Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-30
Relief Stations Established.

Calamity such as the present, and their
entire resources are being employed
Relief Stations Established.
Sixty relief stations have been estab-
-Hshed in Paris, as well as camps for
the free distribution of soup, food and
clothing in the outskirts Of the mum
dated towns and villages along the river.
The local government authorities are
displaying great devotion and zeal in
The work of salvage and rescue. Never
the eSS, the conditions, especially IN the
country districts. are pitiIul. The houses
of farmers are submerged TO their roofs,
and in many cases the inhabitants have
lost everything, including their livestock.
1t is estimated that the Seine, which.
under normal conditions. moves through
Paris at the sluggish rate of less than a
mile an hour. is now carrying thirty times
the usual volume at speed of twenty
miles an hour.
During the last few days thousands of
visitors and residents have left here for
London or the Riviera, those going to the
latter place making their way around
Paris to the broken southern lines over
1.-The strategic railroad known as the
:, Grand Ceinture.
~. number of deplorable incidents have
been reported. Several shopheepers who
> attempted to charge quadrupie prices
have been mobbed, while groceryman
house by an angry crowd fired revolver,
wpunding a woman.
Rowdies have attempted to pillage
many houses. At several of the towns
they have been driven off by the military.
Explanations of Floods.
The explorations of the floods given
by French scientists are of especial inter
est. Etienne Stanislas Mouniere, the emil
he
TO be more of a geological than a meteor
oloeical nature.
After explaining the action and reaction
: Of the water in the strata below the sur
face he declares that the soil of the en-
= tire basin of the Seine and the other
:. big rivers of France had become imper-
.ceptibly filled to the point of complete
). saturation during the preceding three
, months of gentle rains with moderate
ton.
When the heavy rains came last week
the ground was absolutely impermeable.
Water ran off as if from cement floor.
NJ Mounier's conclusion is that the
power given to an area of country to
take care of the water outside of con-
ditions as to natural soil, is measured
by TIE evaporation energy per acre. AS
the trees draw the moisture from the
: sod. permitting evaporation. this energy
LII -
: Consequently, reforestation is the only
natural remedy.
Mounier also considers the question OF
construction of high retaining walls, or
a canal which would divert much of the
water at Vincennes above Paris, through
cutoff to st. Denis. eth of which
works would cost about S10,O00,OO0.
American Contributions.
The American Chamber of Commerce,
presided over by Ambassador Bacon, at
meeting today adopted resolutions of
: sympathy. The American ambassador
said that both he and Consul General
Mason were receiving cablegrams offer
ing assistance, If agreeable to the French
government.
fThe Offering of aid from abroad" said
the ambassador, lis a matter of great
delicacy upon such occasions but l am
sure that contributions from Americans in
all parts OF the world. or from anybody
else, will be gratefully received.
The ambassador explained that the
contributions should be made through
the embassy direct to the French govern
ment, leaving the government to decide
the agencies for distribution
Mr.. Bacon himself subscribed $1,000
The amount through this agency tonight
reached $4,000. The newspaper sub
-ScrfptiOQS alone now exceed S4pons,