Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-29
RAIN ADDS THRILL OF HORROR
Sharp Drop in Temperature Causes
Increased Suffering.
BUSINESS NEARLY SUSPENDED
Food Becomes Scarce as Paralysis Of
Traffic Extends.
HEART OF CITY IS IN DANGET
Half of the Bridges across RiveH
Are Closed and Underground
Waters Are Making the
Streets Insecure.

bNEeEAA
PARIS, Jan. eS-The boiling waters Of
the Seine were stu rising at noon today
At the rate of an inch sad /: quarter an
hour, There is a steady downpour Of rain
and the temperature is falling. Every
where the situation is appreclably worse
than yesterday.
An unfortunate shift of the wind from
north to southwest accompanied by a
falling barometer and heavy rain added
new thrill of horror to the stricken city
and country this forenoon. During the
night the condition in this city and nearby
towns grew more serious.
The devastation has now penetrated the
very heart of Paris, the gorging rivers and
sewers underneath literally blowing up
the streets while the area Of the surface
overflowedl by the waters of the Seine had
been doubled today. Twelve Of the twenty
five bridges over the river have been closed
and the qhays on either side from one end
of the city to the other are either mum
dated or have been roped off as unsafe
The Esplanade des Invaldes is a sheet
of water. The turbid flood has crept
back almost to the Jardln du Luxembourg
on It's left bank and invaded the Place de
la Concord which was closed and guarded
by soldiers and the lower Champs Elysee
on the right bank. The Paiais de Glace
and other pleasure resorts and restaurants
are surrounded, even the Place de Ia
OPERA In the core OF the city. threatening
to sink to the subway beneath. Cellars
throughout the district from that point IN
the st. Lazare station, comprising the
Faubourg Montmartre and the Rue Berger
and the richest sections I'm the rue de
Provence, the rue Drouot and the rue
Chateaiidon. are filled to the street level
with water from the overflowed subter-
ranean river.
From the rue de la Grange BatelIere onl,,
one street, the rue de la Roquete. is omen
into the submerged eleventh arrond,sza-
ment, necessitatlng a three-mile detour 70
reach the eleventh from the ninth arron-
dissment.
Havoc Bad as War.
The palace of the Legion of Honor has
been evacuated. The situation in the neigh
borhood Of the French institute has be-
come desperate.
Today's papers are filled with pages OF
pitiful and terrifying details. War would
hardly play such havoc. The City OF Light
Hhas become city of slime, filled with
muddy waters. Business is almost at a
standstil and the hotels are crowded with
persons who have fled from inundated
homes. The prices of necesBaries are ad-
vancing by leaps and bounds as the pa
ralysis OF transportation facilities entering
the city extends.
The last means of insuring suburban
traffic was interrupted for a time today
when the tracks of the Belt Line were
engulfed at the Rue De Courcelles.
The roads leading to the city were filled
this morning with pedestrians coming to
their work and long professions of refu-
gees bent beneath the weight of Jacks con-
tanning the few OF their belongings that
they had been able to save. Practically ali
OF them are without funds.
Many Dishstera During the Day,
Disaster followed disaster during the
day. A gaping chasm opened ir the lower
Champs E.ysee engulfing a cart and two
men. One lof the men was rescued. but
the other with the horse was swept away
Toward poon the water gushed out of the
Tuilleries entrance to the Metropolitan sub
way, flooding the square in front Of the
Coincide Franchise. An attempt to keep
the water down in the section OF the sub
way at this place was made by using
pumps through holes bored at distant
points. but with little success
Within the city there is practically no
means OF transportation, except cabs and
taxi-automobiles the owners OF which
charge fabulous prices. The steam tram
ways which were the only surface lines
remaining after the electric cars failed,
ere unable to move today as the water
IA entered the fire boxes.
Communication by omnibus and auto
buses between the two sides of the river
has been suspended owing to the unsafe
condition OF the bridges.
At the Place Perehe the main drain
exploded, flooding the subway and the
workmen inside narrowly escaped An
other main broke. emptying its contents
into the basement Of the principal market
and destroying the entire reserve stock of
provisions
The place Du Palais- Bourbon, where the
deputies are now sitting. is nearly isolated.
While a corporal and two soldiers in a row
boat were trying TO deliver the orders of
their commander the boat was swept into
the Seine and the corporal fell overheard
The two soldiers sprsng into the seething
waters to save their comrade and after an
exciting effort the corporal and one soldier
were rescued with ropes thrown by sailors
on shore. The other soldier was drowned
ImprOvised Dykes Break.
The improvised dykes along the ouavs
nave broken ana the chler efforts are now
directed to keeping the bridges free OF
an accumulation of drift wood. Men with
ropes fastened about their bodies are low
cred over the sides OF the bridges into the
freezing water TO further this work.
The fear that pestilence win stalk IN the
wake Of the flood Is great and arrange
ments are being perfected 90 insure the
disinfeetlon and cleaning OF the city as
soon as the water subsidies.
touching evidence OF conditions above
the city came today in the shape OF an
urgent appeal from Tharenton for food and
fresh clothing for 1900 babies rescued at
Alfortville and Ivry and who have been
GN'lthout proper clothing for four DAYS
Water in Italy RecedinR.