The Washington herald., 1910-01-29
PARIS HAS APPEARANCE
OF COMPLETE DES0LATION.

Paris Jan. 2S.-At 8 O'CLOCK TINS even
ing Paris presents the appearance OF
complete desolation. Everywhere streets
are barred owing TO the constant APP
pearance in fresh places of subsidences.
Traffic moves with the greatest diff
Guilty and impenetrable blocks are formed
in the main streets.
At the corner Of the Cafe de Ia PAX.
in front OF the opera house subsistence
occurred. This is busy spot, but II was
barred OF by a detachment or soldiers.
From time to time soldiers marched
through the streets 70 the posts TO which
they have been assigned. The whole
impression is OF a city under siege after
some terrible catastrophe.
The water has now invaded every
quarter. II has penetrated 70 the cellars
OF the Coincide Franchise. preventing
the evening performance.
Along the riverside workmen are few
erishly erecting walls OF cement on top
OF the embankment where the river
threatens 10 overflow. Several bridges
are threatened by the heaps OF debris
brought down by the flood. There is
every possibility Of melinste being used
TO blow up the Pont dc Tolbiao.
More Rain Predicted.
AT the meteorological station the experts
say that heavy rains may be expected
for some time 10 come. The whole OF
the Quai d'Orsmy. in front OF the Orleans
Railway terminus. has now given way,
owing TO the enormous pressure OF the
water IN the tunnel beneath, and the
| fashionable St German quarter, behind
/ it, Is now flooded 10 depth OF eight feet.
The condition Of the sewers IS causing the
greatest fears. The whole quarter around
/ the St Lazare station has been barred
to all traffic. The Central Telegraph sta
ton has been invaded by water. and
great delay Is expected in the forward
| ing OF dispatches.
The council Of ministers considered to-
/ day the measures 1t viii be necessary 70
1 take to counteract the effect OF the IN
undation and to secure Immediately upon
the recedence OF the water to the re
sumption Of the various public services
The minister OF foreign affairs an
! nounced that the Gar had placed at the
/ disposal OF the French government TO-
/ COO rubles $4,000 for the benefit OF poor
victims OF the disaster.
The prefecture OF the Seine received to-
/ day dispatch from Gennevilliers, sit
uated near Paris, announcing that the
protecting dixie had been burst and thai
the water had spread over the entire
| country, creating general terror. There
were not even boats in the locality ade-
| quate to the work OF rescue, and tbs
/ property losses were sure to be enormous
! At the bureau OF the prefecture Prefect
| Of Police Leplne declared that the situa-
ton in the Place de Rome was most dis
quieting. Il was impossible to approach
the st. Lazare Railway station, as the
streets leading TO It were barricaded
Traffic was also stopped in the Rue d.
Havre. All wheeled traffic. and foot pas.
sengers alike were stopped, without ex'
ception, on the Boulevarde Houssmann
which was inundated for 275 yards Of IL:
/ length.
This afternoon a party Of soldiers o.
the Engineer corps were sent to free with
melinate bombs the arches Of the Pom
de Tolbiac, which had become obstructec
with debris carried down by the raging
stream.
Several Persons Drowned.
Several persons lost their lives through
the food to-day. One soldier was drown
ed while engaged in salvage work, and or
the Champs Elysees a woman disappear
ed, being swallowed up as a consequence
The river is still rising, and communi
cation with the outside world has beer
/ difficult. At 6 o'clock this morning III,
water overlooked near the st. LAzar,
Railway station. getting there through
the sewers and cutters and the metro
poltan subway in course OF construction
on the Place du Havre The inundatiol
arose with inconceivable rapidity amid c
general panic among officials and on
lockers.
Soon there was eight inches Of wateI
in the nelghboring streets. and It KEEP
rising without interruption. spouting Il
cascades from the various street open
ings. The artificial lake thus formec
soon extended to the Boulevard House
mann, the soldiers Of the engineer corp
vainly trying to stop it with a barrier o
sand bags
The soldiers Of the 1N4th Infantry II
vain constructed barriers to stop tn
water. The Magasln du Printemps ha.
been closed, and the police compelled tn,
evacuation Of the Hotel Terminus by tn
travellers who were CHARTERED there