Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-01-30
FORTY THOUSAND DRIVEN
FROM VALLEY HOMES
Sense of Relief Felt in Paris. But
Country Districts Are in Awful Con-
dition, water Reaching Very Tops
of Houses-crevases Open in
Esrtn and People Are Swept Away
(By Associated Press.)

PARIS, jan ZS.-SloWiy. very SLOW
~, the swollek waters OF the Seine.
which reached their high mark at
O'Clock this morning, are subsiding
and at midnight the fall measured
about Az inches-not much, but
enough to bring a sense of relief to
the desolated and distressed city.
The danger OF some great calamity.
such as has been predicted now
seems over. although the situation
continues to be critical at many points
within the city. particularly in the
I.eighborhood of the st. LaZara sta
ton, where the entire streets and
solid blocks of buildings threaten to
sink through the crust into the wat
ers beneath.
The effect of the removal OF the
water pressure has been to weaken
foundations generally. and this causes
the greatest anxiety. Besides there
will be thousands of acres to be clear
ed or repaired when the water has
receded and there is also the posi-
hility of an epidemic breaking out
fastened Climax.
II is generally believed that the
breaking of the dam at Genneviliiers
appreciably FASTENED the climax. ny
releasing an immense amosnt of
water. but the consequences below are
appalling. Gennevilliers and Colombo.
having 10000 inhabitants. are COM
pletely submerged, the water reaching
the tops of the houses in the lower
sections, while the feed is backing
up into the very center of Asnieres-
Certainly 10000 have been driven
from their homes by the flood in the
valley OF the Seine to the hospitals
and other buildings which have been
placed. at the disposition Of the re-
fugees.
Such dispatches as have reached
here from the provinces ind cate
general Improvement in conditions ex-
cept in the lower valley of the Seine
President Fallieries and Premier
BRAND traversed the inundated dis
tricts on the left bank of the. river
this afternoon in an automobile. CIV
ing attention to the region around the
foreign office, after which they pass
cd around the Eiffel tower into the
Javel district The premier gave q
categorical denial to De reports that
the government contemplated pro-
claiming state of~siese in the CITY,
The French war cross, the Societe
Des Danes Franchise and the
Societe Des Femmes De France are
rendering immense assistance to the
authorities in the relif of suffers.
Sixty relief stations have been es-
tabIished in Paris as well as camps
for the free distribution of soup, food
and clothing in the outskirts of the
- - ell al
the river.
IL is estimated that the Seine is
row carrying thirty times the usual
volume of water at a speed OF 20
miles an hour. During the last few
Gays thousands Of visitors and resi-
dents have left for London or the
Reviera.
Cause Of Flood
Etienne Stanislas Meu1iers. the
eminent geolcg:st. considers the phe-
nomenon to be more Of a geological
than a meteorological nature. After
explaining the action and reaction OF
:he water in the strata below the sur
face. he declares that the soil Of the
entire basin CT the Se.ne and the
other big rivers Of France, had be
come imperceptibiy flied 10 the point
OF complete saturation during the
preceding three months Of gentle
rains with moderate temperatures,
which retarded evaporation. When
;he heavy rains came last week the
ground was absolutely impenatrble
and the water ran OF as n from a
cement floor.
" Meuniers' conclusion IS that re-
forestration is the only natural
remedy.
Assistance offered.
The American chamber 81 com
mcTce, presided over by Ambassador
Bacon. at a meeting today adopted
resolutions OF sympathy. The Ameri-
can ambassador said that both ne and
Consul General Mason we're receiving
cablexrams Offering assistance. ~
agreeable. TO the French government
Mr.. Bacon. himself. subscribed ~
600. and the amount through tbs
agency tonight reached sss.o0c. The
newspaper Subscriptions Acne now
exceed sfoo.0oo.
Awful Plight.
There have been . dozen instances
where persons have disappeared IN