Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-27
Conditions at Paris Are
Desperate to Last
Degree.
ITALY is AFFECTED
Streams High and Untold Dam
age Has Been Done at Rome
and Elsewhere.

Paris, Jan. 27.-Late this afternoon
the fiuVial department predicted fur
ther rise of eight inches before the
crest of the flood in the Seine is reach
ed. The furry Of joy at noon was fol-
lowed by pessimisr as the waters con.
tinued to rise.
Americans OFFER Help.
Paris, Jan. 27.-At the river had
risen two inches since the subsistence
at noon. The residence of United
States Ambassador Bacon is untenable
and the family has removed to a hotel
Bacon called on the foreign minister
and informally rendered the sympathy
of the American government and peo-
pie and asked if financial assistance
from abroad was desired. J. P Nor
gan cabled rendering $4,000 if outside
contributions to the relief fund were
acceptable
Believed Americans Are Safe.
Washington. Jan. 27-Almost hourly
the state department is in receipt OF
kilograms and letters from different
parts of the United States making in
quiry as to food conditions in Paris
and the safety of relatives living in
that city. The department does not
believe the lives of any Americans
have been lost. inasmuch as an official
cablegram from the American embassy
at Paris last night makes no mention
of the food The department has
cabled the embassy for information.
Record Since 1915.
Paris, Jan. 2T-The stage of the
water this morning exceeded all rec
ords back to 1915. and the river con-
tinued 70 rise until noon when il be
came stationary. The most alarming
feature of the situation this morning
was a fissure at the Auteuil viaduct
at the foot of Paris. Should this give
way it would act as a dam and sub
merge the entire city. The river
Marne is still rising and a new and
higher flood was racing down the
Yonne ana Grand NORM.
Valley Terrifying Spectacle.
The valley of the Seine presents a
terrifying spectacle The flood is
miles wide for 25 miles above the mar
raging torrent runs through the mar
row gut of the city at % miles an hour.
1t is flush with the parapets of the
bridges, where it is not actually over
flowing them. turning streets into
muddy lagoons and choking the under.
ground working of the city to ths
bursting point
Two Rivers Under City.
There are 700 miles of sewers and
two rivers, the Bievre and Grange
BOtel Betliere. under Paris, the latter
running under an opera house whose
confining walls are subjected to thou
sands of cubic yards OF water Where
ever a break in the masonry occurs
streets cave in and water and refuse
emerge. Thus n dozens of places
mile back from the river the streets
are flooded and walls of adjoining
buildings rendered unsafe.
Like BeIeaguered City.
Paris today resembles a beleaguer-
ed city. The military commander Of
each of the five sections into which
the metropolis is divided holds SOL
diers in constant readiness for dis
patch to points of danger. Military
beiA dChS anu puDl4C SC1OOlo dI pIdC-
ed at the disposal of the refugees
who already number more than 100,-
900. Fifteen thousand laborers are
out of work.
Every Minute Adds to Disaster.
Every minute today brought new
tale of disaster. At 8 o'clock the
vault of the Orleans RAILWAY tunnel
gave way. The quarters of tbs Ger
man embassy are flooded. The for
eign Office is surrounded with water
and abandoned. The main drain un-
der Champs d. Mars broke this
morning. The blanket of water ex-
tended back to the Invalides, where /
repose the bones of Napoleon.
Water I'm Presidents Basement.
Easements of the Grand Palace
are filled with water. Whole sections
of the city are roped off. Boiling |
waters between Pont au Change and |
Pont Notredame indicate the roof of .
the subway underneath has collapsed. |
There is great danger to the Insti- |
tue de France. the home of the Acad-
emie FTancaise, which Is surrounded 4
by the waters. The neighborhood of /
the law courts of the prefecture of
police fs fiS2ded and tables and .
chairs are drifting about. The Court |
st. Chapelle. tho most glorious gem Of .
Gothic architecture of France and |
the lower floor of the historic Con- |
ciergeerie are flooded.
Note beginning of Fall.
IN tie midst Of the new and alarm