tottered and everywhere was
ruin.
The puny barriers set up by the hand
of man were as paper against the ir-
resistible onward march of foods.
Here Is an epitome of the damage
wrought In the city:
Traffic suspended entirely in the follow
Ing streets: Cours la Refine, Rue Maz-
aTine Rue de Bourgogne, Rue de DUni-
cersite. Rue des Saints Peres, Rue do
Bac, Rue y36fH ffes~ Hrfe d Auteuil, Rue
Gle Grsnelle, Rue de Lille. Rue st, An
tome, Rue de Faubourg, Rue de Seine.
Boulevards st. Germaine and Haussmann.
Rue de Havre, Rue d'Montaigne, Rue de
RUyale.
Commercial activities In almost every
walk of life paralyzed.
Country roads in the valley of the Seine
and for miles about Paris impossible.
The following bridges are closed Sol
ferino. Alma, Royal, Arcole and Saints
Peres
Telephone services discontinued, rail-
road traffic practically at a standstill,
telegraph wires badly crippled. subway
service paralyzed and all surface lines
abandoned Electricity cut off. caving in
of the Place de la Concorde and the low
er Champs Elysees is imminent
Boats Carrying the Mails.
In many streets mail is being delivered
in boats. Hundreds of soldiers, police
men, hremen and civilians are throwing
up dams Of cement. The convent of st.
Sulpice shelters many refugees and
homeless
Fuel and food prices have SCARED to
famine rates.
The Saint Lazare railroad station is
surrounded
Not train enters the city. Suffering
from cold and hunger Is intense. Only
the highest quarters of the city are un-
affected.
These are only few evidences of the
damage wrought by the flood. Damage
to sewers, water pipes, conduits, sub
ways, foundations of buildings pave
ments and sidewalks are yet unseen.
When the water recedes to its normal
level they will be visible for the hrst
time and will undoubtedly run into the
millions No one can even guess at the
total approximate damage. 1t will take
months and perhaps years to restore the
city to its former state.
Though the Seine fell perceptibly today
the waters above and below the surface
of the city are still causing tremendous
damage Many streets hitherto immune
were invaded while the underground
torrents opened new crevices, especial
~ in the Place de LOpera. the Rue
Royale and the Place de la Concorde.
The situation at the first named place
is precarious.
People Imprisoned.
Thousands of half-starved persons arc
still Imprisoned In the second stories and
on the roofs of their homes. Distressing
tale of hunger and thirst are told by
those who have been rescued.
-i<xk ~ x;e vv1nr 1fvxrv txxyrx
families with nine children who had
been drifting about all night on q films
lily constructed raft were rescued by
soldiers. Dozens of persons have b
swallowed up by streets s'77eef2
lapsing beneath them. 1t ifs sis ATS ls-
many were drowned in their horios pn-
sailor at the limit OF physse Hg
mental endurance, became aad oa
and Jumped into the Seine wi p
ished. Others have become h.aa fto
fear and suffering.
The famous bankers, the Refl HaHu
today placed all their automc
carriages at the disposal of the
ties and many other private irCN
followed their example.
The government has requisitionso is
boat obtainable and posted notice sEfH-
ing the flood sufferers not to pay Eve
boatmen for their services.
All Americans Safe.
United states Ambassador Bacon god
cabled washington that all Amerca.n
are SAFE but many have been force {
desert their homes. There Is re.
that Assistant Secretary Smith OF rna
American chamber of commerce, has been
missing for two days. Efforts are bel
made to locate him at some hotel
Many Americans are leaving for LoL
don.
Telephone communication with London
was destroyed late today and that city
can be reached only by telegraph by
way - '1'iin and 'v cnblile ~ New
York
The dykes hastily constructed to pro-
tect the Quai du Louvre are beginning
to give way.
Colonel Hunsicker. whose offices are
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