Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-25
Electric Plant of Chamber Of Deputies
is Drowned Out.
SEINE HIGHEST IN CENTURY
Floods Break All Records Since 1902
at Paris.
TEMPEST DELUGEs
VICTIMS
Quarter of Million People stand in
DrenchinE Rain watching Yellow
TOrrent-CeIIRrs Full and
Buildings Threatened.


PARIS, Jan PA fourth OF France. it
is estimated is under water today Snow
and rain are adding to the floods which are
unprecedented in the history of the present
generation.
The Seine continued to rise today and the
situation In this city grew worse hourly
| Water has drowned out the electric plant
in the Chamber of Deputies and today the
deputies met by lamp light Premier BRAND
INTRODUCED a bill appropriating $4000O0 for
| the relief of sufferers from the floods. He
described what the government was already
doing to abate the distress and highly
praised the rescue work done by the sold
| iers and gendarmes.
Owing to the difficulty Of getting food
into the city market, prices have been
raised, adding another element OF distress
to the poorer classes 1t is estimated that
5000 laborers have been thrown out of en-
ployment.
Fortunately the causualtles have been
comparatively few, but frequent narrow
escapes from death are reported. The ex-
plosion Of boilers in inundated factories is
an occasional element Of danger An
enosmous amount OF live stock is reported
to have been drowned in the departments
"a <AuDty, IlSHc anu heuSe.
1t is now believed the EiffeI tower,
the foundations Of which were threatened
by the waters, is no longer in danger of
collapse. However the wireless sat
tion at the top of the tower has been
abandoned temporarily.
The rivers Rhone and Loire are reported
to be falling and the situation accordingly
! improved at Lyons, Limoges, Troyes, An
necy and Auxerre.
The property damage cannot be esti-
mated with any accuracy, but IT will
be very great
Following the appeal of Premier BRAND
the Chamber of Deputies unanimously
voted the 100000 requested for the aid
of flood sufferers
Late this afternoon President Fallferies
| and Premier BRAND made a tour of the
flooded diHtrictsf-in an automobile. The
crest fthe flood had then almost
touched the top of the arches of the
Pont Alma Preparations were made to
blow up the span with dynamite If it
| should become necessary
| The sewer in the Place Havre has
caved in and the Avenue Montaigne has
| been invaded by the waters. The schools
in the inundated suburbs have been
closed
The flood situation in Paris reached a
more critical stage this morning. The
| Seine had has risen nine inches since 2
o'clock and the river now registers 1853
meters at Pont Royal. This sthe higgh-
est the river has been since 1902 when
1t reached $50 meters. the highest point
recorded in the history Of France except
in the year 1918.
A terrible tempest of rain and wind
which broke over the city at daylight only
adds N "a Of ha eff.
the suffering of the poor and homeless.
Although the waters Of the Seine af-
fluents above the city still are rising
rapidly, the municipal authorities were
hopeful this morning that the maximum
stage of waters would be reached by night
/ fall.
The river presents an awe-inspiring spec
tacle A quarter of a million people in a
| drenching rain throng the stone parapets
and quays watching the yellow tide which
/ is crowded with drift wood wine casks
and other, wreckage. rushing seaward. The
water now is almost flush with the arches
Of the bridges.
work to Save Bridges.
Firemen. police and troops are working
like mad at all the bridges disentangling
blockades resulting from the floating debris.
and 1t is hoped that all the bridges will
be saved Traffic on several of the frazier
ones, however, has been stopped.
All OF the cellars along the quays are
filie6~with water. One of the chief dangers
is the weakening OF the foundations Of the
buildings along the water front by the
seeping waters. The remaining walls of
the foreign office are surrounded by water
and the beautiful garden in the rear Of the
building is a veriable lake
Streets around the Chamber OF Deputies
are considered unsafe and all traffic in
these streets has been forbidden.
The tunnel between the Quai DOrsay ana
the Quai D'Austerlitz stations is a rushing
stream. The basement on the PaIais D'Jus-