The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-29


Early today the French Cable COM
pany announced that communication
between this city and the provinces was
| difficult and at times interrupted,
causing great delay.
Trying to Divert Flood.
The morning found a great force of
masons still at work at the erection
of a wall which it was hoped would
divert the flood from the historic Hotel
/ Lambert and the famous Hotel Iauzon
adjoining. Both of these houses were
| built in the 18th century the Hotel
Lauzon having been purchased by the
| city. 10 years ago and made into a
museum of art.
The Rue st. Lazere was inundated
throughout it's extent. The roof of
| the subway under the Plais D'Opera
fell in during the night. The Isle OF
| ST. Louis is fast disappearing beneath
the waters and unless conditions
change soon will be submerged.
The river Seine continued to rise
early today and lacked but few
| inches of attaining the greatest flood
maximum record. This was in 1918
! and when the country was without the
| modern barriers which are designed to
protect Paris and nearby points in such
! emergencies.
| An unfortunate shift of the wind from
| the north to the southwest, accompanying
barometer and heavy rain, added new
| thrill of horror to the stricken city and
surrounding country this. forenoon
Throughout the night the condition in
| this city and environs grew more Sc
rious
Heart of Paris Reached.
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 sur
face overlooked by the waters of the
Seine had been doubled today. Twelve
of the % bridges over the river have
been closed and the quays on either side
from re end of the city to the 9TH
are either inundated or have been
roped off as unsafe.
| The Esplanade Des Invalides is sheet
of water. The turgid flood has crerc
| back almost to the Jardin Du Luxem-
bourg on its left and invaded the Plas
| De La Concorde which was closed and
guarded by soldiers and the lower
Champs Elysee on the right bank. The
Palais De Glace and the other pleasure
resorts and restaurants are surrounded,
even the Pas De La opera at the core
of the city threatening to sink into the
subway beneath Cellars throughout the
district from that point to the St La
zare station composing the Fauburg
Montmartre and the Rue Berger and the
richer sections in the Rue De Provence,
| the Rue Drourot and the Rue Chautdond
are filled to the street Level with water
| from the overfiowed subterranean river.
! From the Rue De La Grange Bateliere
only one street, the Rue De La Roquete,
is open into the submerged Eleventh ar
reimbursement or ward, necessitating a
! three-mile detour to reach the Eleventh
| from the ninth reimbursement.
Palace Is Evacuated.
| The Palais of the Legion of Honor has
! been evacuated.
| War would hardly have played such
! havoc as the flood. The "City of Light
| has become a city of slime.
| The immense building of the St La
! zare station threatens to fall and if the
situation there grows much worse, Paris
will lose It's last railroad connection.
which still operates directly into the
! city.
interruption of suburban traffic today
by the engufing of the belt line tracks
at the Rue De Courcelles filled the roads
| leading to the city with pedestrians
] walking to work. There were also long
/ professions of refugees, penniless and
bent under the weight of the few pos
| sessions they could save.
In the lower Champs Elysee a gaping
chasm opened, engulfing two men and
a cart. One man was rescued but the
other was swept to his death with the
| horse.
Water gushing from the subway en-
trance flooded the square in front of
| the Coincide Franchise.
| At the Place Pareire the main drain
exploded. flooding the subway and the
workmen inside narrowly escaped with
their lives. Another main broke empty
ing its contents into the basement of
the principal market and destroying the
entire reserve stock of provisions.
Soldier Is Drowned.
The Place Du Palais Bourbone where
| the deputies are now sitting is nearly
Isolated While a corporal and two SOL
diers In a rowboat were trying to deliver
tho orders of their commander the boat
was swept into the Seine and the cor
poral fell overheard. The two soldiers
sprang into the seething waters to save
their comrade, and one of the rescuers
drowned. the others being saved.
The authorities continue to battle
braveiy but their resources are becoming
exhausted. Police, firemen and soldiers,
on duty night and day, since Monday,
are worn out, and volunteers for rescue
and relief work were called for today.
nc ihipiOFlSeu dykes diOnS tIt quay
have broken and the chief efforts are
now directed to keep great bridges free
of driftwood. Men with ropes fastened
about their bodies lowered over the
sides of bridges into the freezing water
to further this work Red Cross am
balances clang through the streets Sol
diers are replacing the police for senti-
mel duty, adding to the appearance ot
siege. Contributions of aid are pour
Ing In from the outside. but the govern
ment has not yet made an official an
nouneement to whether such gifts
| would be acceptable
Keeping Prices Down.
Both the government and municipal
administration Will adopt strong measure:
to prevent shopl<eepers from undnly rails
ing food prices but the climax ap
proaches the authorities appear to be con
cerned more with what may follow than
the present situation. The fear of pesti
lence Is great and arrangements are bein,
perfected TO insure prompt Justification
touching evidence Of the conditions
. above the city came today in the shan,
OF an urgent appeal from Chareton 70